K
Loading...
Loading...
You track daily tasks. But clients want monthly progress updates. How do you translate "installed 10 doors today" into "project is 65% complete"? Here's the complete process.
The problem: Daily task tracking gives you trees. Progress reporting shows the forest.
What clients want: "Are we on schedule? What percentage is done?"
What you have: "Today we plastered 3 rooms, tomorrow we paint"
The bridge: A system to roll up daily work into meaningful progress metrics.
All progress measurement compares what you planned vs what you actually did.
Formula: Progress % = (Work Done / Total Planned Work) × 100
Sounds simple. The challenge is defining "work done" and "total planned work" correctly.
Concept: Count completed tasks as percentage of total tasks.
Step 1: List all tasks
Step 2: Track completion
Step 3: Weekly & monthly
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
Best for: Small projects with similar-sized tasks
Concept: Weight tasks by estimated duration/effort.
Step 1: Assign weights
Step 2: Track completion with weight
Step 3: Weekly/monthly rollup
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
Best for: Most construction projects. Good balance of accuracy and simplicity.
Concept: Measure progress by milestones achieved.
Step 1: Define key milestones
Step 2: Track milestone achievement
Step 3: Report progress
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
Best for: Client reporting, payment tracking
Combine methods for best results.
For internal daily tracking: Weighted tasks
For weekly team meetings: Task completion summary
For monthly client reports: Milestone-based with details
Daily:
Weekly (internal):
Monthly (client):
What to include:
Example format:
Week 3 Summary (Jan 15-21)
- Tasks completed: 18 out of 20 planned
- Progress: 7.5% (Target was 8%)
- Status: Slightly behind (0.5%)
- Reason: 1 day rain delay
- Next week target: 8.5% (includes makeup work)
What to include:
Example format:
January Progress Report
- Start: 25% complete
- End: 40% complete
- Gain: 15% (Target was 16%)
- Milestones: Ground floor slab completed
- Schedule status: 1% behind (2 days)
- February target: Reach 55% (first floor complete)
For project completion report:
Numbers alone don't tell the story. Add visuals.
Line graph: Show progress over time
Helps clients see: Are we catching up or falling behind?
Visual timeline showing:
Color coding:
Before/after/progress photos:
Clients love photos. They're evidence and build trust.
Problem: Early tasks are easy, progress looks fast, then slows dramatically.
Example:
Solution: Weight tasks by actual effort, not just count. Excavation might be 1 week but only 5% of total effort.
Problem: Counting completed tasks that need rework.
Solution: Task isn't "complete" until it passes quality check.
Problem: Plan assumes perfect conditions, no room for rain, material delays, etc.
Solution: Add 10-15% buffer in planning. Under-promise, over-deliver.
Problem: Tracking daily for 2 weeks, then forgetting, then tracking again. Data is useless.
Solution: Make daily tracking habitual. 5 minutes at end of day, every day.
Modern construction apps automate this completely.
What good apps do:
Time saved: Manual calculation = 2 hours/week. Automated = 0 hours.
Learn about: Task management automation
Project: [Name]
Reporting Period: [Month Year]
Prepared by: [Your Name]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Overall Progress: [X]% (Target: [Y]%)
- Schedule Status: [On Track / X days behind/ahead]
- Budget Status: [On Budget / X% over/under]
PROGRESS DETAILS
Opening Progress (Start of month): [X]%
Closing Progress (End of month): [Y]%
Progress This Month: [Y-X]%
Target Progress This Month: [Z]%
Variance: [Z-(Y-X)]%
MILESTONES ACHIEVED
✓ [Milestone 1] - Completed on [Date]
✓ [Milestone 2] - Completed on [Date]
UPCOMING MILESTONES
→ [Milestone 3] - Planned [Date]
→ [Milestone 4] - Planned [Date]
WORK COMPLETED THIS MONTH
- [Activity 1]: [Details]
- [Activity 2]: [Details]
- [Activity 3]: [Details]
ISSUES & RESOLUTIONS
Issue: [Description]
Impact: [Days delayed / Cost impact]
Resolution: [What was done]
NEXT MONTH PLAN
- Target Progress: [X]%
- Key Focus: [Activities]
- Resource Needs: [Labor/Material/Equipment]
PHOTOS
[Include 4-6 key photos showing progress]
Customize this template for your projects. Client will love the structure and transparency.
Translating daily tasks into progress reports isn't complicated - it just needs a system.
Key takeaways:
The goal: Your client should never wonder "how much is done?" They should always know exactly where the project stands.
Complex dashboards confuse more than help. Learn which simple visual indicators actually work for construction site monitoring.
Read More →Understanding the difference between tasks, milestones, and activities is crucial for effective project management. Learn how to break down construction work properly.
Read More →Hidden inefficiencies cost contractors 15-20% in productivity. Learn to identify and eliminate bottlenecks on your construction site.
Read More →Download Karyati and start managing your sites efficiently today.