Costly logs result from inconsistent and/or non-standard processes, and the use of inefficient processes and tools, and human resources in a way not aligned with their skills, interests, and capacities. The inability to produce boring logs at a predictable cost can result in less-than-desirable cost-saving behaviors and outcomes, including:
- Employing less skilled, lower cost human resources to perform logging and/or prepare logs;
- Reducing the time spent reviewing logs for quality control purposes;
- Decreasing investment in employee training and new technologies as profit margins on boring logs erode; and
- Loss of company competitiveness resulting from the inability to contain log preparation costs.
Costly logs are most commonly caused by:
- Too much reliance upon human labor, and too little reliance upon technology, to provide assurance;
- Use of slow, inefficient, physically-based paper processes versus fast, efficient, electronically-based processes;
- Inconsistent understanding of project quality objectives by project team members; and
- Consulting contracts and employee performance metrics based on utilization versus project profitability.
Recommended solutions, once the cause(s) of the problem(s) is/are understood, may include any or all of the following actions:
- Implementation of electronic field logging;
- Strengthening of employee capacity through additional training;
- Reevaluation of existing boring log software with respect to cost and complexity of use, and transition to less-costly, easier to use software; and
- Development of greater resolution in operational cost tracking systems.
Achieving cost-effectiveness in logging and log preparation is made possible for you and your company by GroundLogs in the following ways:
- We provide field logging software that allows for electronic field data capture and eliminates costly manual reentry of field data;
- We provide online boring log software on a pay-by-the-log basis so that its benefit can be demonstrated at the project level; and
- We draft logs for fixed fees so that you already know what the cost of drafting your logs will be when budgeting the project.
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If you would like to engage us on a consulting assignment with the goal of improving office, program, or company cost-effectiveness in logging and log preparation, please contact us. We have extensive experience in implementing electronic field data collection for a variety of processes, and evaluating the cost of geoconsulting operational processes for services performed under various types of contracts (e.g., time and materials, unit-priced).