Using Data to Track Subcontractors’ Progress: 5 Keys to Success

Data gives general contractors powerful insights into the progress that subcontractors are — or aren’t —making toward project deadlines.

However, the best data isn’t simply there for the taking. Optimizing the numbers to advance project goals demands data integrity, which is the meticulous logging, tracking, reporting and analyzing of data. 

Data integrity in five key areas of construction management — materials management, finances, scheduling, RFIs and quality — opens new pathways for tracking subcontractor progress. This article explains why and how data integrity keeps the work of subcontractors on track to meet project goals and deliver a profitable, high-quality project.

1. Materials Management

The location and disposition of the materials and equipment that subcontractors need to perform their jobs tell a powerful story. 

Quantities installed reveal progress as the materials ordered and delivered for a task are whittled down. Lag rates can signal that a major delay is ahead or that a contracted production schedule is in danger of missing a key deadline. 

Careful materials tracking also keeps jobs on schedule by avoiding time-consuming hunts for misplaced items. This is especially true on horizontal projects where the search involves backtracking over miles of road.

With consistent data input and reporting, GCs can problem-solve and constantly reset goals to keep jobs on track. However, they should also verify the figures, confirming that installations are indeed being performed at the submitted rates.

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2. Understanding Finances

A typical budget is a projection, creating estimates of the costs expected for the essentials of a jobsite, including subcontractors’ equipment and labor.

However, actual costs often run higher than budget projections. The key to staying close to budget projections is tracking spending in real-time. With that information in hand, GCs can make tweaks along the way, re-allocating funds or adjusting other line items to make up for the extra spending. 

Data tracking empowers GCs to follow the disposition of all the varied elements of big-ticket items, such as a generator’s pad, pipes and installation. By steering clear of lump-sum contracts, the GC gets a better look at the task’s progression.

3. Accurate Scheduling

When it comes to scheduling, subcontractors want to know: "Where do you need me and when?"

Data integrity advises the look-aheads and pull planning that create a snapshot of the project on a future date. Vital data points for projecting progress two and four weeks ahead include installation rates, materials deliveries and labor needs. 

At that point, a clear picture gives GCs the power to pinpoint the dates when subcontractors should show. Accurate and timely notice gives subcontractors the time they need to plan for their parts of the job, which promotes operational efficiencies through preparation. 

Data can also keep subcontractors up to speed by blunting the consequences of potential delays. Many obstacles can’t be predicted, but the likely ones can be anticipated. It might be regional weather patterns, or a military installation’s safety standdowns while sensitive materiel is transported. 

By analyzing historical and current data, GCs can prime their subcontractors to reactivate after delays. Instead of floundering to recover, subcontractors can have plans to move nimbly and get their work back on track.

4. Mastering RFIs

While it’s true that requests for information (RFIs) are essential to doing the job correctly, they can also slow progress and disrupt a carefully constructed plan. Using data to track, resolve and learn from RFIs can lessen the pain of a necessary part of construction.

Every RFI that subcontractors submit should be entered into the project’s construction management software. This information then generates reports detailing the people responsible for providing answers, creating accountability for timely and efficient resolution.

Post-mortems of RFI resolutions also help contractors manage subcontractor timelines on future jobs. The findings provide valuable guidance for making scheduling decisions and judgments based on the engineer’s typical response time. 

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5. Prioritizing Quality

In today’s construction environment, low bidders don’t always win the job.

Increasingly, owners want value. The equation typically pairs cost-effectiveness with quality. Private owners prioritize sustainability and operational efficiencies in the finished product. Even public jobs, such as bridges, demand high standards to avoid liability in a litigious age.

Once again, data comes to the rescue: Historical data reveals the subcontractors who perform their work efficiently without compromising quality. These specialty contractors deliver on time, but with minimal safety events, change orders or rework. At commissioning, their work stands up to rigorous inspection and testing.

These subcontractors keep existing projects on track while the data proves their worthiness for future jobs. 

Helping Drive Data to Drive Work

Developing the capabilities for data integrity takes time, but once instilled in the culture, it equips contractors with new insights into how subcontractors are aligning with broader project goals. 

Through data integrity, general contractors solidify their ties with the go-to specialty contractors who contribute to delivering exceptional projects through operational efficiencies, risk mitigation, cost effectiveness and quality.

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