How To Deliver Construction Projects on Time
By: John Odeyemi
Tags: Construction, Construction Industry, Construction Company, Construction Management, Project Management

One challenge that is common in the construction industry is delay in delivery of projects, either residential or commercial. Though the factors responsible for this challenge vary from place to place, the major ones are:

· improper planning of cost, duration of projects;

· underestimation;

· lack of materials;

· lack of proper tools and equipment;

· bad design;

· absenteeism;

· supervision delay;

· repetitive work;

· physical site conditions; and

· safety concerns.

Construction workers working on a site

Construction projects are often complicated as they involve a lot of tasks and stakeholders. Most times, the more agents involved, the tougher it is for everyone to work towards achieving the main goal — delivering the project on time and within budget. This is because agents have different timeframe to deliver on their tasks depending on their specializations. This known factor, however, does not mean that a project should not be delivered on time. Adherence to the following tips will help ensure timely completion and delivery of the project as planned.

Set a Clear Expectation in the Contract.

The contract is a very important document in the construction process as it contains the project timeline, the budget, and defines extensively the project expectations. Other information found in a contract includes definition of roles and responsibilities based on the categories of the experts involved. Hence, your expectation should be clear to all the participants and the timeframe should be precise. Each participant should have a clear understanding of their responsibilities from the planning stage to closure. When everybody is fully aware of their responsibilities, they will act prompt and accordingly whenever bottlenecks arise. Also, if the contract is solid and void of ambiguity, your work will be much easier even in areas where delays or budget overruns arise.

Establish and Review your Schedule.

A schedule should be established by the project manager appointed at the beginning of the project, in collaboration with all members of the team. The schedule will include the timeframe needed to complete the project, the number of people required, who should be on the site, and the deliveries. The schedule should, however, be flexible and be reviewed on a regular basis. The project manager should work with the contractors and the subcontractors to identify and understand where the project is on the timeline set. This will help monitor the progress of the project on site and identify any potential delay and develop a plan to mitigate it.

Engage in Early and Regular Communication.

A construction project requires high level of team work. Once you have established a schedule with constant review, document the process and communicate early, regularly and effectively with everyone. This will keep them informed and aware of the completion rate of the project at each given time. Every team member should know the time certain building activities are occurring and the timeframe set for completion. If builders and contractors, for instance, are not aware of when and how some tasks are happening, this could cause a setback. Everyone should know each other’s plans and timelines so that they will keep the construction in order and moving.

Keep Updates Short and Precise.

As you review your schedule and document the updates, keep the information gathered from the field very short and precise. Then share it with your team in a very simple and clear manner. Be clear on what you need from everyone in order to boost efficiency.

Use the Right Technology.

Project managers have many technology and digital tools which can help them to deal with complex tasks often associated with construction projects. Hence, the project manager should choose and use specific technology and software products. Digital tools help all team members — site managers, superintendents, or construction workers to share updates with other members timely and without any stress.