1.  If required for a project, does your workforce tracking software include Prevailing Wage Compliance? Or is that a different system/company?

When utilizing a software for tracking workforce, the goals should be to reduce complexity, reduce time spent on data entry and eliminate strain for all contractors and staff utilizing the tracking software. It’s best to have one system for everyone to report workforce hours and wages, track Prevailing Wage, Davis Bacon compliance, certified payroll and 1099 Workers. Additionally, if your project requires the tracking of business engagement (MBE, WBE, DBE, Section 3, Veteran, etc.) with every contractor, supplier, and trade partner at every tier, then it is even more beneficial to have one platform that can track all. Collecting the data and documentation to report wage and business compliance can be quite the task without a software in place, and traditionally, many have had to use two or more software products to report, InSight gives you one, easy-to-use platform for both.

2.  Do you make it easy for all the contractors (Prime, Subcontractors, Trade Partners, Suppliers) to upload a copy of their certification(s)?

Not every construction tracking software allows for subcontractors to upload a copy of their own certification(s). One of the benefits of using InSight is that each contractor or supplier at every tier can upload a copy of their certification(s). They can also use their payroll data to auto generate forms such as the US Department of Labor’s WH-347.

3.  Am I able to group/link multiple contracts or projects together? Is this included or is this an additional module?

Some construction software companies will display a base price without stating that you are really getting a base product only. Once you start adding all of the additional modules that make the product do the tracking that is needed, you will find a big difference in where the price started to where it is after the additional ‘modules’ are added. With InSight you can group or link multiple contracts or projects together, making it much easier to track and report each individually and collectively. This is included in our pricing as there is no need to pay for additional modules when this is how the industry is works.

4. Is our firm, and will our contractors, be able to import payroll? Can your software integrate with other payroll software systems?

Payroll entry and data entry overall can be overwhelming for contractors. We do everything we can to make entering payroll as seamless as possible, whether it’s having the ability for contractors to enter payroll themselves, import it into our system, or integrate with a payroll or accounting software. Not every workforce tracking software makes it this easy to import payroll, especially since many of them are built with outdated and process-heavy technology.

5.  Is our firm, and will our contractors be, able to import a spreadsheet of employees? As the firm moves from project to project, can we just assign employees to a project instead of having to add them again?

We understand that many projects will utilize the same employees as prior projects within the system. InSight users have the ability to import a spreadsheet of their employees, or import payroll and automatically create an employee record. When a new project is set up, you can copy over your subcontractors, their employees, and the their wage rates with a few simple clicks. All workforce tracking software is not created equal – be sure to inquire about the ease of managing data within the platform when considering for purchase.

6.  How often is the construction software technology updated?

Outdated, cumbersome, and archaic, are some of the adjectives we have heard when industry experts are describing different business tracking and workforce tracking software systems. SkillSmart has taken that as a challenge and we work in an agile development technology company, where we are always adding, updating and improving upon our software. We have monthly and quarterly system updates and are constantly adding new features to support our existing and new clients. We appreciate our clients’ feedback and in fact welcome it.

7.  Is there an extra charge for software support and training?

This is a big one to be aware of. It may be assumed that if you purchase a software product, training, documentation and support are included. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Many companies have paid training, paid support and even paid certifications for employees. This typically means that the systems are so complex to use, that the software company fully expects you to need a significant amount of training or time spent learning the product in order to use it effectively.

SkillSmart is a Software-and-a-Service company. In app support, training, webinars, a live person on the phone are all apart of our service, included with your subscription.

8.  Are there restrictions or extra charges on getting your data out of the system?

We have heard horror stories of GC’s or Owners not having access to the data that has been collected for YEARS on a project. Before committing or starting a new project on a tracking platform, find out ahead of time what the restrictions may be for getting the data you and your subs have been collecting out of the system. There may be limitations on the amount of data or very expensive additional charges.

We don’t hold your data hostage and make you pay to retrieve it. InSight data is always accessible and easily exportable with a couple clicks. We automate monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual project-specific reporting. If a custom report is needed (A3, Impact, etc.) those are generated in a timely fashion with a minimal one time charge.

If you are interested in learning more about InSight technology and how this technology supports business and workforce tracking across a variety of sectors, click here.