Crew Management Strategies to Help Contractors Keep Their Business Thriving

Effectively managing your employees and crews can significantly improve the overall performance of your organization. Communicating a clear schedule and clear expectations to your employees will keep jobs on track.

I recently hired a service contractor to install an above-ground pool at my home. Operational efficiencies were severely lacking as I witnessed 3 of the crew members for this contractor sit idle for more than 25% of the total man hours spent on the project while 4th drove to pick up some material.

Would I use this contractor again or recommend this contractor to a neighbor - ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Keys to Crew Management

• Schedule effectively
• Delegate tasks wisely
• Train and develop your crew
• Monitor Performance
• Communicate openly
• Implement fatigue management
• Prepare for emergencies
• Use project management tools
• Implement contingency planning
• Continuously monitor progress

Impact of Crew Management on Project Success

The effectiveness of crew management is closely linked to the success of contracting projects. Good crew management ensures that tasks are performed efficiently, preventing delays and reducing costly errors.

Strong crew management improves communication among team members, subcontractors, and other stakeholders involved in the project. Open and clear communication promotes effective decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict resolution, leading to smoother project execution.

Effective crew management enhances the overall reputation of the contracting company. A well-coordinated crew produces high-quality work, meets deadlines, and cultivates positive relationships with clients. This can lead to repeat business, favorable referrals and great google reviews and further enhancing the company’s success.

In summary, effective crew management is essential for the success of contracting projects. By focusing on clear communication, training and development, and safety practices, crew managers can enhance crew performance and foster a positive work environment. The role of a crew manager is diverse, requiring strong leadership skills and a deep understanding of the entire project. Ultimately, the benefits of effective crew management extend beyond individual projects, contributing to the broader success and reputation of the contracting company.

Best Practices for Managing Crews During Projects

Ensure workers understand the project expectations

Clear communication is key to effectively managing a contracting crew. Project managers must ensure that workers fully understand the project expectations, their roles, and responsibilities. By providing detailed instructions and conducting regular meetings, project managers can foster a cohesive working environment. For example, a project manager may hold daily toolbox talks to review project goals, reinforce safety protocols, and address any concerns raised by the crew members.

Adequate Training Using Tools, Including Electronic Tools

Part of the crew development would include crew members being trained on different tools. New tools will, naturally, have a safety aspect, to keep both the new user and existing crew members out of risk.

In today’s digital age, mobile apps can significantly enhance crew management. Project managers should provide adequate training to the workforce on using mobile apps relevant to the project, such as basic time tracking and scheduling products. For instance, a project manager may train the crew on using a mobile app that allows them to login to a time tracking app for job costing, access job details, projects docs etc. This streamlines communication, improves efficiency and reduces lost paperwork.

Safe Working Environment

Creating a safe working environment is paramount in crew management. Project managers must implement and enforce strict safety protocols to protect the crew members from injuries and accidents. For example, a project manager may conduct regular safety inspections, provide personal protective equipment (PPE), and conduct safety training sessions. Furthermore, a threat escalation workflow triggers notifications or alarms based on customized events/exceptions.

Real-time View (Transparency for Both Managers and Field Employees)

Transparency is key to effective construction crew management. Project managers can utilize software platforms that provide real-time project data, allowing them and field employees to access critical information anytime, anywhere. For example, an integrated project management platform enables project managers to monitor project progress, review updated schedules, and track on-field activity. Simultaneously, field employees can access important project documents, receive immediate updates, and report issues directly through the platform, enhancing collaboration and decision-making.

Effective Schedule Conflict Resolution

Contracting projects often involve various stakeholders, including crew members, subcontractors and clients. Project managers must have effective schedule conflict resolution strategies in place to address any issues that may arise. By adopting a job scheduling software, project managers can resolve scheduling conflicts in a timely and fair manner. This fosters a positive work environment, improves team morale and ensures project success.

Challenges Facing Crews and Crew Management

Crew management on contracting projects present various challenges that require proactive measures. Managers must be prepared to address some of these common challenges such as skill gaps and schedule conflicts.

A significant challenge is an industry labor shortage. According to ManpowerGroup, nearly 77% of employers are facing challenges in filling job vacancies, marking the highest recorded figure since surveys started in 2006. Furthermore, the number of employers reporting labor shortages has more than doubled since 2015, increasing from 38%.

Keeping your key employees with an appropriate incentive program will help you avoid the need to replace important crew members. It is also important for crew managers to invest in continuous skill development programs to bridge any skill gaps among their crew members. 

Fostering a positive and inclusive work culture within the crew is essential for maintaining high morale and productivity. By identifying employee burnout by keeping track of overtime worked and compensating fairly, every crew member feels valued and motivated. By prioritizing both technical skills development and team cohesion, contracting crew managers can effectively address crew challenges and drive successful project outcomes which benefit both the company bottom line and the company reputation.

More Details on the Keys to Crew Management

Managing employees is not always about keeping projects moving forward and keeping the business profitable. It can also be about the perception of a client about your team organization during the duration of a project. 

Maintaining a clear schedule of tasks will help you evaluate the budgeted time on a project and keep the project on track. Your workers are the most critical of your resources. Allocating work and tasks will help you be successful. Also work orders that have a clear statement of work are going to be critical. 

Communications to the employees about delays due to lack of material, conflicts with other contractors or perhaps even the weather,  should be seamless. 

You or your foreman should keep a project journal about material delivery and project progress. You may not be able to visit the project every day which makes this even more critical. Having a journal of notes to look back on can help when things go wrong and even when they go right! 

The keys here may not all be internal, you may need to work around other groups working on the same project. Having communications with the other groups involved can help you manage your employees.

Monitoring your crew members by requiring that they clock their time against the project schedule gives you a real time look of the job progress. Monitoring tasks and activities will help you boost productivity within the organization. In a recent study 70% of businesses utilizing technology integrated time and attendance data with their web scheduling systems. Because your crew is your most important resource, planning a bonus structure on budgeted hours versus monitored hours can help you keep those key employees for the long term. 

Keep your team on point with tasks, keep your team productivity high to help the business prosper and keep your client’s perception of your project organization strong. Using software like Estimate Rocket can really help you to keep your team on track and bring home your projects on time and on budget..