When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in March, people across the nation, including construction firms, began working remotely. According to the 2019 National Compensation Survey (NCS) from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 7% of the U.S. workforce had the option to work from home regularly prior to the pandemic. That’s just 9.8 million of more than 140 million workers. People taking advantage of this option were mainly white-collar professionals who are at the high end of the payscale.
But since March, 88% of organizations have encouraged or required their employees to work from home. Gartner reports that nearly all organizations (97%) have cancelled work-related travel because of the pandemic.
The need to enable remote work has posed challenges for organizations and employees alike. Many may feel disconnected, or less able to collaborate effectively with teammates. And given the widespread travel restrictions, employees must find ways to manage accounts or projects effectively from afar.
Just like most industries, Construction is grappling with these challenges. COVID-19 safety measures have put limitations on the everyday in-person interactions that usually happen throughout a construction project. Although skilled workers must report to the jobsite to perform the hands-on work, back-office workers are now finding themselves struggling to collaborate with stakeholders and crews over digital channels as they attempt to manage projects from home.
A benefit of construction cameras is their ability to keep project managers informed and productive as their construction firms work remotely. TrueLook cameras are particularly suitable for this application, since they offer many advanced features that foster communication and collaboration between all parties involved in a project, regardless of their location.
Here are some ways TrueLook cameras are helping construction firms work effectively during the pandemic:
- TrueLook’s cameras automatically upload all imagery to the cloud for safekeeping and easy retrieval. Anyone working on the project can view them online, from wherever they are — in their home offices or on the go.
- Project managers and other decision makers can compare and mark up photos, and share them directly from the TrueLook application. And thanks to Procore’s new Embedded Experience, the TrueLook interface is available within Procore — project managers can easily access all photos and videos without even leaving the Procore application.
- Project managers trying to run multiple jobsites remotely — because they can’t fly to the site — can easily view live-streams and other visuals from the comfort of their home offices. They can stay up-to-date with what’s going on at the jobsite and take rapid action to address any issues or problems, without having to be on-site. This makes jobsite visits unnecessary, saving time and money, and supporting collaboration and decision-making without putting back-office workers at risk.
- TrueLook cameras can be configured to capture multiple time lapses at once throughout a project to share with owners and investors, keeping them in the loop about a project’s progress without requiring them to visit the site.
- Photos and videos from TrueLook cameras provide automatic and complete visual documentation of the goings-on at a jobsite. That way, you have evidence that your firm is following the CDC’s recommended COVID-19 safety measures. What’s more, when workers know they’re being recorded, they’re more likely to follow the guidelines, which keeps your workers safe and healthy, reduces risk of liability, and helps to ensure your projects continue to progress on schedule.
Learn more about the advanced features of TrueLook cameras by viewing a live demo today.
