Wrapping Up EDA's 2022 Field Appreciation

Despite labor shortages and increased workloads, wasted time is a major issue in the construction industry. According to a 2019 survey from construction project management software supplier, PlanGrid 35% of worker hours were spent on sub-optimal activities like looking for project data, resolving conflicts, and dealing with mistakes and rework. Oftentimes these issues are the results of a communications gap between office and field workers. The reasons for these gaps are widespread, but many in the industry believe that it stems from a lack of visibility that ultimately causes data silos, lack of information sharing, and an overall disconnected environment. At EDA, Field Appreciation is just one of the ways that our office staff show their appreciation to the field. Ultimately, increased visibility between the field and office are integral to achieving our promise of being successful together.

What is Field Appreciation?

Each year, EDA designates time in the Summer and early Fall where office staff are required to visit each EDA jobsite. During these visits, employees deliver lunch and give field workers time to take a break from their work. Field Appreciation serves as a time for our office and field workers to sit together, talk, and get to know each other. It is also a time to see the work and the challenges that our field workers experience every day.

Why we have Field Appreciation

Part of creating an inclusive culture and a work environment that feels like a community, is bringing the office and the field closer together. It is easy for our industry to work in silos and not communicate well when most of the workforce is offsite at regularly changing locations. We also believe that it is integral that our office staff understand the challenges that exist in the field. The safety, weather, and work conditions are often easy to overlook, which is why field appreciation is a great way for our office employees to recognize our field workers in their environment. Of course, EDA encourages our office staff to regularly make trips to jobsites, as well as attend company events, to stay connected to our work, but Field Appreciation is one way to ensure that we are annually following through on this goal.

2022 Field Appreciation

Our 2023 Field Appreciation saw each of our office workers visit close to 50 jobsites. These efforts provided hundreds of EDA field workers with lunch and recognition for their daily efforts. We are proud of the work everybody at EDA puts into helping us be successful together and this year’s Field Appreciation efforts certainly exceeded expectations.