Out-of-control construction project costs are frequently the result of a failure to complete the project on time.
It is important to keep to your schedule if you want to stay inside your budget. But how is this even conceivable with so many moving components and inescapable surprises along the way?
Here are six strategies to help you comprehend how the top contractors in the industry keep projects on schedule and optimise earnings while doing so, whether you’re a contractor working on an important project, a significant developer, or a real estate investor.
1. Minimize construction delays and blockers
Project delays and blockers are the two sorts of issues that prohibit projects from being completed on schedule. Project managers with experience can recognise each category and deal with it. When things don’t go as expected, there is a construction delay, and as construction is frequently sequential, this is frequently unavoidable.
For instance, it might rain during a two-day timeframe when you had planned to pour concrete. The job now needs to be delayed by two days, and the contractors need to reschedule.
Moreover, delays can occur when a subcontractor is late, work takes longer than anticipated, or when material supplies are delayed.
Blockers differ from delays in that they are jobs that must be finished before additional tasks can be started. For instance, you might have arranged for a mason to erect your building’s bricks, but this cannot be done until the foundation has been laid.
If you want to stay on schedule, careful preparation is essential. To prevent delays, blockers must be identified well in advance of the project.
2. Improve your management methods
The failure of a project can also be largely attributed to ineffective management. Managers are in charge of putting together a project plan with all the necessary components and completing the project by the deadline.
A construction manager is responsible for allocating roles and responsibilities within a project and organising the delivery of goods and workers to the job site so that work can be completed on schedule. A skilled construction manager can juggle many elements of a thorough project plan while attempting to reduce delays and tenaciously remove obstacles that might impede progress.
Time, money, and resources are lost when projects are poorly managed, forcing workers to wait around for tools and work crews’ schedules to clash when work teams are not present at the appropriate time; or when supplies and equipment are hastily kept, necessitating their repeated movement.
This is why it’s so important to ensure your management methods accommodate your type of construction project.
3. Plan, Plan, Plan
Having a thorough project plan to work from is crucial for keeping your project on schedule. An excellent project plan that is simple to update as the project progresses gives managers a bird’s-eye view of the project, allowing them to identify possible obstacles and find solutions before they cause expensive delays.
Many builders begin jobs of all sizes without a defined schedule, completed drawings, or prior contact with important subcontractors. That is a serious error. Your project plan should be thorough; it should contain all the information necessary to finish the project while taking into account factors that could delay the execution process.
A successful strategy also includes backup plans for unanticipated events, which establishes clear standards for how your company should handle delays. To simplify project planning, you can use software services like eSUB or a variety of other well-liked construction project management software solutions.
4. Assign clear roles and responsibilities
Many employees, contractors, subcontractors, supervisors, and other individuals are directly involved in commercial building projects. Any inability to clearly define each party’s roles within the project can lead to the neglect of important duties and cause severe project delays.
By defining roles and responsibilities that are obvious to everyone involved, you can keep people accountable. Remember to concentrate not only on what has to be done but also on who will be responsible for accomplishing it and by when when creating an efficient project plan and timetable.
Before starting, get everyone’s support to guarantee that the project plan is followed. You can accomplish this by gathering all the important participants in one place before the project to discuss the concept. Constantly ask for comments because team members won’t buy into a project if they don’t feel heard.
5. Schedule contractors far in advance
Sometimes it can take up to a year only to get the architect’s designs approved if you have a development and want to build a house on it. Collab Management eliminates the legwork. We have premium concepts that have already been accepted before we arrive. We could begin building right away if a customer wishes to buy a design as-is.
Contractors, designers, and architects all have waiting periods on their calendars just to schedule the initial meeting.
Determine what contractors you’ll need far in advance, and begin gathering quotations as soon as you can to make sure you won’t experience delays due to being unable to hire contractors quickly enough. You should book appointments at least a month in advance because it can take that long to get on a designer or architect’s schedule.
Next, you’ll need to order the goods for around a month. Planning and bidding may also take a few months. So, you will need at least three months’ notice to begin planning your contractors, preferably longer.
6. Establish clear communication between parties
Due to inadequate communication, little issues might develop into significant delays.
It is essential that stakeholders are approachable for consultation and that contractors have a direct route to the project management team in case an unforeseen difficulty arises on the job site. The issue must be swiftly identified, evaluated, and communicated to all important stakeholders in order to bring everyone together and find a solution as soon as feasible.
Communicating early and frequently is just as critical as adhering to a rigorous deadline, much like it is to plan the budget early. Everyone participating in the project has to be aware of when specific construction activities are taking place and when they are expected to be finished.
Delivering real-time updates from the job site to all important stakeholders has never been simpler than it is now thanks to construction project management software. The quickest resolutions, in the form of instructions for how work can go, are produced by this method since it immediately pulls everyone onto the same page.
How do you keep your construction projects running on time?
Planning ahead and paying close attention to detail are necessary to avoid delays in building projects. You are always better off planning and preparing for every eventuality, but there are always going to be situations that are out of your control. Try your best to be well-informed, keep your expectations in check, and never be reluctant to solicit assistance when needed.