Every construction project starts with planning. However, too often, the master schedule does not reflect reality. Project managers must bring the project plan to life through team collaboration and communication in a dynamic, real-time environment.
Each construction project is a small world where many stakeholders need to be in perfect alignment so that the value-adding tasks can continue and close according to each week’s commitments.
It will allow you to update the schedule directly from the website and eliminate the need to contact people by phone, email, or text message. It is the first step to ensuring your team contributes consistently to the schedule, regardless of whether you are on-site.
But that’s not all. All stakeholders should be able to work together on the same program to keep them aligned, make it easier to fulfil their commitments, and take responsibility for solving any obstacles that may arise.
It is how you can bring confidence back to your projects, protect the margins, and keep out commercial claims.
It would help if you had the right tools to connect your team to a live, shared program version. Project managers rely heavily on WhatsApp, Messenger, and text messages to share progress and update their teams.
These tools are designed for construction teams for the Interior fit-out company in London. They are therefore unable to link to specific tasks within the schedule. You’ll soon spend hours trying to understand the context and consequences of any updates you get for your jobs.
What did it result in? The result?
These are the 3 tips to help you place planning at the centre of your projects
One thing is sure, regardless of how large, expensive, or long-term a project may be. A strong culture of planning is the foundation for everything. Only then can the various stakeholders of the project stay aligned at all times so that the value-adding tasks can proceed and close according to the weekly commitments.
It will make the difference between a construction crew doing well and one doing exceptionally.
We have three secrets to help you plan your projects with the same proactive approach.
1. Your plan should be available to everyone
It would help if you considered your schedule the heartbeat of your project as a project manager. Your top responsibility is to maintain a steady pace for your project. It’s like running in a race. You must find the right balance between speed and slowness if you want to be successful.
You can make this happen in complex projects (hospitals and roadwork, apartment blocks, etc.) by consistently breaking down your program into manageable tasks that add value.
It will allow you to plan your next steps accurately, control your project better, and avoid delays. Any delay in your task planning will likely result in delays of several days.
Instead of planning for the whole project from the beginning, roll out lookahead programs that last 3-6 weeks and then link them to your master schedule. It will allow you to be more flexible in defining the following milestones and make aligning your teams much more accessible.
Here’s the problem. Project managers often find themselves lost in a sea filled with disconnected information because they use the wrong tools to link their schedules.
They still have their master plan on paper, detailed programs in MS Project, updates from WhatsApp and Messenger, outdated Excel reports, and documents they need to approve.
It’s challenging to keep track of all the applications you use. You need to transfer all project communications and data to the Cloud, just as you did with documents a decade ago.
You can connect your data and workflows if you create a centralized, live version of the program that you use to connect all your teams. These key components are crucial to building trust among your couples and enabling you to be more proactive in resolving or preventing unforeseen events.
2. You can get visibility and clarity about where your project is located
Imagine a group of blindfolded scientists going to see an elephant for the very first time. Because they have never touched an elephant before, they cannot tell what it is like. The problem is that scientists have their eyes closed and can only inspect an elephant in a particular place. They cannot exchange data or communicate their findings with others.
They soon start to disagree because each sees a different picture of an elephant. One inspects the tail and believes an elephant looks like a snake. The other touches the leg and thinks the elephant looks like a tree. And the third checks the ears and thinks it looks like a fan. They will not be able to find a reliable and accurate representation of the truth unless they have access to all the facts and stop working in silos.
It sounds familiar?
It feels like working on a construction schedule with no real-time collaborative environment. Project managers and site supervisors can’t align their teams with each other because the program is locked in Excel or MS Project. Nobody can be sure that the schedule they have is accurate. They get frustrated and send emails back and forth, trying to find out where they are. The site manager and the project foreman are trying to gather multiple documents and updates from various sources to update their plans. They are still unsure if the prioritized tasks add value or if the team’s promises about the closing activity are true.
It is essential to move your project information to the Cloud. It will allow you to connect all the dots and keep your team members on the same page.
It’s incorrect to think that tools such as Excel, WhatsApp, and MS Project can be used for this purpose. These tools are great, but they’re not designed for construction team communication.
- Move his plan to the Cloud (the same thing he did with his drawings).
- No more sending emails back and forth to validate the most recent version of a program.
- Excel and MS Project were not suitable for their purpose.
It was also easier for his team to work together on the same program and be fully aligned. It made it easier for them to keep their promises and take responsibility for solving any problems. Raul is now assured that his team is following the same schedule and has established reliable workflows.
3. Ensure that your team contributes to this schedule, regardless of whether you are present on-site or not
How often do your smartphones get checked during the day for messages, photos, or news? The average smartphone user checks their phone about once an hour. Why is there so much resistance to bringing smartphones onto the field for progress scheduling control and reporting?
Site visitors should be able to pick up their phones and send real-time updates to a shared cloud location. All stakeholders can respond, comment, or take action to avoid or overcome constraints.
When planning is discussed, connectivity in construction should be about this. It is about connecting the people and the site and combining both the physical and virtual. It will allow field updates, photos, and progress reporting to be connected in one location that is accessible to all parties. This central location will then share progress, flag problems, and quickly respond to bottlenecks.
It’s all about being able to see the site 24/7 without actually having to be there physically. It will allow you to stay in touch with your team and help deliver value-adding activities that ensure your project’s success.
Keep your teams focused on milestones!
You should now understand the steps you need to take to make your schedule come to life and protect your margins from repetitive projects.
You can use project planning to create the documentation you need to:
- Reduce costs, predict cash flow accurately, and track project costs proactively
- Automate workflows to save time and increase efficiency.
- To document the entire project, create an audit trail that can be easily shared with key stakeholders
- Transparency can be increased by keeping everyone informed and actively answering questions
- All your project and task plans should be centrally accessible and available to anyone who may need them
- You can take greater control by using repeatable processes and investing in tools to manage the work time of your crew members.
- Keep clients and stakeholders informed and on the same page.
- The calendar can encourage clear communication between project managers and crews, subcontractors, vendors, and all stakeholders.
- Add workers, inspectors, and subcontractors to the project. To join the project at the appropriate times
The first step in construction planning is to define all the processes, procedures, and policies you will need to implement to meet specific project needs. After the planned construction project, the schedule breaks down these high-level processes into more specific actions.
You must be able to quickly and easily access all project specifications, including communications and risks, and then integrate them into your workflow.
Planning helps to clarify the responsibilities of owners, builders, and tradespeople and leads to excellent communication and teamwork.
Planning construction helps ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. It also meets quality standards and provides safety protocols for your workers.