By Didier Bennert, CEO EMIXIS
With workers scattered across several client sites or frequently moving from one to another, the measurement of working time proves a complex challenge for construction companies. And still, you need all the details to precisely calculate salaries and manage overtime, to monitor the costs of your projects and to correctly invoice your customers. Building on over 20 years of experience in helping construction companies track and manage vehicles, moving assets and field workers, Emixis has developed specific solutions to adress this important challenge. It all starts with precisely recording when and where your workers start and stop their activities. And you need multiple recording methods and channels to account for the diversity of situations. In-vehicle badging. For many construction companies, workers reach their working place in company vehicles. Emixis has developed accessories to allow the precise recording of when and where drivers and passengers enter and exit vehicles, using Mifare badges for instance. Whenever workers are badging, their identification is sent to our fleet management platform with a time and GPS stamp. This allows to precisely calculate the time spent in transportation as well as at each specific construction site, based on geofencing. The accessories can also enable the activation of a privacy function or the tracking of specific activities. Multi-standard GPS Time Clock. We also propose a multi-standard GPS Time Clock. With a rugged design (IP67) and a powerful battery (over 1 month of complete autonomy), this device reads a broad range of Mifare badges and Dallas Keys. It allows workers or subcontractors to identify themselves when they arrive or leave a construction site. Here as well, the identification data is sent to our platform with a GPS and time stamp. The Time Clock also incorporates a RFID receiver to record the presence of tools and equipment. Smartphone or tablet-based solutions. We also propose a variety of smartphone- or tablet-based applications that allow workers to register their starting or finishing an activity in the field. Our most elaborate proposition is Aidoo, a complete solution to manage field workers. The easy-to-use tool allows to assign missions to field workers through a web-platform. All the necessary information to perform the mission will be communicated to the field worker through the Aidoo app. Each worker uses the app to indicate when the work starts and stops, what activities are performed as well as take pictures, record consumption of spare parts etc. Finally, the client can sign the proposed report on the smartphone to allow for immediate invoicing. In our experience, automating the calculation of working time can generate substantial saving in headcount in HR administration, whose focus can be given to exceptions and special situations rather than tedious, repetitive calculations. It also helps significantly increase the quality of the information available, for instance with regards to the actual cost of each project. Try it and enjoy the savings.