Excel construction site monitoring: is it the best solution?

Excel has provided construction managers with a proud service for site supervision. But the requirements are no longer the same. This article provides solutions for better management of construction projects.

What does site monitoring consist of?

Construction site supervision ensures that everything is carried out in accordance with the costing of the quantity surveyor or the design office. The construction manager is generally responsible for this.

The mission of the site manager is to make the best use of the company's resources, to distribute the works well between his teams, and to respect the budget, plans, safety standards and deadlines.

The follow-up process is divided into three main phases :

• Scheduling: Before starting, it is necessary to define costs, organize the schedule, order materials, and distribute tasks.
• The execution: During the work, the site manager and the construction supervisor monitor the progress and ensure that each member of the team knows what they have to do.
• Delivery: At the end of the work, a report is drawn up to assess compliance with the initial estimate. In particular with regard to the management of deadlines and the efficiency of operations.

The quality of site supervision is generally correlated to that of the work and to the satisfaction of the project owner.

Why use a construction site monitoring tool?

Ancient people used notebooks and pens. Then Excel came along. But using it, you still had to write down the information before entering it into the computer later.

Faced with an obvious need, digital tools have been developed. They offer more practicality, with features related to project management, unto financial management, or even at customer relationship.

With the right tool and simple access to the mobile network, we can now:

• Access all documents online,
• Monitor the progress of the construction site in real time,
• Plan team tasks in a few clicks,
• Or even, manage the resources required for the work.

One mobile application for site monitoring like that of Alobees can save 20% of your time. But how do you select the right tool?

What are the elements to take into account in site monitoring?

To choose the right construction site monitoring tool, it is necessary to take into account the following elements.

• Planning and scheduling: the tool should allow detailed planning of tasks and the creation of a schedule. Its ability to adjust it in real time, according to the evolution of construction sites, is essential.
• Resource Management: The solution should offer an overview of the allocation of resources (labour, materials and equipment). The tool should facilitate their distribution and possibly their reallocation.
• Task tracking and progress: as indicated above, the ideal software should allow the real-time monitoring of the progress of tasks. Updates should be easy and accessible for all stakeholders.
• Communication and collaboration: choose a platform that promotes fluid exchanges between the contractors and the construction manager. With notifications and discussion areas specific to each project.
• Reports and documentation: it is useful that the tool makes it possible to generate reports by summarizing the details of the interventions. To easily obtain monitoring documents, reports or site reports.
• Memos: Make sure the solution pinpoints important information and issues that need to be specifically addressed. For example, to draw the attention of workers to compliance with a standard or the difficulty of a work.
• Budget and financial follow-up: The tool should finally make it possible to connect to ERP software capable of ensuring invoicing and accurate cost monitoring (Learn more). With features to compare actual expenses to budget forecasts.

Alobees is an example of a solution specifically designed for optimize site monitoring. The platform covers all the aspects mentioned.

Comparison between site monitoring on Excel and Alobees

Why give up a spreadsheet that has been enriched with formulas that have been perfected over time? Here is a comparison between Excel and Alobees.

Follow up on the construction site in Excel:

How to create your site monitoring document in Excel

To develop an effective site monitoring document with Excel, it is necessary to follow several steps:

• Structure the document: Create separate tabs for schedule, resources, and tasks. This makes it easier to navigate and organize information.
• Integrate formulas: On each tab, develop the tables and fill in the functions necessary to automate the monitoring of progress and expenses.
• Customize and secure each tab: adapt your tables for better visibility and convenience. Lock formulas so they can't be erased.

The use of Excel involves manually entering the data for each site.

The advantages of Excel for your construction site monitoring

Excel offers several advantages for site monitoring:

• The software is easily accessible.
• It allows customization to meet specific needs.
• Data can be organized effectively.
• Formulas allow for complex calculations.
• Creating charts helps visualize data.
• Sharing files with the team is easy.

The disadvantages of Excel for your construction site monitoring

Excel also has a number of limitations:

• The spreadsheet does not offer tools specifically designed for the needs of construction and public works.
• Updating data involves manual intervention, which is often time-consuming.
• Excel lacks options for managing human and material resources specific to the construction site.
• The software does not allow real-time monitoring.
• Collaborative work, simultaneously on the same file, is complicated. Data may be lost.
• Managing security and file access can be difficult to master.
• Excel does not directly integrate feedback from teams in the field.
• Manually integrating data increases the risk of errors and information loss.
• Accessing files from a construction site is difficult.
• Excel's capabilities are limited for large projects.
• Depending on the case, the management of formulas can be very complex.
• Excel does not allow you to visualize plans or documents related to the construction site.
• The effectiveness of using Excel depends on the skill of the users. However, it can vary enormously from one employee to another.

The use of Alobees is a solution to the problems mentioned. Developed specifically for the construction sector, the software precisely meets the needs of teams in the office and on site.

Use Alobees for your construction site monitoring

Unlike Excel, Alobees has functionalities specifically adapted to the monitoring of construction sites. It makes it possible to centralize and simplify management.

The functionalities of Alobees for your site monitoring

• Centralization of documents: all of your documents, including prevention plans, minutes, and production plans, are stored in one place.
• Off-road access: connect from the construction site, the office, or on the go.
• Facilitated exchanges: communicate using sharing tools and project-based news feeds (Learn more).
• Scheduling: adjust the allocation of your resources, human and material, according to needs (Learn more).
• Task tracking: keep a close eye on the progress of the work (Learn more).
• Intervention management: access the employee agenda live and create intervention reports (Learn more).
• Time control: track working times to control labor costs (Learn more).
• Simplifying payroll: facilitate the collection of payroll variables for field teams (Learn more).

The advantages of Alobees compared to Excel

Alobees transforms site monitoring by offering a complete digital logbook. More generally, it simplifies the daily management of building businesses.

Its advantages are numerous. The software allows for clear planning and facilitates adaptation in the face of the unexpected. It also makes it possible to follow the progress of the work: all data is centralized and accessible in real time.

Alobees offers businesses a significant benefit in terms of time savings. And this, at no additional cost compared to Excel. Do you want to discover its functionalities? Take advantage now of 14 days free.