When managing construction, keeping track of the scope of work for multiple building projects simultaneously is a norm. A construction project consists of a million moving parts, from managing inventory, clients, subcontractors, and budgeting to sending purchase orders and receiving deliveries. One can easily get lost in all the tasks that need to be done.
Things can quickly get out of hand and get delayed if not managed properly and without warning, pushing back schedules and costing more money. Suppose people do not communicate and fail to keep track of important details. In that case, small roadblocks can quickly escalate into big problems that significantly affect the project’s budget and timeline. It could result in dead days on the plan, insufficient workers on an important day, or bills that do not match the new scope of work.
So, how do you deal with everything?
It would help to list and clearly define your construction project’s scope of work. This way, you can focus on what needs to be done and not get distracted by all the unnecessary details. This article lists everything you need to know about a construction scope of work and how to handle it.
What Is A Project’s Scope Of Work?
In construction, a project’s scope of work is a document explaining everything about a job. It usually lists the tasks, duties, due dates, and deliverables needed to finish the job. In a nutshell, it lists the responsibilities and tasks of each contractor, subcontractor, and supplier.
It is also a written contract between you and your client that says everything will be done well, on time, and within budget. The paper should include everything, be clear, and read easily.
Elements of A Construction Project’s Scope of Work
As mentioned earlier, the scope of work must clearly describe all the jobs, limits, and responsibilities you must do to achieve the desired results. The document states the contract’s goals and the project’s needs. In this section, let us look at the key elements of a project’s scope of work.
Project Overview
The project overview is a short statement that outlines the project, focuses on the main goals, and briefly describes the project’s location and schedule.
Project Goals
In the project outline, all of the project’s goals are listed. You can find all the measurable data, completion, budget, and technical specs here.
Project Deliverables
In this section, you should list all your project deliverables to ensure nothing is left out. It could be specific hardware, layout, or finishes.
Project Plans
The project plan should show when all the work should be done. This will show the delivery dates, the activities and tasks, and how long it will take to finish the job.
Project Management
All of the work that the project management team will do should be part of the scope of work on project management. This includes information about how to pay, what the law says, and any change orders.
Why Is It Critical To Clearly Define A Construction Project’s Scope of Work
For a construction project to go well, the scope of work must be managed well. Without efficient project management, it can quickly get out of hand, causing price and time overruns, bad work, and project failure.
By clearly defining the scope of work, the client, contractor, and crew can keep track of the job and make sure everyone is working toward the same goal. Everyone is held accountable and takes ownership of the task assigned to them. It sets clear standards and responsibilities for everyone involved. It can also be a reference point in case of conflict or misunderstanding.
There is less room for opinion when you are clear about what you want. This helps your construction team finish your job how you want them to. If you do this, your project will be helped by:
Reducing The Risk of Mistakes and Redoing Them
If you are clear about your standards and tolerances regarding each activity or task, then the less likely your worker will have to fix work already done. Redoing mistakes that could have been avoided in the first place can save time and money.
Ensuring Required Materials and Tools Are Available When Needed
One of the best ways for a contractor to finish your job on time, especially in the current state of the supply chain, is to plan. If they know what needs to be done, they can plan and schedule deliveries so that important parts come on time. If not, things that take a long time to make could slow down important work.
Getting the Right People in Place
Having the right people on-site at the right time is important to keep the job on track. With a clear area of work, this gets easier to do. Since some subcontractors and trade partners are often booked months in advance, it might be hard to get the people the project needs if no planning is done ahead of time. Using subcontractor scheduling software is helpful when planning and booking tasks and jobs.
Writing A Construction Project’s Scope
As mentioned earlier, the first step in managing your project’s scope of work is to write it down with everyone working on it. Writing a scope of work may sound easy, but someone must sit down and think about each step of the job. The more details a statement of work has, the more likely the project will go well. A good scope of work will help lower change orders, avoid delays, and stop payment disputes. At this stage, everyone should sit down and agree on the tasks that need to be done, the products that need to be made, timelines, budgets, and who is in charge of each task.
Use Simple Words
Using simple words when drafting your scope of work is critical, as not everyone may be well-versed in complicated construction terms. If you cannot explain a word or phrase in plain English, you should put a definition. So, everyone can look up what it means, and everything will be fine in the future because everything is written down.
Utilize A Work Breakdown Structure
When writing your scope of work, list all the jobs for your project so nothing is missed. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool for managing projects that lets you break down projects and work packages into smaller jobs so you can plan and schedule them better.
List Down Your Project Goals
Your project goals should be big, but they should also be doable. So, when writing a scope of work, these goals should be written in a way that makes them easy to come back to while still being specific enough to give the information needed for performance. It would help to list how much time and materials are needed for each job. This way, contractors and subcontractors will know what they need and how long to do it.
Determine your Project Deliverables
A project product can be seen or touched. They are an important part of a work plan because they show what the project will accomplish.
Set up acceptance conditions for the deliverables of your project: Deliverables from a project must meet the acceptance criteria set by the project client, such as quality standards or guidelines for how well they work.
Set Up Ways to Monitor and Report Project Progress
Everyone in the project team should be kept in the loop, so your scope of work document should have a piece explaining how reporting will happen. For example, you can utilize construction scheduling software to generate reports on how the project is doing. It is also a great tool for team members to access updated information with just a few simple clicks, whether in the office or the field.
Add Visuals Tools
Visuals are a great way to show how things will look at each building process step. Diagrams and plans will also help the people doing the work because they can see how everything should look as it is being done. It is a great way to make sure that any words that are not clear are made clear. Plans or models can help clarify any confusion and show how the project progresses.
Get Workers To Sign Off on Their Tasks
This is a very easy way to avoid disagreements. Have each worker sign off on a copy of the scope of work to show that they have received, read, and understood their duties. Not just at the beginning of the project but also every time a milestone or individual goal is met, have them sign off.
This ensures that their part of the work is listed correctly and keeps them from saying something different later. You can utilize efficient construction crew management software to automate these documents.
Promote Communication and Transparency
Building disputes can be avoided with good communication and openness, starting with a clear list of what needs to be done. When both sides know what is expected of them, most other things fall into place. Also, going back to the scope of work keeps everyone on track, which helps the build get done on time and within budget.
