Managing a construction project step by step

Managing a construction project regardless of size, is a very complex undertaking. The construction project manager has to ensure the project runs on time and on budget while ensuring all other tasks are completed in accordance to the schedule. Then there are compliance, health, safety and legal issues plus many challenges along the way to achieving a successful outcome for the stakeholders.

It is easy to see why every construction project requires detailed planning. A well-planned project maximizes efficiency and provides a step-by-step guide to achieving the desired end goals.  

Here are some essential steps in managing a construction project.

Know your limits

Before taking on a project, a project manager must determine the project’s feasibility against the resources, budget and timelines available. It is their responsibility to take into account project costs, human resources and the materials required across the life of the project to assess whether the project goals are possible to achieve. This review should then be shared and discussed with all stakeholders.

 Project Design and Documentation phase

 1.Work smarter, not harder

Design is a crucial part of a construction project. Make sure those designing the building document all aspects of the plans in detail, so you can incorporate into the project management system.

2.Learn to successfully delegate

The key to successfully managing a construction project is the ability to delegate tasks. Delegate everything you can to those responsible on site. There is no need for you to do it all when you have capable people around you. Spend as little time as possible on things you do not need to deal with at all and review via your project plan.

Before starting construction

 3.Be a control freak

A project manager needs to be in complete control of their team. Make sure your key staff keep you updated regularly on the tasks delegated to them both in person and via your project management software. You also need a plan and a schedule of works to achieve the project’s end goals. A project manager needs to be a control freak.

4.Have a detailed project plan

A project manager must produce a detailed plan. The more complex the project the more detailed the plan needs to be. Good planning maximizes efficiency and provides a step-by-step plan to follow to complete the project. This should include:

• setting up a budget
• define goals
• determining logical task dependencies
• creating a schedule
• coordinate materials
• develop deliverables
• allocate human resources
• establish project timelines
• putting communications protocols in place.

You also need to work out how much equipment the project will need from start to completion as well as the labour requirements. Consider the use of subcontractors as well as the scheduling of materials and their delivery on site on time. Other things a project manager needs to consider is risk management and having a safety plan.

Having a detailed plan will help mitigate issues when a project threatens to go off track.

5.Make use of technology

Hopefully, you are not someone who has not yet transitioned into the world of technology. If you are still using spreadsheets to track a project, then there is a better way. Construction project management software can help you with the complex, time-consuming tasks involved with running a construction project. A good project management solution automatically tracks and stores documents, and assists with planning and scheduling each phase of a project.

 During construction

 6.Monitor and amend your plan

Project management is a continual process from start to end. When construction starts, a project manager will continually compare optimal to actual performance during each phase of the project. This allows for monitoring and amending the plan immediately to keep the project on track.

7.Prepare for the unexpected

Everything to do with construction is unpredictable. From sourcing materials and skilled workers to the weather, natural disasters and delivery delays, construction management can be a constant challenge.

By preparing for the unexpected in the budget and schedule, it reduces stress and keeps project stakeholders satisfied.

8.Use your employee’s strengths

Do not make the mistake of using your people wherever they fit in according to their availability. It is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your workers when scheduling resources to tasks. This will keep your workers happy and productivity will be high.

9.Establishing effective communication

Effective communication is crucial for the success of any construction project. Set up communication strategies right from the start. Poor communication can lead to mistakes and misunderstandings that cause costly delays.

Make sure everyone knows who the appropriate point of contact is to ensure information is shared to the team. Things like requests for information and change requests need to follow an established process for a documented outcome.

Communication is vital to the how a construction project runs. Make sure the team is aware that communication and collaboration are necessary for a successful outcome.

When the construction project is complete

 10.Hold a final meeting

Hold a final meeting with members of your construction team when it is all over. Have a discussion about how the project went. Look at not just what went right, but what went wrong and how this can be avoided or addressed in the future. Encourage team members to have input into improving organizational processes and procedures. This will help their continual improvement and learning.

Managing a construction project is not easy. It can keep many project managers awake at night. You can have success when you follow best industry practices and use project management software on every project.

Original article here.

Know your limits

Before taking on a project, a project manager must determine the project’s feasibility against the resources, budget and timelines available. It is their responsibility to take into account project costs, human resources and the materials required across the life of the project to assess whether the project goals are possible to achieve. This review should then be shared and discussed with all stakeholders.

