5 March 2015, 00:00
Trimble today announced the availability of CrewSight™ system, an automated jobsite management solution that enables general contractors to rapidly and accurately manage field personnel on a construction site. CrewSight delivers greater insight into jobsite operations and enables construction contractors to operate more effectively and intelligently drive productivity, safety and security.
As labor costs on construction sites continue to make up almost 40 percent of total project costs, it is essential for general contractors and project managers to correlate productivity with actual hours of worker time. Knowing who and when workers are on site allows project managers to validate project costs for labor, provide proof of compliance and maintain safety on the site. In addition, even general contractors who have implemented systems to control the entry and exit of workers on the jobsite face challenges since entering the data from these systems is not typically automated. Trimble CrewSight system automates the management of workers entering or leaving a jobsite, allowing tighter tracking of progress to pinpoint discrepancies and identify opportunities to optimize the work process.
Serving as the central hub of a complete labor management solution, CrewSight captures data from ThingMagic® sensors automatically, without the need for human intervention. Trimble CrewSight gives contractors rapid access control of their site, ensuring that only workers who are verified can enter. Contractors can be confident that the right number of workers is on site for each phase of the project, to keep schedules on time and budgets in line. The system also provides a safety element, if personnel need to be located in the case of an emergency. Site supervisors can receive alerts on their phones or tablets in real-time, which can be critical if there is a dangerous situation on site.
Locate and Manage Verified Personnel
The system consists of three main components: Trimble CrewSight, the application that enables contractors to collect, view, analyze and store the workers' data; a choice of hardware sensor devices that collect information for worker entry and exit on the jobsite; and an enrollment station and RFID-enabled badges that allow companies to verify and enroll each worker in the system prior to entry, eliminating the need for on-hand personnel to check-in workers manually. CrewSight provides up-to-date data that is accessible from any Web-enabled device and will be integrated with existing scheduling software such as Trimble's popular Prolog® project management and scheduling software to enhance the implementation with real-time field data.
"Controlling labor costs is a major consideration for all construction managers," said Mark Sawyer, general manager of the GC/CM Division of Trimble Buildings. "Trimble CrewSight provides accurate reporting on the actual hours contractors and subs are working to ensure that projects stay on track. The planned integration with scheduling software, such as Trimble Prolog, gives a more complete picture of the site, the workers and the entire project."
View, Analyze and Report
The CrewSight system collects and houses worker information in a database that can be used to verify workers' authorization and record hours worked. This data can also be sorted and analyzed for a variety of uses by the contractor. For example, meeting compliance regulations such as local municipal hiring or WBE/MBE (Women's Business Enterprises and Minority Business Enterprises) guidelines, users of CrewSight can extract the information and develop reports specific to the requirements. In addition, knowing which verified employees have entered the site can also be critical in the event of an emergency and can create a safer environment for both general contractors and employees.
Secure Access Control at the Site Perimeter
Depending on what type of hardware sensor devices are chosen for each site, contractors have an option of using guard-assisted worker check-in, worker self check-in using a manual check-in/check-out device called "VIS Box" or hard access using a turnstile or vehicle gates. This access control prevents unauthorized workers from being on the site or in areas of the site without the proper credentials. In addition, CrewSight allows contractors to monitor every zone of the site and supports monitoring multiple sites from the same user interface.
"Construction companies can benefit greatly from knowing which workers are on job sites," said Tom Grant, general manager of Trimble's ThingMagic Division. "CrewSight provides construction companies with a scalable, cloud-based solution that provides automated worker attendance information for site security, safety, cost control and government compliance in a single, easy-to-use Web portal."
Availability
Trimble CrewSight is available in North America through the BuildingPoint network and other Authorized Distribution Partners of Trimble GC/CM solutions. For more information, visit: http://www.trimble.com/construction/crewsight. The integration of Trimble Prolog project management and scheduling software is expected in the first quarter of 2015.
Source: Trimble Inc.