Tracking Construction Workers
In the construction industry, being able to keep track of a workforce comprised of hundreds of mobile employees spread out across different jobsites can be a huge value on projects. This is why some construction companies are using RFID (radio-frequency identification) to track the exact location of each worker.
In Washington, D.C., for example, Grunley Construction, www.grunley.com, Rockville, Md., is using RFID for realtime workforce monitoring on two projects at American University for a period of 9-12 months.
The technology isn’t just used to make sure employees are working. Rather, it helps make better decisions and mitigates risk on a job. Some contractors even use the technology to insure compliance with local economic development and hiring objectives.
Here is how the technology works in the construction industry: Tags attached to hardhats or ID badges send data about workers’ whereabouts to Web-based devices, including smartphones and tablets. Armed with the data, project managers can make decisions and integrate information with daily reports, work schedules, and even accounting.
As another example, in Baltimore, Md., RAM/KBE Joint Venture is using technology to monitor the workforce and for local employment initiative analysis at the Baltimore Learning Center project, which will be monitored for a period of 12-14 months.
Both Grunley and RAM/KBE are using Workforce Monitor from ADR Software, www.softwareadr.com, Reston, Va., which is a service that provides employee data to improve decisionmaking, project documentation, safety, and response readiness. The system uses RFID tags that are embedded in all-weather job stickers that stick to hard hats and ID badges to monitor the workforce.
Currently, this particular technology is used to track more than 40,000 workers at construction sites throughout the United States. The company says the service is changing the way general contractors manage labor and manpower, and the adoption rate continues to increase.
While RFID might not be used to monitor stationary employees in the office, construction companies are finding great value in the technology to track the mobile workforce.