 

Project Design and Documentation phase

 

1.Work smarter, not harder

Design is a crucial part of a construction project. Make sure those designing the building document all aspects of the plans in detail, so you can incorporate into the project management system.

2.Learn to successfully delegate

The key to successfully managing a construction project is the ability to delegate tasks. Delegate everything you can to those responsible on site. There is no need for you to do it all when you have capable people around you. Spend as little time as possible on things you do not need to deal with at all and review via your project plan.

Before starting construction

 

3.Be a control freak

A project manager needs to be in complete control of their team. Make sure your key staff keep you updated regularly on the tasks delegated to them both in person and via your project management software. You also need a plan and a schedule of works to achieve the project’s end goals. A project manager needs to be a control freak.

4.Have a detailed project plan

A project manager must produce a detailed plan. The more complex the project the more detailed the plan needs to be. Good planning maximizes efficiency and provides a step-by-step plan to follow to complete the project. This should include:

• setting up a budget
• define goals
• determining logical task dependencies
• creating a schedule
• coordinate materials
• develop deliverables
• allocate human resources
• establish project timelines
• putting communications protocols in place.

You also need to work out how much equipment the project will need from start to completion as well as the labour requirements. Consider the use of subcontractors as well as the scheduling of materials and their delivery on site on time. Other things a project manager needs to consider is risk management and having a safety plan.

Having a detailed plan will help mitigate issues when a project threatens to go off track.

5.Make use of technology

Hopefully, you are not someone who has not yet transitioned into the world of technology. If you are still using spreadsheets to track a project, then there is a better way. Construction project management software can help you with the complex, time-consuming tasks involved with running a construction project. A good project management solution automatically tracks and stores documents, and assists with planning and scheduling each phase of a project.

 During construction

 

6.Monitor and amend your plan

Project management is a continual process from start to end. When construction starts, a project manager will continually compare optimal to actual performance during each phase of the project. This allows for monitoring and amending the plan immediately to keep the project on track.

7.Prepare for the unexpected

Everything to do with construction is unpredictable. From sourcing materials and skilled workers to the weather, natural disasters and delivery delays, construction management can be a constant challenge.

By preparing for the unexpected in the budget and schedule, it reduces stress and keeps project stakeholders satisfied.

8.Use your employee’s strengths

Do not make the mistake of using your people wherever they fit in according to their availability. It is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your workers when scheduling resources to tasks. This will keep your workers happy and productivity will be high.

9.Establishing effective communication

Effective communication is crucial for the success of any construction project. Set up communication strategies right from the start. Poor communication can lead to mistakes and misunderstandings that cause costly delays.

Make sure everyone knows who the appropriate point of contact is to ensure information is shared to the team. Things like requests for information and change requests need to follow an established process for a documented outcome.

Communication is vital to the how a construction project runs. Make sure the team is aware that communication and collaboration are necessary for a successful outcome.

When the construction project is complete

 

10.Hold a final meeting

Hold a final meeting with members of your construction team when it is all over. Have a discussion about how the project went. Look at not just what went right, but what went wrong and how this can be avoided or addressed in the future. Encourage team members to have input into improving organizational processes and procedures. This will help their continual improvement and learning.

Managing a construction project is not easy. It can keep many project managers awake at night. You can have success when you follow best industry practices and use project management software on every project.

Republished courtesy of RaptorPM.
Managing a construction project step by step | Construction Project Management Software - Raptorpm

Free Risk Assessment Template for Construction

Free Risk Assessment Template for Construction

Download
our Free Construction Risk Assessment Template as we understand that
managing risk is critical to every part of construction project.
Assessing all the various risk categories can be a daunting prospect if a
project manager does not have access to a library of templates and
software to help them manage the process.

Every
single construction project has risks that cannot be completely
removed. Understanding and documenting historically identified risks can
help to mitigate and prevent them from impacting on future projects.
Creating a database of risks with templates can then be re-purposed for a
new construction project.

 

Understanding your risks

Completing
a free construction risk assessment template gives you a clear picture
of the things that can cause project delays. A risk assessment template
is a tool to help identify risks, the probability of occurrence and
impact on the project.

