How messaging optimizes operations management in building yards
Always on the move: building yards are one of the most mobile departments in cities, municipalities and communities. The communicative networking of central operations coordination with operations management and the workers on site is therefore very important. Teamwire has developed a special solution for building yards to make their operations management as efficient as possible.
When manual recording of operations leads to errors and greater time expenditure
The situation in the operations management of building yards is the same in many places: Numerous processes in municipal building yards, especially in small and medium-sized towns and municipalities, are still analog and manually regulated.
Most of the time, the daily routine of building yard employees goes as follows:
They meet at headquarters in the morning, discuss the operation, receive or write down the work orders on paper, and then drive to the job site. Whether operations such as roadway resurfacing, green maintenance or sign inspection, the coordination and documentation of on-site building yard operations is largely makeshift, manual and cumbersome on paper or a random terminal. In the evenings, the operations managers then have to compile the information from the many different sources, assign it to the operations and cost centers, and transfer everything to the municipal system – always hoping not to forget anything.
The consequence of such a management of building yards: The confusing patchwork of documentation not only leads to increased susceptibility to errors and considerable loss of time, but also increasingly to frustration among the employees of the building yards.
Shadow IT creeps in
If communication networking is still based on relatively rudimentary and manual processes, administrative procedures and working hours are unnecessarily protracted. It is therefore no wonder that many employees independently reach for their own smartphone and exchange information with other colleagues via a consumer messenger app to optimize operations management in the building yard. But caution is advised here! Using a messenger such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram to communicate about building yard operations is not permitted.
For the following reasons, WhatsApp & Co are not allowed for authorities, public services – and so also building yards:
#1 They are neither GDPR-compliant, nor do they meet the compliance guidelines of public authorities and building yards.
#2 Consumer messenger apps cannot be managed centrally by an IT administration and for this reason cannot guarantee data sovereignty.
#3 Data is or can be shared with third-party providers.
To ensure GDPR-compliant communication for operations management in building yards, only communication tools that are specialized in the requirements of public authorities and public services are suitable. Our Teamwire messenger app is based on the Zero Trust security model and guarantees the highest level of data protection and the greatest possible data security for communication in the public authority environment. In addition to the legal and technical aspects, which are highly relevant for the IT department and the data protection officer, it should not be forgotten that the functionalities and an easy-to-use interface – similar to WhatsApp – are also important for the end user. This is how a fast and high user acceptance can be created.
From messenger as a basis to the automation of work processes
The fact is that building yards currently still have a lot of manual documentation, and that employees are already trying to get around this by keeping up to date via WhatsApp & Co. As a specialist in cross-departmental messaging, Teamwire offers precisely the communication options – via text and voice messages, for example, as well as video calls – that employees in a building yard expect. Moreover, our messenger offers much more than just secure chatting.
Six good reasons to implement operations management for building yards via Teamwire and to document operations in real time
1. Teamwire ensures simple documentation, allowing information – even in the event of damage or accidents – to be recorded quickly, photos and videos to be attached, and everything to be transmitted securely. The recording of operation progress is also done digitally at a central location.
2. Teamwire offers group-specific chats that ensure smooth processes and a targeted exchange of information. Operational teams and areas can be easily demarcated from one another, which in turn prevents information overload.
3. Teamwire allows secure video calls or conferencing to quickly communicate an incident at the scene to central office. This enables mobile workers and hybrid teams to work together efficiently and collaboratively.
4. Teamwire enables sharing of live locations on a map in individual chats, group chats or team channels. It simplifies building yard operations management, saves travel, and enables rapid request for assistance.
5. Teamwire offers a special alarming feature that can be used to request help in seconds in the event of a machine failure or defect. An alarm is visually highlighted and identifiable by a special ring tone.
6. Teamwire provides automation. Thanks to a direct connection to the building yard or ERP systems at the Operations control center, pre-programmed process automation leads to a smoother exchange of information – without detours or subsequent data entry. For this purpose, the team around Teamwire has developed the so-called Teamwire building yard bot.
This is how operations management for building yards works with Teamwire messenger and the integrated Teamwire building yard bot
Designed specifically for the needs of public authorities and building yards, our messenger and our building yard bot are replacing the typical everyday scenario of analog operations management in the building yard with an end-to-end digital and automated workflow:
Step 1: Create and distribute operations
Teamwire is a multi-device messenger that works both via the smartphone app and via a desktop client on the PC. In the first step, operation coordinators can create and plan work plans on the computer as usual. In the process, it is possible to store detailed operation descriptions and prioritizations, information about the location as well as pictures. In the further course, the work order can then be sent specifically to the selected operations manager, who receives the information via the Teamwire smartphone app. An on-site meeting at the operations center is no longer necessary.
Step 2: Receive work orders
The operations manager receives a new chat message via Teamwire with the operation details. The message can be color-coded according to urgency and priority. In urgent cases or in the case of an emergency operation, an acoustic alarm can even be triggered. In addition, the message is highlighted in red and appears first in the inbox.
Step 3: Document operations with text and images
With the detailed information, the operation can start. By replying to the received chat message, the operations team can respond via text and/ or image. The course of work can be documented with text notes and photos directly in the respective messenger chat to prevent forgetting or confusing activities. Once the operation is over, the operations manager closes the chat manually.
Step 4: Send operation reports
By closing the chat, the active operation is considered completed. The coordinators at Operations control center automatically receive an e-mail with the corresponding report in PDF format. This eliminates the need for time-consuming post-reporting at the end of the workday. The chat history serves as complete documentation that can be output and archived in PDF format. This means that you always have access to operations that have already been completed.
Conclusion: Simple and efficient operation communication as well as coordination with Teamwire
Our messenger and building yard bot not only ensure simple and secure operation planning, coordination and documentation, but also the immediate recording of work progress. As a result, no information is accidentally lost and operations managers save a lot of time. A messenger such as Teamwire, which is designed to meet the requirements of authorities and public services, helps to ensure smooth operations. This also applies to operations management in building yards – without detours to operations meetings at Operations control center. But it’s not just the building yards that benefit from Teamwire messenger. Every department of a city, municipality or local authority can use the messenger. Teamwire thus supports both the targeted coordination and communication of a department as well as the exchange across authorities and services across several institutions.
We are here for you!
Do you have questions about how you can use Teamwire messenger and building yard bot for your operations management? Then contact us and arrange a free consultation.