Five Ways to Make Daily Reports Better

In this blog, I’m going to talk to you about the different important parts of a daily report and five key things that will really help you make it a consistent habit that you can implement. So, what are the most important parts? How can we make it not such a tedious, boring task? How can we turn all of that into a habit? Another thing that we’re going to discuss in this blog is why just saying, “Hey, get it done” will never work. 

Before we dive into the eleven key components of a daily report and the five key things that you can do to make daily reports better, I do want to mention that most of the time, the situation is this: you’ve got to do daily reports. Someone tells you that you need to do it, they harp on you and remind you, and it’s this push scenario. It feels like, “Oh my gosh, there’s all this paperwork. I’m not an author. I don’t want to write a book every day or a chapter of a book every day. I don’t have time. There’s duplicate work. There’s waste. I have to transcribe it into this other platform. I don’t know how to use the platform.” This environment will not work unless we streamline the flow of how we do it. You can’t just tell people, “Do daily reports. Do them, do them, do them,” and keep pushing. It’s not going to get it done because human nature is at play here.

So, let’s talk first about what a good daily report includes, and then second, what are the key things that we can do to beat human nature and get them done.

How to Do Daily Reports at a Consistent Time

Consistent timing is key for doing your daily reports. I love this concept. I always talk about the three habits of a builder: studying your drawings for 15 to 30 minutes every day, being in your schedule for 15 to 30 minutes in the short term to look ahead and make work ready, and doing your reflection walks. I love the concept of doing the daily reports on the reflection walk while also taking other pictures. The best practice I’ve ever seen is using an app like NoteVault, where you can take pictures, use voice-to-text for any data, and it automatically transfers all of the pertinent information. It becomes a habit. Consistent timing is crucial.

Benefits of Having a Standardized Format

Having a standardized format is essential. Your brain will take your typical habits and put them into a habit loop, pulling them from your active processing into your subconscious, making them habitual. Your brain can more easily do this if you have standard formats. This way, you get the best information consistently.

How to Write Detailed Content in Daily Reports

Detailed content is important, but more words do not mean detailed content. That’s why using NoteVault and taking pictures is beneficial. A picture is worth a thousand words, and it really matters what we noted. We were able to take more pictures in a more addictive manner, capturing more content without needing more words. The descriptions are brief but on point.

How to Capture the Weather Conditions for Daily Reports

Capturing weather conditions is crucial. In a daily report software like NoteVault, you can attach these applications to a local weather station, which typically logs the date, time, and complete weather and atmospheric conditions for your daily report. This is important for documenting any weather-related project impacts, such as rain or snow days.

Benefits of Including Photos and Visuals in Daily Reports

Photos and visuals are crucial. If you ever need to present your case in court, to your owner, or in a meeting, having pictures and videos is the best option. They can help with communication, providing evidence, and supporting your claims.

Other Important Details to Include in Daily Reports

• Site Issues: Document any issues on site clearly.
• Correspondence with Trade Partners: Ensure your daily reports correspond with your trade partners’ reports, providing the full story.
• Productivity Metrics: Include metrics for completed work, labor counts, and other relevant productivity data.
• Signatures and Approvals: Ensure your reports are signed and verified.
• Accessibility and Storage: Make sure your reports are stored properly and accessible.

The Five Key Things to Make Daily Reports Better

1. Align the Habit: Pair your daily reports with an existing habit that you have intrinsic motivation to do.
2. Make it Natural: Use methods that are natural for foremen and superintendents. If they prefer working with their phone or iPad, incorporate these tools.
3. Use Software: Especially software that allows for pictures and voice-to-text, making the process real-time and fast.
4. Eliminate Waste: Remove unnecessary steps and focus on real data. Streamline the process to make it useful and addictive.
5. Make it a Habit: Set an example and help others normalize the process until it becomes muscle memory.

Additional Tips to Make Daily Reports a Habit

Tie the process to reflection walks and follow a pattern for reviewing and completing reports. Make it a consistent part of your routine, just like subscribing to this blog for regular updates.

I hope you’re able to turn this tedious task into a natural, efficient habit. Daily reports are crucial from a legal standpoint and a contract requirement.