Construction is a complex science that requires meticulous planning and careful execution, which traditionally involves administrative meetings. Time and energy are spent holding regular meetings, creating progress reports, and drafting other documents.
Excessive administrative work and hours of interminable meetings are viewed as a necessary component of the job by many in the construction industry. Construction stakeholders may spend up to 40% of their time looking for status updates, making reports, or just attending meetings. Because of this troublesome reality, construction workers are frequently frustrated and exhausted. After all, they didn’t get into construction to write reports and attend meetings, but to make a difference and work on fascinating construction projects.
And it is critical for anyone working in the sector to realize the significant impact that administrative workload has on their projects to begin exploring better alternatives that can revolutionize the way they interact and communicate with their colleagues.
Tips to Reduce Admin Work and Meeting
1. Minimize Construction Delays and Blockers
Delays and blocks are the two types of problems that prohibit projects from being completed on time. Each type of project manager needs to be recognized and addressed by an expert.
A construction delay occurs when things do not go as planned, which is generally unavoidable given that the building is often sequential.
Careful preparation is required to avoid delays, and blockers must be identified well in advance of the project to avoid being an impediment.
2. Enhance Your Management Techniques
Another key cause of project failure is ineffective management. Managers are in charge of developing a project plan that includes all needed elements and completing the project by the deadline.
A construction manager is responsible for assigning roles and tasks within a project as well as coordinating labour and materials to the job site so that work can be completed on time. A smart construction manager can handle multiple components of a complex project plan while working to minimize delays and aggressively remove roadblocks. A smart construction manager acquires smart construction management techniques to handle it effectively.
3. Plan
Nothing is more crucial than having a clear project plan to work from when it comes to keeping your project on track. Managers benefit from having an up-to-date project plan that can be updated easily as the project progresses, allowing them to identify potential obstacles and resolve problems before they become costly issues.
Many contractors begin large projects without a clear timeframe, finished drawings, or prior discussion with important subcontractors. That is a huge error. Your project plan should be comprehensive, including every detail required to execute the project while accounting for uncertainties in the execution process that could cause delays.
4. Define Roles and Duties
Many employees, contractors, subcontractors, supervisors, and other professionals are directly involved in commercial building projects. Failure to clearly define each party’s duties in the project can lead to important tasks being overlooked and severe project delays.
You must hold people accountable by clearly defining roles and duties for everyone engaged. An effective project plan and timeline include establishing accountability—remember to focus not just on what needs to be done, but also on who will be responsible for executing it and by when.
5. Plan Beforehand for Contractors
To avoid a disaster, establish what contractors you’ll need well in advance and begin gathering quotations as soon as feasible to ensure that you won’t experience delays due to a lack of contractors. It can take up to a month merely to get on a designer’s or architect’s schedule, so make meetings at least that early, according to McMullin. Then there’s the month or two it will take to order things, followed by a few months of planning and bidding. That means you’ll need at least three months, if not longer, to start coordinating your contractors.
6. Ensure That All Parties Communicate Clearly
When an unanticipated problem arises on the job site, it is critical that contractors have direct access to the project management team and that stakeholders are quickly accessible for construction consultation. You must rapidly diagnose, appraise, and convey the problem to all important stakeholders, and bring everyone together as soon as possible to develop a solution.
7. Establish a Communication Flow
Every aspect of a construction project requires communication. Establish a channel of communication with everyone on the ground — as well as with every stakeholder and supplier involved in the strategy. This transparency will smooth out the process and reduce the number of emails and phone calls when an issue emerges.
One of the easiest ways to establish a communication flow is by using a work execution platform. You can monitor updates, budgets, and scheduling changes as they happen by syncing comments, images, papers, and calendars in a single location.
8. Make Continuous Planning a Habit
Although planning is the second of the Project Management Institute’s five project management phases, construction project managers should begin planning far before actual construction begins and continue updating and developing plans until the project is completed. A construction project’s design, pre-construction, and procurement stages all involve substantial planning — and each may need to be amended as the next stage unfolds.
At a construction site, anything may happen. If unexpected environmental difficulties arise during the pre-construction period, the design may need to be modified. Even little changes might have an impact on the entire plan and timetable.
9. Observe and Ask Questions
Construction projects can be dramatically impacted by field elements. Often, the only way to resolve an issue is to actually see it in person. Getting to know the construction site and the duties of everyone working under you will help you become a better project manager. Every year, the construction industry evolves with new equipment, practices, safety requirements, and advancements.
Continuous improvement and learning are essential for administering and managing a successful project. There may be a great deal of streamlined communication, but site visits and conference calls with contractors and designers on the ground are still required.
10. Project Budgeting Using a Work Execution Platform
Permits, wages, supplies, and equipment required for projects are frequently traded between a variety of financial sources and vendors in the construction industry. Construction project managers are responsible for tracking and monitoring all expenditures, particularly those related to initial budgets, from the start of the bidding process until the end of the project.
Even small construction projects have hundreds of moving pieces and separate prices, so using software that can also help you monitor costs as you move through the key phases of construction budgeting is essential. Furthermore, you should have access to building project management templates via your software platform.
11. Adopt Automatic Reporting Systems
No construction project manager has time to respond to hundreds of emails each day — or to pick up the phone and answer every inquiry about finances and progress. Aside from concentrating on comments and schedules, you can reduce additional contact by introducing automated reporting tools.
The weekly release of numerous spreadsheets and status reports as required for construction project management, and automated delivery systems will save substantial time throughout the build. This automation will ensure that the proper reports are delivered on time to the right people, leaving you to focus on other activities and communication.
FAQs
Why is it necessary to hold meetings in the construction industry?
On a construction site, construction meetings perform a variety of critical functions. These meetings not only allow parties to plan and organize forthcoming project operations, but also provide a platform for parties to discuss project changes and claims.
What exactly is a project administrator in the construction industry?
A construction project administrator is in charge of overseeing contracts and other administrative components of a construction project. Your responsibilities in this capacity include acquiring and filing the necessary municipal permits, gathering and organizing necessary documentation, and keeping the project schedule.