At the end of each work shift, you pull out a pen and piece of paper or your trusty tablet and jot down what happened that day. This log is your daily report, and while writing it may seem like a menial task, it contains crucial information necessary for projects to succeed. If you want to know why daily construction reports are so important and why you shouldn’t neglect them, read on.
Improve Communication
The daily report is an essential communication tool that keeps everyone on a project up to speed. Not all personnel will be on-site at the same time, and clients and shareholders may visit only occasionally.
But when personnel return to the site, they need to understand what’s happened since their last shift so they know where to pick back up. Similarly, clients and shareholders still want to see progress even if they can’t visit the site in person. Daily reports allow you to share a detailed analysis of each day on-site with every member of the project.
Boost Productivity
Another reason why daily construction reports are so important is because they can help you optimize productivity. Has your team seen a sudden dip in productivity? You can look back on past reports to see when productivity started to decline and pinpoint the cause behind it.
Once you know what’s causing that dip, you can take measures to reverse its effect. Alternatively, if your team is doing exceptionally well, you can see when and why this boost started so you can formulate a plan to keep the momentum going.
Help Settle Disputes
Daily reports list the site conditions, on-site personnel, and any events that happen on a given day, among other crucial pieces of information. This makes them an invaluable tool for telling—and backing up—your side of the story in the event of a dispute.
For example, if a client is upset about a delay, you can pull previous reports and show exactly what caused the delay and what you’ve been doing to get back on track.
Speed Up Payments
Clients love daily reports because it shows them how their project is progressing. And when a client feels confident in the progress of the project and trusts your company, they’re less likely to be stingy about payment. They’ll release payments faster, allowing your team to procure materials and labor faster, reducing payroll headaches.
