 Texting has become a major mode of communication and
coordination for many workplaces, allowing colleagues
to exchange information rapidly and effectively. While
SMS is of great aid to office environments, firms with
more widely distributed work sites could benefit even
more from the extensive and efficient communication
network that texting affords. Construction firms are
no exception, where text messaging is put to task as
an effective way of keeping employees up to date and
safe.
Using text messaging to perform basic employee coordination
is especially important for construction firms, which
may mobilize multiple teams of workers to a range of
sites in one day. If there are delays or closures at
any construction sites due to inclement weather or unforeseen
events, sending mass texts to all employees scheduled
to work on those sites is the fastest and convenient
way to let team members know as soon as possible.
When construction sites are up and running, text messaging
can be used in a similar way to ensure workers are kept
up to date on the status of material deliveries and
other important aspects of a project. Project managers'
being able to contact their teams rapidly about issues
such as truck delays allows busy employees to know about
bumps in the road as early as possible. This lets team
members plan ahead and prepare for possible rescheduling
or project delays.
In a similar vein, text messaging can be used to keep
track of the status of equipment and materials when
crews change. Not only can supervisors keep their teams
on site posted on the status of equipment, but crews
and their managers can use mass texting to alert new
crews that may be changing sites of where necessary
items may be located on a new site, or of any changes
that may have been made since an incoming crew received
their assignment.
Construction team members may not only receive updates
when problems arise, but can alert supervisors of any
problems they notice on site. Text messaging is an easy
and quick means of contacting project managers who need
updates on project roadblocks and other issues, and
can be used immediately and on the construction site,
allowing information to be transmitted as quickly as
possible.
Text messaging can also serve as a clean and easy way
to share the abundance of documents that may be relevant
to work. Sharing this information via mass text saves
time and resources, and allows team members to access
site and project details and policies on site, at a
moment's notice, and at the tips of their fingers.
Automated texting can also benefit construction teams,
as well as those living near and affected by construction
sites. In the construction industry, schedules are inclined
to change, often rapidly and at the last minute. Assigning
team members a number they can text to a service in
order to receive their customized, up-to-date work schedule
makes this issue much easier for workers to keep up
with.
Even the general public can benefit from such a service.
Postings about construction sites can include a brief
code that passerby can text to a number for relevant
project information, such as the duration of the project
and what it may affect in the neighboring area.
Construction is one of the many industries that can
be optimized by SMS and its ability to make communication
quicker and more convenient. Clearly, the power of text
messaging to improve a diverse range of workplaces is
immense.
About the Author -
Sharon Housley is the VP of Marketing for NotePage,
Inc. a software company for communication software solutions.
http://www.notepage.net
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How Construction Firms are Using Text Messaging