Most Workforce Management Solutions Fall Short – Is AI the Missing Piece?

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Contractors can streamline their workforce management strategy by adopting solutions with comprehensive tools to manage both their workforce and projects. While capabilities can vary by platform, workforce management solutions generally perform a myriad of functions such as managing employees on-site, planning project teams, generating project schedules, and providing a central location for certification and compliance documents. The ultimate aim of these features is to enhance productivity and streamline project operations.

But despite a high adoption rate for the solutions overall - BuiltWorlds' 2023 Field Solutions Benchmarking Survey data showed that 75% of respondents have implemented a workforce management solution across projects to some extent - the industry average satisfaction scores for labor productivity tracking and task management specifically were relatively low, with both segments receiving a rating of 4.5 out of 10.

Amid the low average productivity rating, three solutions stood out above the rest: Bridgit Bench, Genda, and InEight - each receiving an above-average rating of 7.5/10. Here is how each platform addresses productivity today:

bridgit

An all-in-one workforce management tool, Bridgit Bench’s Workforce 360° tool enhances productivity by using smart suggestions - quickly identifying the right people for the project to build better teams.

genda

Genda’s Resource Monitoring tool connects with popular project management solutions, including Procore and Autodesk’s Construction Cloud, to further analyze trade data. Users can understand production rates and compare planned vs. actual outputs in user-friendly dashboards, giving them a better handle on overall productivity.

Ineight

InEight Progress is the company’s productivity analysis and progress tracking tool. The tool measures construction progress by calculating units completed - including construction tasks, costs, and schedule execution. The weighted rules of credit are defined by the client.

While these platforms are useful for enhancing productivity by streamlining workforce-related tasks, improvements as a result of adoption have failed to show a meaningful impact on the overall productivity of the industry as a whole.

Measuring construction productivity is a challenging task, as it is difficult to quantify a productivity metric beyond a cost/output analysis for an entire project. Looking at productivity from a workforce management standpoint enables us to examine more detailed metrics that contribute to expenses and results, specifically the people and resources utilized on-site.

LaborChart was one of the original workforce management solutions on the market, designed to effectively manage people and overcome outdated workforce management processes. Acquired by Procore in 2021, LaborChart now exists as Workforce Planning within Procore’s construction technology solution suite.

The ability to integrate data across multiple functions within the Procore platform proved to be successful for LaborChart’s operations, as evidenced by its founder and CEO Forum Speaker, Ben Schultz: “Now that we're integrated with the Procore platform, our workforce planning solution will enable construction operations teams to carry out functions that would have historically taken six or seven point solutions to achieve. That’s the grander vision.”

Is there a role for AI to enhance productivity tracking within these platforms? Software tools with AI can optimize processes and enhance predictive analytics. AI has the potential to take workforce management solutions to new heights. Algorithms can be trained to recognize productivity by capturing data on successful outcomes related to people and task management. Efficient data collection processes must be implemented for effective AI use, but the potential for innovation is on the horizon.

Is your company using AI for workforce management? Or have you had success with other solutions? Share your experience in the comments or email news@builtworlds.com.