Construction daily reports are often referred to as site diaries, site journals, site records or construction logs.
So what is a construction daily report?
They are a form of record-keeping for construction projects on all the activities and events the occur on-site. Including progress made, work schedules, materials, quantities of materials, quality of work and delays or non-conformances issues etcetera. They include critical information such as contact details, roles and responsibilities, dates, locations, weather, time and other important details. Providing information about events during construction is used to evidence delivered or missed work. Having a record of day-to-day activities, problems, and resolutions are critical to successful project management. It is used for post-project debriefing, productivity management and dispute resolution. For these reasons, site diaries must be completed daily as incidents occur and will become the site manager’s official document or first record to refer back to for contact details, schedules, snagging, meetings, inventory, field notes, contention, accountability or incident descriptions.
The Importance of a Daily Report
Among their various uses site records provide the following;
- Used as official documentation for your protection in disputes.
- Daily reports benefit your clients.
- Daily reports refresh our memory and keep track of on-site activities.
- Keeping a detailed record gives insight into a project to increase performance and productivity.
Protection in Disputes
When faced with disagreements and disputes having a trail of documents to refer back to as evidence protects yourself, your team and your company. Daily logs explain events through facts and give insight into site conditions around a particular dispute. Factual information based on a trail of evidence in the daily report shows the roles, responsibilities and accountability surrounding any dispute. It is important to keep daily reports long after the completion of a project as problems may be discovered months or even years later. When you record obstacles, non-conformances and their resolution it proves due diligence on behalf of the site manager. Showing that you communicated the necessary information and took the necessary steps to resolve any problems. Indicating that these events were indeed communicated with shareholders, clients or contractors. That is why daily reports offer protection from contractual risks, small/large court cases and commercial/scheduling claims.
Daily Reports Benefit Your Client
Above all your client wants to see value for their investment. Construction is costly and time-consuming often with high risks, tight deadlines and rigid budgets. These conditions make communication paramount. Clients want to know that every care is being taken and progress is being made. Construction daily reports are used to report the current situation back to clients or investors. Which serves to prove that work has been completed on their behalf. They are a tool for communicating progress and proving completed work throughout the project. This is especially true when it is necessary to explain steps that were taken or need to be taken for successful completion. Clients do not always understand the construction process and sometimes need to understand why, for example, a particular phase takes a certain amount of time or needs an added measure of care. Ideally having daily logs supported by photographic evidence is the best way to demonstrate procedures.
Keeping Track of Activities
Although it can be easily overlooked it is important to note that one person cannot remember everything. When dealing with highly complex projects it is impossible to keep track of every working team, contractor, activity or material on site. Daily reports are a management tool that retains information about what happened daily. They should include all the relevant information that might be needed in the future for example contact details, responsibilities, or material quantities. Keeping track of verbal agreements, the number of operatives, work hours, health and safety, quality, observations, dates, weather, tasks, working locations and activities aids site managers in their day-to-day operations.
These notes provide a narrative that can be referred back to for the improvement of future projects, better insight into current projects and overall project management. These notes are used to increase your company’s performance. Because daily reports are used to assess teams or tasks they are vital in planning to accommodate for variances, delays or changes.
Productivity, Performance and Insight
Detailed notes provide facts about what is and isn’t working. Showing the speed of progress between tasks, teams and work phases which gives clear insight into obstacles and possible improvements. For example, knowing the average amount of time it takes for your team to complete a specific task means that you have a more accurate timeframe for future planning. Also allowing you to restructure your workforce and make project adjustments to improve productivity. Small changes can have a big impact such as changing the construction vehicle that carries materials to your site can cut costs and increase productivity.
Daily reports are official documents that record verbal agreements and discussions which happened during site visits, meetings or daily operations. New contractors or employees need daily reports to aid their understanding of a current project. This is why they need to be comprehensive and well written to speed up the transition process for newcomers.
Moreover, construction projects consist of multiple disciplines that work together with highly complex coordination. Daily reports show how these disciplines interact positively or negatively with each other which can greatly improve the overall smoothness of project delivery. Making sure that the work of one discipline is completed promptly and does not interfere with the work of other teams all improve your performance and adds value to your operations.
Conclusion
Daily reports are a day-by-day account of delivered, outstanding and missed work. It indicates what problems arose and how they were resolved as well as any outstanding work or issues that need to be addressed.
Daily reports hold vital information because they keep track of names, verbal agreements, task assignments, contact details, and procedures that were involved with a project. For example, recording non-conformance issues or construction defects that state the roles and responsibilities of those involved clarifies the facts and is useful if disputes arise. Understanding the events leading up to a defect can be critical because it describes which materials were used, who was involved, and who commissioned the work. The ability to provide documentation that verifies facts and agreements is advantageous because research is faster and more successful for claims resolution.
New employees or contractors rely on the daily reports for information about a project. They can only rely on the official documentation to understand the verbal agreements from previous site visits and meetings. Making daily reports paramount for successful onboarding. Another advantage is that site managers don’t have to rely solely on their memory. Allowing proper allocation of accountability and easily traceable task history which benefits all on-site shareholders when done accurately. Construction logs are meant to be a precise and comprehensive collocation of facts which is why it is critical to update the logs daily.
With project complexity ever-increasing it is unreasonable to expect no problems. Multiple working teams, construction disciplines, specific plan details, designs, complex activities and construction disciplines. A daily report is meant to ensure everyone involved understands each other’s roles and responsibilities according to official documents, drawings, designs and procedures. The construction log brings everything together to showcase an overall picture of the project progress and to solve any miscommunications. It is important to remember that shareholders will keep their records of project progress. Keeping site records protects both you and your clients. Ideally supporting your records with photographic evidence is preferable because a photograph is worth a thousand words and supports facts.
Finally, daily reports are used to improve performance, planning and productivity. Therefore it is a driving force for the success of your company. Making sure that your daily report is updated daily and efficiently with clear and concise factual accounts will have a big impact on productivity. That is why Script&Go has created Site Diary to record facts with more convenience faster than ever before. Get in touch with Scripty&Go for a full demonstration.
