Managing a construction business has never been easier, thanks to all the essential construction trackers available in the market today like Pro Crew Schedule. With such simple construction project management softwares used correctly, any firm can boost its efficiency and productivity, hence delivering higher-quality projects. But apart from the use of these essential construction trackers, there is what we call best practices in construction management and we’re going to discuss some of them today.
We often hear the same chief complaints from frustrated contractors and subcontractors – their project is over-budget and behind schedule. Good construction management is what’s needed by firms to prevent these two major problems. And thanks to the availability of reliable construction project management softwares, construction firms are having a simpler time at handling projects, no matter what size.
Importance of Project Management in Construction
Like we mentioned in a previous blog, proper construction management is necessary for your firm to keep the processes organized, monitor the crew member’s productivity, make sure that issues are resolved immediately, and see to it that activities are done within the budget and schedule.
Indeed, the importance of good management in construction cannot be underestimated, especially when it comes to renovation and deep retrofit projects.
Project Management can be defined as ‘The discipline of initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific criteria’.
Building projects can be quite stressful and challenging – even for seasoned project management professionals. There are multiple factors to consider in any retrofit or renovation. From finding the best quote and dealing with numerous suppliers and contractors, to making important decisions -a project manager is an essential link that will ensure the smooth running of your building project. Efficient project management will ensure that the client receives a finished product that meets their expectations.
Successful project management in construction requires a wide range of qualities and skills. Not only do projects need to be finished on time and within budget, but they also need to adhere to specific building regulations. Strong communication skills are vital, as is the ability to make decisions, problem solve and resolve conflicts. Time management, cost control, knowledge of health and safety on-site, and experience of the building process – these are all valuable and necessary prerequisites in a manager.
With all of these to handle, every single day may seem so hectic for a project manager. This is why project managers’ software was made.
Project managers’ software are used by successful construction firms today s this tool serves as an invaluable asset in improving construction management. It doesn’t only serve as a better communication channel but also a shared space where reports can be exchanged in real-time. This makes it easier for both the project manager and the contractor to identify problematic points in their plans or their crew members, allowing them to quickly attend to important concerns.
Construction Management Best Practices
As we mentioned earlier, managing construction projects requires a technical skill set that is typically used in conjunction with a set of software tools that help things run more efficiently. Open lines of communication and collaborative partnerships early on and often are keys to ensuring the development is delivered on time. Within these keys, there are exceptional practices for proper Construction Project Management, which we summarized below.
Define the scope and objectives
The task manager needs to outline the scope of the project. Information on the stakeholders is also essential if you are going to enlist their guide and apprehend what all and sundry expects to be introduced from the project. Once you have defined the scope and targets, you may want to get the stakeholders to study them and comply with them as well as agreeing who needs to be on the list of stakeholders.
Define the deliverables
To obtain the desired outcome from the project, you have to outline what things or products are to be added by the end of the task. So, you need to determine what tangible things are to be introduced and record sufficient information on what these things are. An individual will end up doing the work to produce the product, so it needs to be genuinely and unambiguously described.
Once you have described the deliverables, you may need to have the essential thing stakeholders to assess the work and get them to agree that this appropriately and unambiguously reflects what they count on to be added from the project.
Project making plans
This is the time when you define your intention to achieve the desired outcome of the task embodied in the project and definition of deliverables. You can use strategies along with Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) that will help you to gain this. You will need to estimate the time and effort required to complete each interest, dependencies among associated project activities and determine on a sensible calendar to achieve the desired project goal.
Communication
Even the high-quality made project plans are likely to fail and one of the biggest factors that contribute to this failure is a lack of communication. When the communication between the project manager and the crew members is cut, the tendency is that misconceptions and inconsistencies arise. When there are changes in the plans, they should be communicated immediately to avoid redoing work, which can be costly. When accidents happen, they should be reported immediately so that the victim can be treated immediately and no one else will be placed at risk, which can be the reason for delays. And so on.
Everyone on the team needs to recognize precisely what is anticipated of them, what their responsibilities are, and what they may be chargeable for. With software construction management in your firm, better and fast communication can be ensured and all these issues can be resolved.
Tracking and reporting venture development
Once your project is underway and you have an agreed plan, you will want to continuously monitor the real growth of the project in line with the planned development. To do this, you will want to get reports of the event from the project team individuals who are doing the work. You will want to document any differences between the real and planned cost, schedule and scope. You want to report any differences between your manager and key stakeholders and take corrective moves if variations are too high.
Change control
All tasks vary in some way. Often, a key stakeholder within the center of a project will alternate their minds to what the task desires to supply. On initiatives of longer duration, the business surroundings have regularly changed since the beginning of the project, so assumptions made at the beginning of the project might also no longer be valid. This often occurs within the scope or deliverables of the project desiring to be modified.
By coping with changes, the project manager can make decisions about whether to contain the changes in the future or to reject them. This increases the chances of project achievement because the project supervisor controls how the adjustments are incorporated, can allocate resources and may plan when the modifications are made.
Risk management
Risks are any events that may adversely affect the successful outcome of the project. Risks taken is different for every project however it is vital to perceive the primary dangers to a task as quickly as viable and to devise the moves necessary to avoid the risk, or, if the risk cannot be averted, to at least mitigate the threat in order to lessen its effect if it does arise. This is what is known as risk management.
Not managing risk effectively is also frequently cited as a major reason why projects fail.
Stay Up to Speed With Technology
Technology can help the construction and project management teams stay up to speed and connected with one another. Most construction firms today already utilize software construction management as a central repository for everything from land purchase agreements, due diligence documents, construction drawings, punch lists, and so on. This allows access for all stakeholders regardless if they are based in their home office, remote offices, or field offices that are accessible via laptop or mobile devices.
Conclusion
These exceptional practices are the principal things that project managers should try to do. They are relevant to all projects large or small. Project control isn’t always rocket science. Applying good practices and leveraging essential construction trackers to your project cannot assure that your project comes in under finances, on time and exceeds all the expectations of the stakeholders, but making use of them will provide you with a better risk of turning in your project effectively if you apply these rules correctly.
