How to Effectively Run Construction Management Projects
Construction projects often involve many moving parts, from the initial planning stage to completing the final project deliverables. Being highly organized can help you keep projects on track and meet their delivery goals.
Maintaining a clear line of communication is crucial for construction management. This helps you avoid dragging
people above you into issues that fall under their jurisdiction and minimize the risk of repeated mistakes.
Defining Roles and Responsibilities
Construction management projects are never without hiccups that can derail timelines or cause disputes. It is
essential for project managers to have the ability to remain calm and communicate effectively with clients,
vendors, subcontractors and safety inspectors throughout the process.
In addition, construction projects require a high degree of collaboration. It is important that methods of communication for specific tasks are established early on and agreed upon by all parties. This will eliminate misunderstandings and help ensure all project information is documented, tracked and accessible at any time.
It is also vital that a project manager understands how to track costs, schedules and deliverables effectively. This requires the ability to compare actual progress with projected performance, monitor costs and make adjustments to meet budgets. It also includes being able to identify potential issues and address them before they become major problems. This can be done through effective planning, scheduling and monitoring tools such as those found in PlanRadar.
Developing a Schedule
You wouldn’t try baking a cake without following a recipe or driving to an unfamiliar location without referring to the map. Similarly, construction management projects need a schedule to guide their progression.
Developing a schedule requires an in-depth understanding of the project’s scope. This is accomplished by studying the contract documents and comparing them to the project drawings. The closer the drawings track with the contract documents, the clearer the scope is defined. It also involves gathering information from the subcontractors, vendors, shop work providers, and engineers to determine their requirements.
After identifying all tasks, it’s important to assign them and set their durations. This allows managers to reconcile the scope of a project with its budget. Additionally, it helps ensure that all materials are available when needed. It’s important to maintain some wiggle room to accommodate timeline fluctuations, especially due to weather conditions.
Creating a Punch List
As a project progresses, it is critical that construction teams prioritize the development and management of a punch list. This checklist outlines work that needs to be completed before project closeout and helps ensure that specifications and quality standards are met throughout the project.
The project owner performs a pre-inspection and checks for anything that is incomplete or finished incorrectly. They then hand off the punch list to the general contractor, who examines the details and creates their own list for subcontractors to address.
To make it easier for everyone involved, each task on a punch list should be clearly identified with relevant information such as the issue type and who will tackle it. For example, a high priority item may be to touch up paint or replace damaged fixtures. The ability to label and assign items to specific team members also eliminates the need for follow-up calls or meetings to clarify points of confusion.
Final Walkthrough
A final walkthrough with the homeowner is performed after the project manager has verified that all of the construction work on the house is complete. This includes inspections of exterior walls, lanai areas and each interior room. Any problems that need to be addressed are noted on a punch list and can then be repaired by the subcontractors.
During the planning phase, it is important to establish a clear communication plan and set project standards. A standardized approach to documenting the construction process will help mitigate many issues and reduce the time needed to resolve them.
It is also essential to closely monitor construction costs and ensure that projects stay on budget and are ready for their estimated completion dates. Consider using software that allows all vendors to input expenses and changes so financial disputes can be eliminated. Read more.
