In many cases, the construction diary means annoying extra work after work, many cumbersome coordination rounds or a confusing collection of handwritten notes that are no longer clearly legible after a while – and then digitizing the whole thing? We will show you why a digital construction diary in conjunction with construction software may mean an initial change, but will become an indispensable problem solver in the long term.
As you know, the main purpose of the construction diary is to document daily developments in the construction project with all details in a reliable and meaningful way. The client is thus kept adequately informed of all changes at all times and you yourself have an overview of the entire course of the project in the construction diary. Whether the construction diary is about the start and completion of construction work, the number of employees on site, weather conditions, the handover of documents, instructions and additional orders, the delivery and use of building materials or defects – the construction diary contains all the information about the project and should therefore not be missing on any construction site.
The construction diary – a chore for many
Whether the creation and maintenance of a construction diary is mandatory for site managers is primarily based on the construction contract. As a rule, the construction contract contains a reference to the HOAI, which in turn sets out clear basic services. According to the 8th service phase of the HOAI, the documentation of the construction process (e.g. construction diary) is explicitly mentioned (§ 34 HOAI in conjunction with Annex 10 or § 39 HOAI in conjunction with Annex 11). It is therefore a general obligation to create a construction diary in order to document the construction process. The only difference is that the construction manager is free to choose between written or digital documentation.
The construction diary is therefore a useful tool for fully recording the course of the project and is also required by law or imposed on the site manager as a duty. A construction diary collects all conceivable information about the progress of work, material and resource planning and records all agreements, releases and handovers in accordance with the law. It is both a personal guideline for successful project completion and a safeguard in the event of a legal dispute. And yet: the construction diary is increasingly being neglected in many cases, taking time and nerves away from many site managers and is therefore hardly considered as part of the digitalization strategy. Why is this the case?
How a construction diary leads to frustration
The construction diary itself or the construction software used is not the problem and does not lead to frustration on the construction site. It is the implementation of the construction diary that creates the problems. The majority of construction companies work with analog and semi-digital tools. A construction diary consisting of paper and handwritten notes is kept when the construction site is inspected. Figures and evaluations are created in Excel according to the personally used template. The site manager also schedules appointments using their own calendar or email app. The notes that have piled up over the course of the day and should be considered a “construction diary” are filed somewhere in appropriate folders at the end of the day and take up additional space on the desk.
From a certain point in time, changes that were made weeks or even months ago must now be looked up in the construction diary. The first challenge is to find the site diary in the pile of folders. If found, the site manager will notice that most of the notes are dirty and crumpled from the dust on site. Notes have been smudged over time or the handwriting is illegible from the start due to the time pressure during the site inspection. Small Post-It notes fell out of the folder during filing, making the information contained on them impossible to find.
The figures and evaluations in Excel also have to be exported for the partner company or the trades. So the computer boots up and after a few minutes you have finally landed in the right file. The report is formatted, exported, saved and then made available to the trade or partner company via Dropbox – once the access data has been found and the necessary online storage has been freed up by randomly deleting stored files. After a few days, the site manager receives feedback that the file cannot be read correctly because it was formatted incorrectly. So the whole game starts all over again – even though he already has a busy working day behind him and even more overtime waiting for him.
The digital construction diary lets you breathe a sigh of relief
It doesn’t take long for the advantages of a digital construction diary to become apparent: It saves paper, it saves time and it is much easier to handle than an analog construction diary. Numerous companies in the construction and real estate industry have also discovered and used these advantages for themselves. According to a study by PWC, more than half of German construction companies have already gained experience with digital planning and construction and have seen noticeably positive results. The potential, the will and the realization of the benefits are already in the minds of entrepreneurs.
A digital construction diary, which can be accessed via a corresponding construction software or construction app, can be read, adapted and managed by the site manager and his team at any time and from any location. Construction plans are stored centrally and historically, and all material and resource planning is easily organized. Changes, extensions or defects can be marked directly on the digital construction plan within the software or app and supplemented using photos, sketches, comments or voice messages. Notes, additions and instructions can be easily communicated to every team member, which saves an enormous amount of time. Digital construction software with an integrated construction diary will undoubtedly become more and more important in the coming years and will be indispensable as part of the holistic digitalization strategy.
More than just a construction diary – digital solutions for a better image and more security
However, the digital construction diary not only gives site managers an advantage because construction site documentation and construction defect management are maintained uniformly via construction software or a construction app. The personal image also benefits from complete and transparent construction site documentation. Clients, trades, partner companies, subcontractors and even your own team will be grateful for the standardized, centralized and clean processing of this complex and important information.
In serious cases, disputes can also arise regarding the warranty. Or allegations may arise regarding the management of construction defects. If these disputes are unfounded and the accusations are unfounded, this must be proven accordingly. A confusing collection of handwritten notes would not only make it difficult to provide evidence, but also impossible. A digital construction diary, on the other hand, knows no chaos. All project-related documents are dated to the second and stored in an audit-proof manner. If a specific version of a construction plan is needed in the construction diary or a specific construction approval from three years ago, it can be found at any time. This means that construction managers are on the safe side and can defend themselves in the event of a dispute with meticulously stored information.
Habit in the fight against change
Even if some companies have already converted well-known and established office and project management software into construction software or a digital construction diary, this is rarely an efficient and productive solution in the long term.
Introducing a digital construction diary in conjunction with the corresponding customized construction software initially means a major change, a lot of courage and, above all, consistent decisions. However, anyone who recognizes the benefits and understands how much time and extra work is saved by using a digital construction diary will find the comparatively short familiarization phase no longer a problem.
KENEXOS® construction software has made it its mission to make onboarding as easy as possible in order to make the major benefits of digital tools even more tangible. Arrange a free demo appointment now and see for yourself, without obligation, the useful features and processes of the construction software and the construction diary included as standard.
Digital solutions are boosting the industry – are you taking advantage of the upturn?
Despite the current crisis, the construction industry is holding up and even growing. Innovative technologies in all sectors of the industry are enjoying great popularity and contributing to more productive, faster and larger construction projects. Corresponding construction software is becoming even more user-friendly and is adapting even more to the industry, companies and physical products. Those who rely on digital solutions now not only save time and money in construction projects, but also secure a permanent place in the market.
