In the prefabrication construction industry, keeping projects on schedule and budget requires efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness. Even with advanced digital tools, many fabrication shops still rely on paper, spreadsheets, and other manual methods to track their operations. This reliance on manual tracking creates limitations that can impact productivity, scalability, and the ability to meet evolving industry demands. Learn why Fabricators should ditch paper and spreadsheets for digital production management workflows.
Why Move from Paper and Spreadsheets to Digital Workflows?
The challenges posed by paper and spreadsheet workflows affect nearly every aspect of a fabrication shop’s operations. Entering data on spreadsheets hourly, daily, weekly, takes a lot of time. It also raises the chance of expensive mistakes, missed updates, and weak teamwork among teams.
Manual tracking creates inefficiencies, complicates project updates, and often leaves managers struggling with inconsistent or incomplete data. A digital workflow can solve these issues by centralizing information, enabling real-time updates, and making data accessible anywhere.
McKinstry, a leader in adopting technology for fabrication, found that going digital improved productivity and data accuracy. Read about their success with MSUITE here.
Key Benefits of Digital Workflows
Transitioning to digital tracking in the fabrication shop offers powerful advantages that can make a meaningful difference in productivity and profitability.
Reduced Errors and Improved Accuracy
Manual data entry can create opportunity for errors, resulting in costly mistakes. A digital solution with automated data entry and validation minimizes errors, ensuring you always have accurate data.
A small mistake on a spreadsheet can cause big problems later. However, digital systems can flag errors. This reduces the chances of wrong data affecting a project.
Real-Time Collaboration and Communication
In paper and spreadsheet workflows, collaboration often requires manual updates, which can be time-consuming and create confusion. Digital tools allow all team members to access information in real time. This helps close communication gaps and keeps everyone informed with a single source of truth rather than the traditional method of emailing back and forth.
Increased Productivity through Automation
Digital workflows streamline processes by automating scheduling, tracking, and notifications. By removing the need for manual input, digital solutions enable fabrication teams to focus on core tasks, significantly increasing productivity. Jackson & Blanc successfully expanded their operations by implementing MSUITE’s digital tools. Learn more.
Enhanced Data Insights for Better Decision-Making
Paper-based data storage makes it challenging to perform comprehensive analyses. Shop management software tracks data in real time and provides historical context.
This helps managers create detailed reports and insights. These insights lead to better decision-making. Access to this level of reporting can help shops optimize workflows, pinpoint areas for improvement, and support proactive management.
Cost Savings and Improved ROI
Reducing time spent on manual tracking leads to labor and material cost savings. Digital workflows reduce wasted resources by automating repetitive tasks and eliminating paper usage. Studies from The Fabricator show that going paperless helps shops reduce rework, material waste, and productivity.
How to Make the Shift to Digital Workflows
Switching from manual tracking on spreadsheets to digital workflows is a significant transformation, but contractors are rapidly switching over. With the right support team and approach, it can be a smooth process. This change can also provide quick and clear results. Here’s a step-by-step guide to make the transition easier.
Identify Workflow Pain Points
- Start by identifying where paper and spreadsheets are causing inefficiencies or bottlenecks. Assess where data inconsistencies, communication delays, and manual tasks slow your workflow. Tracktile.io explains how pinpointing these issues helps businesses understand what they’ll gain by going digital.
Choose the Right Digital Solution
- Not all digital tools are built alike. Look for solutions tailored to the fabrication industry with features that streamline operations. MSUITE offers an easy-to-use solution to manage fabrication workflows, from scheduling to material tracking, ensuring efficiency throughout the project lifecycle.
Invest in Training and Change Management
- A key to a successful transition is giving team members the training they need. This helps them feel confident and provide feedback when using new digital tools. Many teams used to manual methods may resist the change at first. However, a good change management plan with training and support can help.
Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Tracking KPIs, such as productivity, error reduction, and cost savings, can show the tangible benefits of digital workflows. Regularly monitoring these metrics helps measure progress and realistically encourages team members by showing them the new system’s benefits.
Review and Refine as You Go
- Transitioning to digital workflows is an ongoing process. As your team gets accustomed to the new system, periodically review and adjust your approach based on what you learn.
- Digital workflows offer flexibility and customization. They let you adjust processes to fit your team’s unique needs. This helps you keep improving over time.
Digital Fabrication Tracking: Increase throughput
The construction and fabrication industries are becoming more competitive. Because of this, using digital workflows is essential. Digital workflows are crucial to improving how you track your throughput, and identifying any bottlenecks or inefficiencies that are hindering throughput.
Moving away from manual tracking provides a chance to optimize operations, maximize productivity, and meet evolving demands head-on. By making the change, fabrication shops can overcome limits, improve data accuracy, and build a team-focused culture. This culture helps them succeed in the long run.
The path to digital workflows isn’t just about modernization—it’s about unlocking efficiency and staying competitive in an increasingly digitized industry. Fabrication shops that use digital technology will be ready to finish projects on time. They can also increase profits and meet the industry’s need for better data accuracy and teamwork.
Switching from paper and spreadsheets to a digital solution may feel overwhelming. However, the benefits include better efficiency, lower costs, and improved project results. This change is a smart investment.
Are you ready to see how fabrication shop management can optimize your workflows and transform your fabrication shop?
Click here to see how MSUITE and our support team can help you move to digital. We can help you improve your operations.