By
identifying risks early, you can be proactive in taking steps to avoid
or prevent them. Record the following on the risk assessment template
when you identify:

1. where each risk occurs
2. type of risk, and who or what it impacts
3. the probability of it occurring and the impact intensity
4. preventive measures to reduce or remove the impact intensity and probability of occurrence.

Risk assessment forms

To
understand how to fill out a free construction risk assessment template
(see Table 1), here is a guide to filling out the details in a risk
assessment form:

1. Problem Area or Task. During this phase, identify all the problem areas or tasks where there are possible risks.
2. Identified Risk. This where you record each identified risk against each problem area or task.
3. Description. Add a short description of the risk and the damage it will cause if realized.
4. Probability
   of Occurring. Risk probability assessment examines the likelihood of
   each specific risk occurring. Rate risk probabilities and impacts
   according to predetermined definitions. Display them in a probability
   and impact matrix (see Table 2). What constitutes a high and low risk is
   usually an area determined by your organization:
   1. High. High means there is a 70 to 100 percent of the risk occurring.
   2. Moderate. Moderate means the risk has a 30 to 70 percent chance of occurring.
   3. Low. Use Low for risks that have less than a 30 percent of occurring.
5. Impact
   Intensity. Risk impact assessment examines the potential impact that a
   risk can have on project objectives. For example, cost, schedule,
   performance or quality. It includes assessment of positive and negative
   risks (eg. opportunities and threats).
6. Risk
   Priority Level. Assign a risk priority level based on the probability
   of occurrence using a scale of 1 to 5. Number 1 means high priority and 5
   the lowest.
7. Existing Measures. Consider what policies and procedures are already in place that prevent or reduce the impact of each risk.
8. Mitigation
   Strategy. Once the analysis of all risks is complete, the team needs to
   decide on mitigation strategies to deal with each risk.
9. Additional Measures. Only fill this out when a mitigation strategy has been determined to control each risk. 
10. Contingency
    Plan. Create a contingency plan for high impact risks with a high
    probability of occurring. This is a back-up plan if mitigation
    strategies fail. Mitigation strategies include:
    1. Deflection. Deflection is when a risk is transferred to a third party to manage.
    2. Control. To control a risk, devise a plan to prevent or minimise the risk.
    3. Avoidance.
       Use avoidance when there is little or no threat if the risk occurs.
       This is a strategy that ignores the risk and accepts the consequences if
       the risk is realised.

Using
a free construction risk assessment template helps to identify and
record risks. It helps your team to plan strategies to deal with risks
in advance should the need arise.

Do you want free access to create risk assessment templates
for construction projects to save you time and money? We’ve created one
at Raptor PM and it's free and secure. You can save, review and edit
your completed risk assessment(s) at any time. Try out the Raptor PM free risk assessment template now.

Table 1 Free Construction Risk Assessment Template

Table 2 Probability an Impact Matrix

How to Avoid Construction Risks

How to Avoid Construction Risks 

The complexity of construction projects means there are construction risks
to everyone onsite. Under legislation, employers are duty bound to
ensure the work site is safe for everyone. Legislation, codes and
regulations provide a framework for employers to follow to avoid
construction risks on the work site.

Regardless of how carefully you manage construction risks you cannot completely
avoid them. There will always be unknown factors that impact the
construction process at any time in the project. It is important to
identify the different types of risks and categorize them before the
project starts. This will minimize any losses and help keep everyone
safe.Construction risks fall broadly into the following five categories.

 Design risks

Design risks are anything that can stop you from completing a building on schedule. These can include:

• incomplete designs
• incomplete surveys
• designs that do not meet standards
• an incomplete analysis of the work site for hazardous waste
• inaccurate assumptions made about technical issues during planning.

Design construction risks can occur when there are changes in the project
scope or requirements, or when there are errors or omissions in the
design.

 

Environmental risks

Often people forget to factor in the environmental risks when working in
unfamiliar geographical areas. It is essential to become familiar with
the area’s weather patterns when working in different regions. By
preparing for potential environmental risks you can better manage
construction risks. It helps avoid possible losses and delays in the
project. Environmental risks can include:

• local weather (snow, severe storms)
• natural disasters
• flood plains and flood ways
• causing unanticipated barriers to wildlife
• noise impacts.

