The construction diary serves as a crucial tool for documenting the daily progress of construction work. It not only records essential details such as on-site personnel, weather conditions, and work hours but also provides a comprehensive overview of issues encountered, resolutions implemented, and any special occurrences.

One notable advantage of using our construction diary system is the ability to work offline through our iPad app. This allows you to input information on-site and generate reports seamlessly. Furthermore, you and relevant team members can sign reports directly on the device, with these signatures seamlessly integrated into the final report.

This is article is an idea or suggetion of how you can set up a plan in docu tools where all relevant informataion can be filled up quickly and easily and then generated in a report. Instead of a plan view, however, you will be using a calendar page. You can either create your own calendar or use the calendar we have provided at the end of this article.

Plan Import and Project Configuration

Importing a calendar as a plan

The initial step involves importing a calendar as a plan. You can either create your calendar or use the one we provided here. Follow the steps outlined in this article to seamlessly import the calendar.

Setting up a pin category and custom pin fields

Add a new pin category for construction diary

Access Project Settings.
Navigate to the "Category" tab.
Create a new category specifically for the construction diary, choosing a title and color to suit your preference.

Add custom Pin fields

In Project Settings, go to the Pin Design tab.
Configure pin fields tailored to your report needs.
Assign these fields exclusively to the construction diary category to avoid clutter.

You have the flexibility to configure various Pin fields according to the specific requirements of your report. As a starting point, consider the following suggestions:

Field Type: Number

Bautagesbericht Nr. (Report Number)
Specific postions or companies
as number fields to showcase the number of people present on the given day.
Foreman, specialist, assistant, machine operator, apprentices, others.
Company 1, Company 2...
Work hours
Regie Number (Overhead expenses)
Within the confines of the contract, specific obligations and tasks are clearly delineated. Any activities falling outside the contractual scope are categorized as "overhead expenses". Typically, the contract explicitly outlines what constitutes regie, providing comprehensive clarity on both contracted and non-contracted responsibilities.

"Regie" in German defines directed work that is required due to an unforeseen (unplanned) development and is paid for on a time basis, i.e. hourly paid work. The manner in which the work is carried out is agreed upon on the construction site.

Field Type: Time

Starting Work Time
Ending Work Time
Work Hours

Field Type: Text

Work Services
Special Events
Subcontractors

Field Type: Slider with two options (Yes/No)

Regie - Yes or No

To learn more about project settings, please refer to our article.

Report Template Configuration

Now you can proceed to setting up the construction diary report template. To do that you can use the provided placeholders for Pin fields in the app.

Navigate to project settings.
Select the Pin designs tab.
Click on a field to access the detail view.
Click on the #{{}} icon to view related placeholders.
Copy each one with the provided button and paste it into your report template.

Explore additional placeholders in our documentation. We recommend creating a Word report template, although Excel is also an option. An example report template is attached for your convenience.

Efficient Usage of the Construction Diary Setup

Follow these steps to efficiently use the construction diary:

Open the calendar in the plan list.
Create a new pin and set it on the current date.
Set the pin category to the construction diary category.
Fill out all relevant pin fields, including comments, photos and other documentation.
Select the pin in the Pin list, click on the edit icon, and choose Add to report to create a report. Refer to this article for alternative report creation methods.
Create a report using the construction diary report template.

Tips and Tricks

Copy Pin Option:

Save time by copying the pin from the previous day on the calendar using the Copy Pin option on the web app or Save as template on iPad. Then you only have to adjust the Pin fields where something has changed.

Group multiple reports:

In case you need to group multiple days in one report, you can use the bulk edit option in the pin list. Simply select the relevant Pins using the checkboxes and then create the report. All information will then be included in one single report.

Add a signature field:

These placeholders enable direct signing within the iPad app, contributing to the report's final output:

#{{signature-NAME}} - Displays a signature field during report creation, which is then output in the final report.
#{{signaturename-NAME}} - Creates a text field for the signer's name during report creation on an iPad, which is then included in the report.

NOTE: As these placeholders can be used multiple times within a report template, it's crucial to differentiate them. The "NAME" segment of the placeholder is meant to be replaced with a meaningful description, specifying the location in the report where you intend to display the specific signature and name.

By following these guidelines, you can maximize the efficiency of your construction diary documentation, ensuring a seamless and comprehensive record of daily progress and project details.