Project General Description
Time Tracking and Access Module (User Story)
A first module of the app will integrate a method for every user to be uniquely identified. A fingerprint scanner like this one may be used. Every employer will be uniquely identified through the chosen method (fingerprint, face recognition, other bio-metrical method). Access on the site will be done by taking into consideration the contract status (if all the documents were submitted, exist in internal data base, and if all the documents required by the law and state are valid) and the location assigned by the team leader or head of site or subcontractor to the employee. Otherwise, the employees should not be allowed access on the construction site. Moreover, the system will use AI and Computer Vision to determine if the worker has all the safety equipment, like high visibility jacket and hard hat or any other safety equipment required by law. The AI processing will be carried in Cloud separately and will integrate with the phone app. Example here. If all the condition described above are fulfilled, then the access is granted.
Once the validation is done, the timekeeping starts. At 12:00 or a predefined hour, there will be a 1 h break. The timer will start again after the same validation steps are done exactly how are described above. The information will be later use by the management or team leader for calculating the salary or payments.
Tasks management
Team Micromanagement
Each user can receive tasks from their team leader / boss, or they can create tasks for themselves. Each task should have a priority and a deadline. For some users, a proof of having done the task will be required. This proof will be uploaded as photos in the app. In other words, for each task the user could upload multiple pictures to prove that the task was done in time. At the same time, multiple project could take place in parallel in different location across Europe. The team can be allocated to different projects depending on the necessity; therefore, a user could receive tasks from multiple team leaders from different projects.
Global status tracking (GANTT)
An initial plan will be made with all the information and steps required to finish the current project. Each activity will have a timeline. This module will be integrated with the Team Micromanagement module that will allow the tracking of the progress on each activity. A log with every task and activity on a specific task will be made alongside time and material required to finish that task.
Orders from suppliers
The application will have access to a product database from Romstal, Dedeman and other suppliers. For each team leader, contractor or site responsible, a list with favorite items is created, depending on their frequent orders. Each order should have a priority. The person accepting the order will choose the supplier for a specific part based on information from the data base (price, no of pieces, discounts, etc.). After the order was approved by the Site Responsible, the order will automatically be sent to all the suppliers. If multiple orders from multiple team leaders require products from a single supplier, the products will be bundled up into one order before being sent. If a team leader started an order but did not complete it, they will receive notifications. Team leaders will not be able to check out at the end of the schedule using the fingerprint if they still have products in the pipeline for purchasing. Every order must correspond to a step in the GANTT Chart, and if a product is required for a step that is not present in the GANTT chart, then the team leader or the contractor leader should add this step and offer more details about it. This step will be automatically added to the global chart.
Upon receiving the products, the Warehouse Responsible must check the integrity of the products. They should add pictures that identify the order (invoice, shipping notice, car that transported the order) and take the products in their inventory. Upon receiving and uploading the pictures, the GPS location must also be checked and stored in the database, alongside the images. Team Leader or Subcontractor who ordered the parts should come and take them in his own inventory. The parts will be automatically removed from Warehouse Responsible and added to the Team Leader or Contractor inventory. If multiple parts were ordered and not used, the parts should be returned, and if that is not possible due to damages, the Team Leader or Contractor that order them should pay for the items (in this sense, the fact will be notified to the Site Responsible).
User Diagram
The application will have multiple types of users, as displayed in the figure below. The administrator will have access to all the databases and actions on a specific project, including creating new projects/ sites and attributing roles. The Financial Department and the Site Responsible will have the attributions to acquire the construction materials and compete the payment of the workers. The financial department will need to know the project status to better estimate the cash flow. The site responsible will approve the orders that came from Team Leaders or Subcontractors. The Site Responsible will set up tasks and deadlines for the workers below him. Based on this organigram, each team leader will be in charge of registering the fingerprints and all the information required to allow the access of a worker on a construction site.
