Case Studies
Digital Labour Management System for a Construction Company in Saudi Arabia
The Company
A construction company based in Saudi Arabia manages multiple construction projects that rely heavily on both internal workers and labour supplied by external manpower vendors.
With hundreds of labourers deployed across different project sites, accurate tracking of labour attendance, working hours, and project labour costs is essential for operational efficiency and financial control.
The company required a centralized digital solution to manage labour records, monitor project-wise labour deployment, and calculate labour costs with better accuracy and transparency.
The Problem
Prior to implementing the new Zoho creator-built system, the company relied on a completely manual process for labour time tracking.
At each construction site, labour attendance and working hours were recorded in physical time registers by the site supervisor or timekeeper. These records were later transferred to Excel spreadsheets and submitted to the head office for consolidation and cost calculation.
This process resulted in several operational challenges:
At each construction site, labour attendance and working hours were recorded in physical time registers by the site supervisor or timekeeper. These records were later transferred to Excel spreadsheets and submitted to the head office for consolidation and cost calculation.
This process resulted in several operational challenges:
- No real-time visibility of labour deployment across projects
- Time-consuming data entry from physical registers to Excel sheets
- High risk of manual errors and inconsistencies
- Delayed labour cost reporting, usually only available at month end
- Difficulty validating invoices submitted by third-party manpower suppliers
- Limited ability to compare planned labour costs with actual labour consumption
The Solution
To address these challenges, a custom labour management and timesheet application was developed using Zoho Creator.
The application digitized the entire labour management process from labour database management to daily timesheet logging and project cost monitoring, providing real-time visibility into labour usage across all projects.
The application digitized the entire labour management process from labour database management to daily timesheet logging and project cost monitoring, providing real-time visibility into labour usage across all projects.
Centralized Labour Database
A unified database was created to maintain records of all labourers, including both internal employees and outsourced workers from manpower suppliers. The system stores key information such as labour category, standard labour rate, overhead rate, and other essential details required for project costing.
Project Management Module
All construction projects are registered within the system, allowing the organization to monitor labour deployment and labour costs at the project level.
Daily Time Log System
Site supervisors or timekeepers can now record labour working hours directly from the project site on a daily basis. This eliminates the need for manual registers and Excel-based reporting.
Approval Workflow for Timesheets
Submitted timesheets are routed through an approval workflow to ensure accuracy and accountability before labour costs are calculated.
Automated Labour Cost Calculation
Once the timesheets are approved, the system automatically calculates the actual labour cost of the project by multiplying approved labour hours with the predefined standard labour rates.
Estimated vs Actual Labour Cost Tracking
Within the project module, project teams can define estimated labour requirements by labour type and expected working hours.
This enables the system to generate Estimated vs Actual Labour Cost reports, helping management monitor project profitability and labour efficiency.
Vendor Invoice Reconciliation
For outsourced labour supplied by third-party vendors, the system enables easy reconciliation of supplier invoices. When vendors submit invoices, the finance team can compare billed labour hours with system-generated timesheet reports by vendor, making invoice validation faster and more accurate.
Real-Time Project Visibility
With the new system, management now has real-time visibility into labour usage, project labour costs, and workforce deployment across all construction sites.
Application
Encouraged by the success of Zoho’s implementation, KIMS plans to extend its use of the Zoho ecosystem. The next phase includes advanced workflow automation,
Benefits & Roi
The implementation of the custom labour management system using Zoho Creator delivered significant operational and financial improvements for the organization.
Real-Time Labour Visibility Across Projects
Management now has real-time visibility into labour deployment across multiple project sites. Labour hours are recorded daily from the site itself, eliminating delays in reporting and improving project monitoring.
Elimination of Manual Registers and Excel Dependency
The previous process of maintaining physical time registers and manually transferring data into Excel has been completely eliminated. This significantly reduced administrative effort and minimized the risk of data entry errors.
Faster and More Accurate Labour Cost Calculation
With automated calculation of labour costs based on approved timesheets and predefined labour rates, the company can now determine the actual labour cost of each project with greater accuracy.
Better Project Cost Control
The Estimated vs Actual labour cost comparison provides project managers with valuable insights into labour utilization. This enables early identification of cost overruns and supports better project planning and control.
Improved Vendor Invoice Verification
The system allows easy reconciliation of invoices submitted by third-party manpower suppliers. By comparing vendor invoices with system-generated timesheet reports, the company can verify billed hours quickly and reduce the risk of overbilling.
Improved Operational Efficiency
The digital workflow from time logging to approval and cost calculation has streamlined labour management processes and reduced manual intervention, allowing the team to focus more on project execution rather than administrative tasks.
Centralized and Structured Labour Database
Maintaining a centralized labour database ensures that all labour records, rates, and project assignments are stored in a structured and easily accessible system.
Scalable System for Future Growth
The application built on Zoho Creator provides the flexibility to expand the system further as the company grows, including adding new modules, reports, or integrations as needed.
What’s Ahead?
Why Zoho Creator Was the Ideal Platform
Zoho Creator provided the flexibility and scalability required to build a customized solution tailored specifically for the operational needs of the construction industry.
Rapid Custom Application Development
Zoho Creator enabled the development of a fully customized labour management system without the complexity and cost typically associated with traditional software development. This allowed the organization to digitize its processes quickly and efficiently.
Mobile-Friendly Data Entry from Project Sites
Since construction projects operate across multiple locations, the ability for site supervisors and timekeepers to record timesheets directly from the project site was critical. Zoho Creator’s mobile capabilities made it easy for teams to update labour hours on a daily basis, ensuring timely and accurate data capture.
Custom Workflow Automation
The platform allowed the implementation of approval workflows for timesheet validation, ensuring accountability and accuracy before labour costs are calculated.
Automated Cost Calculations and Reporting
With built-in logic and automation capabilities, Zoho Creator enabled automatic calculation of labour costs and generation of project-level reports such as Estimated vs Actual labour cost analysis.
Centralized Data Management
Zoho Creator provided a centralized and structured environment to manage labour records, project data, and timesheets, improving data accessibility and consistency across the organization.
Scalable and Future-Ready Platform
The solution can be easily enhanced in the future with additional modules such as payroll integration, vendor management, project profitability dashboards, or integration with other business systems.
By leveraging Zoho Creator, the company successfully transformed a manual and fragmented labour tracking process into a real-time, automated, and scalable project labour management system.
Want to transform your business with smart automation?
Ready to simplify your operations with Zoho? Contact Zocoden Technologies at +971 52 217 9631or visit https://zocoden.com to explore tailored Zoho solutions for your business.