What Is a Daily Report in the Construction Industry?

As someone in the construction industry, your foremost goals likely include keeping your employees safe and getting your job done right. To achieve these goals, it’s crucial to keep a daily construction report.

If you’re still keeping records with pen and paper, now is the time to transition to the digital sphere, which will make your life easier and your company more competitive.

Before we discuss the ways a daily construction report can transform your construction company’s day-to-day functioning, it’s important to define what a daily report actually is. Put simply, it’s a sheet that describes all the tasks your company is on schedule to complete that day and includes crucial information associated with your current job.

For example, your daily report will note whether it’s supposed to rain or if you need to order certain materials. With a daily report, you can track your progress and have detailed documentation in case anything goes wrong.

Here are a few things that could go on a daily report:

• The weather forecast: Clouds, snow, rain, and thunderstorms will all impact the job in different ways—for instance, rain will make the ground wet, which could cause timeline delays or postponements.
• Daily meetings: Logging meetings with vendors, colleagues, employees, and customers is a critical component of thorough recordkeeping. Including meetings in daily reports will ensure that everyone’s on the same page about what meetings are happening and when.
• Visitors: In the construction industry, it’s vital to keep track of who comes to the job site and when—whether it be inspectors, customers, or third-party laborers.
• Potential delays: From supply chain issues to site conditions, an array of unforeseen circumstances can impact timelines. If you’re anticipating any delays on the horizon, make a note of these in the daily report. 
• Productivity: To ensure your team is working hard and performing well, you can use the daily report to keep track of employees’ collective and individual progress.

Why Is an Online Daily Report in Construction Important?

You’ll Stay Organized… Without the Paperwork

What’s more frustrating than having to hunt through hundreds of pieces of paper to find the document you need? Pretty much nothing. In addition to organizational challenges, the pitfalls associated with pen-and-paper records can include hard-to-read handwriting, version control issues, inability to access information remotely, and the potential for information to be lost due to everything from sprinkler system malfunctions to spilled coffee.

To stay organized without pesky paper, opt to move your daily construction report online and enjoy perks such as:

• Convenience: With less time spent wrangling paper records, you’ll have more time to manage employees and projects on the job site.
• Portability: As you move from job to job, your files come with you.
• Speed: If a customer or colleague needs a certain piece of documentation, you can find it fast.

Being Thorough Is Easier With Automated Processes

Choosing to complete your daily construction report online means having the option to automate your data entry processes. Using smart technology to streamline the process will take the stress off you by removing the potential for error associated with manually entering information.

Stock and Maintenance Management Is Streamlined

Maintaining company vehicles, following device service schedules, and monitoring ever-fluctuating levels of materials can be a full-time job in itself. With online daily construction reports, you can have all your information in one spot, making it easier to determine when something needs to be serviced or purchased. You’ll never go to the job site unprepared, because with an online daily construction report, you’ll know what’s going on at all times.

Your daily construction report should log this maintenance-related information:

• The frequency of oil changes
• When brakes, fluids, and tire pressure were last checked
• Which inspections are coming up, as well as when these were last performed
• Any leaks or other issues observed
• Records of prior ownership
• When deliveries are arriving
• When you last ordered certain materials

Safety Will Never Go Unchecked

With online daily construction reports, you’ll always know when your equipment needs to undergo maintenance, which will go a long way toward ensuring you have top-notch tools on your job site and eliminating the chance of on-site injuries or equipment failures. 

You can use the audit checklist component of your online daily report to monitor the following:

• Equipment logistics: Log inspection information about heavy machinery. 
• Health and personal safety: Note the location and availability of first-aid kits. 
• Information about electrical wiring: Are the job site’s electrical fixtures in adherence with local guidelines? When were inspections completed? 
• Fall-related safety measures: Did your crew members follow fall prevention guidelines?
• Fire-related safety measures: Were fire hydrants and other fire-preventative items readily available?

You Can Keep a Tighter Budget

When you’re running a company, you don’t want to spend money frivolously, so adhering to a strict budget is important. It can be all too easy to deviate from your budget when you don’t have a record of how much things cost or when they were purchased, but an online daily construction report provides you with estimates, price quotes, and more. Plus, you can submit work orders straight from your report, so you’ll know how much things will cost before you call in the troops.

You Can Transition Old Forms Into an Online Format

If you’re used to pen-and-paper documentation, you may be hesitant to make the transition to the digital sphere because you don’t want to lose access to all the information you accumulated manually. Don’t fret if this sounds like you, because you can transfer all your paperwork from past years into your new digital system. Not only will you not have to worry about losing anything, but your information will be on a secure online platform that’s much safer than your file cabinets.

Customer Support Will Always Be There for You

When you’re keeping manual records yourself, you don’t have anyone to call for assistance. This isn’t the case when you use online daily reports, because there is always a support team that can help you navigate challenges and provide answers to your questions.

Choose GoCanvas for Your Daily Reports

Using an online daily construction report will help you keep track of logistics and simplify your day-to-day processes. If you’re interested in finding an online daily report program to streamline your business, you’re in luck: GoCanvas is committed to helping business owners digitalize their daily reports. Are you ready to transition to online daily reporting? GoCanvas is here to help you navigate this change. Start today and impact your business for the better. For more information, schedule time with a product expert.