Disorganised construction sites are dangerous construction sites. The best builders are those who produce quality work while also maintaining premier management standards. These builders lean on technology and communication strategies to ensure projects are delivered on budget and on time, every time.
Below we outline the management strategies of master builders in further detail, explaining how you can incorporate these techniques to boost your productivity and efficiency on site.
Communication in Project Management
In almost all jobs in the construction industry, there’s a big margin for error. Mistakes are highly costly and bad for your business’ reputation, so it’s crucial to avoid them where possible. For this, communication becomes your best defence.
Every single employee, contractor and stakeholder should have a detailed outline of what you’re tasked with, and be aware of their responsibilities before a project begins. This ensures that everyone remains on the same page and understands their role, creating a more positive team and a more productive site.
Clients often report that they are kept in the dark about what happens on site, and this can lead to dissatisfaction with the project and your company. But it’s easy to circumvent this problem by keeping them informed and regularly visiting on-site. The best project managers instil confidence in their team and the client, who will ideally take a back seat to allow you to focus on the project at hand.
Plan for Risk
There are a number of things that can go wrong on-site. Master builders know them all, prepare for the worst-case and plan accordingly.
Having an Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) is an excellent tool in safeguarding your projects. Essentially, it’s a document which outlines what, when and how inspections must take place on-site. This means that your inspectors can ensure quality control is always upheld because jobs don’t progress until they are ready, saving you the cost and trouble of having to start over again in the case of mistakes.
Creating a risk response team is also highly beneficial to any project. Your risk response team is the first line of defence should anything go amiss. They’ll always be looking for problems and working to solve them as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Ask for Feedback
The best builders are always learning. They accept that they only know a limited amount and that they can learn more from seeking advice and asking questions. This can mean a variety of things from asking builders on-site about their thoughts on the project, to networking at industry events.
And remember, even if you think you’ve got everything pretty well managed, you can always improve your processes. Consider implementing a fairly regular feedback program and try to incorporate as many of the good ideas as possible. This will give your team faith in you as well as improving on-site morale.
Clients should not be forgotten in this scenario. Ask them how they feel about your work, your service and your team, using these insights to improve. This can be the difference between you and your competitors.
Master builders aren’t just masters of their trades, they’re masters of people and project management. Look to incorporate as many of these best practices as possible and you’ll enjoy boosted productivity and efficiency on-site, as well as build your reputation among peers and competitors.
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