In my previous article we talked about why any construction contractor, no matter the size or type, needs to start utilizing the power that kanban boards can provide. Kanban boards help you visualize work, maximize efficiency, and allow for continuous improvement throughout your organization; a no brainer for any company looking to sustainably grow their business.

There is a reason why almost every major industry in the world has and continues to adopt the principles that are behind the kanban methodology, with construction of course being one of the last.

However, with every industry having its own unique needs and workflows, the depth with which the kanban methodology can be used may vary and some principles may not be relevant. Althought, there is typically one main constant that every industry finds immense value from, and that is the simplistic board view that the kanban process is built upon.

You might be wondering, this all sounds great, but how can I get started on implementing a kanban board into my project management workflows?

In this article I will be providing you with 2 essential project management trackers that can be built and improved upon through the use of a kanban board. They are great starting points for a contractor of any size and type, as they allow you to get up and running with minimal effort or training.

1. The Project Tracker

As an owner or executive, or even a PM in charge of several projects, it is critical that you know what is going on in your organization at any given moment. You need to know what stages all of your projects are in, if there are any deadlines approaching, and even how long each project is sitting in each stage.

Without this high-level information, critical deadlines can be missed and important decisions, such as knowing when to ramp up estimating or sales efforts in order to keep the work force busy, simply can’t be made.

This is why a ‘project tracker’ is so important for any construction contractor, as it provides you with a high-level dashboard which clearly illustrates what stages all your projects are in at any given time.

Typically the best practice would be to map out from start to finish what a project’s journey looks like within your company. Below I’ve included an example of a simple project tracking system created using the OnTraccr Construction Workflow Automation (CWA) platform.

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