Construction is a lengthy process, involving the management of many deliveries, people, and pieces of equipment. Because of this complexity, it is very important that the people involved know exactly what is happening on a construction site. Real-time data can be a very valuable way of improving productivity, and subsequently, reducing the cost of a project. Voyage Control’s software can assist construction teams at achieving this through its real-time data functions.
But what is real-time data? Whenever someone makes or changes a booking on Voyage Control’s application, the update is instantaneously visible for everyone else using the system for the project. For example, if a delivery is scheduled for a certain time at a particular loading dock, the entire team is immediately made aware of this booking and can view it through the software. This can be very valuable for the efficiency of the project, as it would greatly reduce the chance that another booking will be made for the same time and the same loading dock. Real-time data can help to get everyone on the same page instantaneously.
[Everyone instantly receives the information on their app]
Voyage Control’s booking system allows users to view many different pieces of data in real time, including:
- Arrival and departure times of delivery vehicles
- Which companies’ vehicles are coming and going on site
- Which pieces of equipment the delivery needs for unloading, such as a crane or forklift
- The arrival status of the vehicle
- The final destination of the delivered construction materials
- Photographs and documentation of the vehicles and their deliveries
Real-time data ensures that the information the team has access to is accurate, as it connects everyone with the most recent data without delay. This can assist managers and members of the team in making decisions for the project, as the data they are working with will not be as current as possible. Efficiency can be maximised, for instance, if everyone knows a booking has been changed to another time, because the team has been given the most notice possible of this update to the schedule. If the notice comes through hours in advance, the team has an opportunity to make a new booking for the now available loading zone that could easily be missed if the distribution of data was delayed rather than communicated in real time.
Having access to real-time data can also help managers to see complications in the construction project. If a delivery vehicle is running late, for example, managers will be able to identify this as soon as the check-in time passes, because either a team member at the loading bay will enter the delivery’s absence into the software, or because the automatic sensors will identify that the vehicle is not present. Real-time data can help managers to spot challenges such as this much sooner than if they were waiting to receive information long after the check in time passed, which can be beneficial to rectifying the complication.
[The manager can receives real-time updates from the construction site]
Access to real-time data can have very positive impact on the construction process. By immediately knowing what is happening on the site, construction teams may be able to enhance the efficiency of their project.
Written by: Rachel Anthony / March 15, 2021
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