Construction Industry Time Capture App and Time Management Web Portal

Objective

Our client is a leader in Construction Services, who had been having challenges identifying a Time Capture software package which catered to their specific requirements. The new system needed to integrate to their ERP software and capture additional information for site project times, which was functionality not currently available in their ERP.

They were aware that we had recently added extra development resources to our team and had been building smartphone apps. They reached out and asked us to help design and build three things for them:

1) A Construction specific iOS app, for site-based staff to capture their project times, non-chargeable/admin times and leave requests. They needed to be able to enter and review times for a nominated Pay Week, before then submitting the records for approval.

2) A web portal providing access to review and approve the captured times. Approval of the times would then send these back to the ERP Payroll and Time-sheeting module, eliminating the current data entry.

3) Additional functionality to their ERP Project module, which would allow them to capture the project-specific information that they needed. This information would have a long-term far-reaching impact on their use of the module, touching many processes. In the short-term (Stage 1), it was to primarily exist in order to send these capture points along with the associated job data to the time capture app and web portal

Solution Delivery

• Before we could determine scope and functionality for the iOS app and web portal, we needed to determine the extent of the changes to the ERP project times capture functionality. We spent some time looking at key process functions for their projects and determining when and how the new information would be available. The business project stakeholders determined there would be multiple touch-points, which could be addressed in several stages. 
• The next step for us was to clarify the requirements for time capture in the iOS app and determine what would be needed in the web portal. The original decision by the business stakeholders was that all time capture would occur in the app and the web portal would be used predominantly for time approvals with some supplementary time entry.
• The Scope was finalised and confirmed, based on the initial investigations and development work commenced. We were responsible for the App development, the web portal development, changes to the ERP and the integration to/from the ERP. No other parties were required.
• We had a few challenges during the development cycle, where the Client Project Lead had made some assumptions based on what some of the scope items included. Where these items were small changes, we were able to incorporate them into the work. However, some of the larger items became variations to the initial work.
• Beta testing commenced with the Site Foreman for a nominated project. Testing proceeded well. The client authorised some of the changes the Foreman requested and believed we were on track for a further roll-out.
• Immediately prior to discussions to commence the roll-out, some of the internal management raised questions about the new process. They decided that site staff would not be able to use the app, due to new conditions in their Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, so all time entry would need to occur via the portal.
• This decision triggered a re-design of the original project, which led to a complete rework of the web portal, with significant additional functionality added to the web portal.
• During the course of the re-work, additional functional items were added, which then became part of ongoing continuous improvement.

Achievements

• The reworked Time Capture web portal was rolled out to all major site projects, and used for weekly time capture. All site staff using the product have been able to do so without any challenges. They have found it intuitive and easy to use.
• The changes to scope and the rework could have been avoided through internal business communications earlier in the project. There had been some prior challenges doing this, due to some old-school process preferences in the business.
• By compromising between the amount of change the business could deal with, as well as the need to introduce newer ways of processing, business management were able to reach a level of stability in the process.
•  Back office time processing was significantly reduced, allowing staff to engage in more business-productive tasks.
• They decided to defer the Leave Management functionality in the short term, and do a future implementation.

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