Workforce Planning Increases Efficiency and Effectiveness for Jostin Construction
The Challenge
Jostin Construction needed a way to better manage their workforce—relying on texts, phone calls and whiteboards was proving inefficient and schedules were constantly changing. With last minute changes, sometimes workers showed up to the wrong sites, or worse, not at all. Averaging 15 hours to get the schedule completed each week, they knew it was vital to get their field team’s assignments and communication streamlined.
The Solution
After relying on manual processes and a single project coordinator to track their workforce, Jostin Construction searched for a better way, and found Procore’s Workforce Management solution. Instead of spending hours and hours on a schedule, Jostin can now plan for today, tomorrow and beyond within the software instead of a whiteboard. Equipped with the right technology, the team can easily pivot, even when schedules change.
The Results
30 Minutes, Not 15 Hours a Week
Gone are the days of whiteboards and last minute phone calls. It only takes a half hour to make the week’s schedule—and the team can easily make edits.
Project Details at their Fingertips
With the right permission levels in place, workers are able to take more ownership of the job because they can access information—from project addresses to PPE requirements—via phone or desktop, anytime.
Last Minute Pivots Without the Headache
For the concrete division especially, changes are inevitable due to weather and other factors, but thanks to Workforce Management, scheduling alerts can be sent out at a moment’s notice.
“Workforce Management gives multiple tools at your fingertips for any self-performing contractor. We are able to send out schedule details to all our employees with preloaded details and specialty messages as we see fit. We are able to identify gaps in our workforce three to six months ahead of schedule via forecasting and gantt charts. It minimizes down-time, as we can send numerous project assignments at once to ensure our team is aware of the changes.”
David Crystal
General Manager - GC Division
Construction—for All
In 1998, Albert and Liza Smitherman had a dream to create and provide a “diversity of opportunities for all.” They founded Jostin Construction to turn that dream into reality, serving as CEO and CPO, respectively. Today, the self-perform general contractor provides construction management, concrete and general contracting services based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Jostin specializes in total package concrete and sit work, tenant fit out for retail and office, as well as renovation and new construction in healthcare and higher education.
Jostin champions an inclusive culture that encourages their team to evolve their skill sets and share their perspectives. Focusing on their people has resulted in 25 years of successful, scalable growth and a diverse, dedicated workforce.
The Right Plan and the Right People
David Crystal, who serves as general manager of the GC division, is no stranger to the anxiety and frustration of scheduling with the wrong tools. When Jostin started using Procore’s Workforce Planning product, they were no longer left in the dark about last minute pivots or assignment confusion. With field and office teams informed and readily up to speed, they’re able to take more ownership of projects.
"It’s helped us plan,” says Crystal. “Project managers are more intimate with their job—they know who’s where, they’re forecasting better, they’re looking at their project and gathering their resources, knowing what they can do with these individuals. It has made them more knowledgeable about how their projects are run.”
Now, project managers and superintendents are more in touch with their teams and their skills. Superintendents know who’s going to be showing up the next day onsite. Not only has this improved staffing conversations, but productivity as well by getting the right people on the right jobs. By managing their workforce rosters in a smarter way, it’s easier to deliver quality work to customers.
"The biggest advantage we’ve seen from Workforce Management is our staffing conversations, it’s been phenomenal for us, our project managers are more in touch with who their teams are and our superintendents know their crews' skill sets,” says Crystal.
A Successful Self-Perform Solution
As a self-performing general contractor, Jostin especially leans on Workforce Management to keep their team on schedule, identify gaps and stay ahead of their backlog. “Workforce Management is ideal for any company with a self-perform workforce—and we utilize it daily for this function,” Crystal shares. “We also utilize it to look forward with project planning and project gaps for our preconstruction team, as well as a solid database of past, current and upcoming projects.”Using Procore means that Jostin has a unique advantage to plan farther ahead than ever before—with the click of a button. In an often unpredictable environment, Jostin has peace of mind by proactively strategizing weeks and months ahead.“Workforce Management gives multiple tools at your fingertips for any self-performing contractor,” says Crystal. “We are able to send out schedule details to all our employees with preloaded details and specialty messages as we see fit. We are able to identify gaps in our workforce three to six months ahead of schedule via forecasting and gantt charts. It minimizes down-time, as we can send numerous project assignments at once to ensure our team is aware of the changes.”Jostin has been using Workforce Management across jobs like the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the Reynolds Building at the University of Kentucky and the Uptown Gateway at the University of Cincinnati. On self-perform jobs like these, Procore helps Jostin deliver on time and on schedule for their clients.
Navigating the Labor Shortage with Procore
Staffing projects with a finite amount of workers can be a challenge during the ongoing labor shortage, but the Jostin team maintains fresh perspectives so teams can increase their skill sets, experience new kinds of jobsites and keep their team from burning out. “We are able to visually see trends where a specific individual has been on a project for longer durations and the visual cue helps us to be more mindful of making a switch,” shares Crystal. “While utilizing the Tags functions or color coordinating skill levels, we tend to throw in a rotation of similar skilled individuals to various projects to give them a fresh look at a different site.”Procore’s tools have helped Jostin manage their workforce throughout this shortage and continue to provide the opportunities that the Smithermans are so passionate about. Crystal values the impact that Workforce Management has on steering through tough times and making the most of existing teams.“Workforce Management has been a key solution for us, and while it doesn’t solve the labor shortage, it does help manage it,” says Crystal. “We are big fans of the Request function when uploading a new project. Our team is able to see what the project needs are in the early stages and determine where our delta is going to be. While scheduling the week prior, if we see we are going to be short “person-power,” we are able to visually see the needs request but determine in real time if we are able to scale back resources and shuffle to another project. This has helped us pinpoint the exact projects we have heavy person-power on and make the necessary calls to see if we are able to shuffle and fulfill another read. No more digging out layers of schedules to see if things are tracking—visual cues prompt the appropriate conversations with the site leads.Equipped with the right tools for the job, Jostin is able to confidently build toward the future.
