How To Schedule Workflow For Profit


by Josh Z. - Date: 2009-05-03 - Word Count: 500 Share This!

When you're running a contracting business, time is essential. The company's profit depends on the completion of a project, so how a contractor schedules workflow is of primary importance. A single delay in the delivery of certain materials, for example, can set a project back for days and incur high penalties. For smaller companies especially, where the margin of profit is a lot smaller, delay in a project can result in severe loss. Here are some tips on how to organize workflow to maximize profit and sales in your contracting business.

Beating the Deadline. Contractors must continuously monitor the progress of their projects to make sure that everything is going smoothly and the different phases of the project are being completed on time. Try to finish the project before the set deadline. This way, you'll be entitled to a bonus or a performance payment. Make sure you have charts and time frames for every cycle of the project.

Record everything. Training all the people working under you to keep records of all transactions, sales, materials, change of orders, meeting, etc. is important if you want to keep an organized workflow. Documenting every little thing that happens during the project will help you trace a problem easily when something goes wrong. It will also help you keep track of expenses and stay within budget.

Supervise your subcontractors. This is the crucial part. Sometimes a contractor can get into a whole lot of trouble because their subcontractors' failure to do their job properly. Make sure you study the contracts you enter with your subcontractors, especially the insurance policies. Also keep track on their expenses and make sure they stick to your budget.

Go wireless. The contracting business can be really tough, tiring and energy-consuming. All the running about from one place to the other, managing orders and deliveries, dealing with sometimes difficult subcontractors, managing a lot of employees under payroll and trying to stay within budget and timeframe can drive anyone up the wall. That's why a lot of contractors today have decided to go wireless with their business.
There are a lot of software available in the market today that will allow you to keep all your data, charts, spreadsheets, etc. online. An advantage of this is that it allows you to get rid of taxing "paper trails." It is more efficient too because you can access anything with just your laptop and internet - no matter where you are. It also saves up on time and energy. If you need to approve a change of order request, for example, you can just have your employee or co-worker scan or email you the request form, which you can print out and sign, rescan and send to all involved parties needing to be notified. It decreases the tiring leg work you have to do.

In scheduling workflow for profit, organization is really the key to make everything run smoothly. Work with responsible people, be hands-on and organized and you'll always be doing a job well-done.

Related Tags: contract, contractor, independent contractor, general contractor, contractors michigan, conractors

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