Human resource risks

The
most common project management risk is the uncertain productivity
levels of your workers. Before starting a new project, define the roles
and responsibilities of the staff you need to ensure you have the right
skills to complete the project. A lack of skilled workers can cause
major losses and delays on any project. Human resource risks to consider
include:

• losing crucial workers at critical points in a project
• contractors walking off the job
• it takes longer to hire the right resources than expected
• conflicts between workers on the work site, which can lead to mistakes and poor communication
• being unable to source the people with the critical skills required
• inexperienced workers
• contractors who do not meet delivery timelines.

Project management risks

A project manager faces many variable risks on a construction site. By
carrying out risk identification you can avoid or minimize these right
from the start. Project management construction risks can include:

• having little authority to influence resourcing and decision-making
• the same resources required in different places at the same time
• timelines driven by external factors rather than listening to estimations from the project team
• changing priorities on the construction site
• poorly defined milestones that do not accurately measure the successful completion of each phase.

 

Stakeholder risks

Stakeholders can slow down the construction process so it is important to identify
the construction risks so you can avoid or manage them. These risks can
include:

• taking too long to review or make decisions
• changes in the requirements
• poor communication
• insufficient funds
• unrealistic expectations
• making decisions that impact the schedule timeline.

Manage construction risks

Managing construction risks involves identifying, assessing and prioritising
risks. By analysing, monitoring and controlling these you can minimise
or remove them completely.

Identifying risks on a construction project is critical to its success. The earlier
you identify construction risks, the sooner you can plan to mitigate
the effects. Useconstruction management software to help manage construction risks.

Identifying
risks is an iterative process and it is best to involve everyone right
from the start. Comprehensive risk identification helps keep everyone
safe on construction sites and assists in producing good results.

construction risk

construction risk management

construction risk assessment

construction projects

Software that will improve Construction Safety

Software that will improve Construction Safety

The construction industry is in a constantly changing. With new rules, regulations, risks and safety standards, it can be a tough task to keep up with the changes to comply with all the various regulations. Agile organizations that embrace change and use software for construction safety are finding they have a competitive edge.

If your business is still to lagging in using construction safety software, it is not too late to start. Improve construction safety with checklists and risk assessments. The reality is that software can help
you manage quality and safety processes with more efficiency and accuracy, delivering a return on investment via lower costs and claims. Before you choose software, consider what features you need or your
business.

 Integration with your current software

Everyone
uses different software tools for project management. Look for software that integrates or replaces your current software. Construction safety should be an integral part of project management. Using software helps
to provide transparency about how construction projects are progressing. It helps you identify and take action to avert potential problems before they occur. This saves money and time.

 Tracks workplace incidents

The construction industry has a high level of workplace injury. It can be a dangerous place to work. This means there is always an accident waiting to happen as workers go about their work on a job if everyone is not alert. It is vital you record health and safety incidents issues immediately. Record them within your construction safety software using a smartphone from the job. These records can be important for future risk
planning or proof of legislative compliance.

 Provides team mobility

Good construction safety software will supply access to iPhone and Android apps for your team to use on the go. This allows team access to the system no matter where you are. Make sure the software you choose is
versatile enough no matter what operating system you all use.

 

Customization of Project software

No two organizations are alike or have the same needs. This means construction project software must  allow for customization to meet individual organizational needs. There is no point investing in software you cannot adapt to your specific needs. This includes reporting and processes as well as tracking and recording all construction projects.

 Easy access to forms

The construction industry has many forms to fill out. From budget and project updates to safety protocols and contracts, it is often vital to access them on the spot. Make sure the software has easy access to these from wherever you are.

 

 

Access to mobile signatures

While on the topic of easy access, make sure your software gives you the ability to sign documents from wherever you are. This will speed up the efficiency of your business. It will also make the workplace safer as decisions are made on the go based on real-time data.

 Ability to record voice to text

It is important for construction safety software to have the ability to convert voice to text. This gives you the ability to record things like safety issues or incidents in real-time using a smartphone. This allows you to continue working hands free.

 Records staff training and certifications

If you have more than a few employees, it can be difficult keeping up with their training and certifications. This is a vital to your business. You must comply with local, state and federal health and safety legislation. Software that can store staff training and certification
records will send out notifications so everyone meets their deadlines. It will also have the ability to view these as reports to see how each staff member is progressing along their learning path.

These are just some of the features to consider when buying software to help you keep construction safety at work. Talk to the specialists for expert advice on the best software to meet your needs