A construction project needs to be managed well for its smooth completion. Construction management is planning on how the construction project will be executed. The construction project management includes a variety of tasks from the establishment of the project to its execution and completion. A construction manager needs to be skilled in working with various teams and establishing a strong connection between them for efficient working. The efficient working of various teams in coordination will lead to accomplishing the construction project. We will now talk about how a construction project is managed well from its initiation to its completion in detail.
Conceiving the Project
First of all, you will have to conceive the project. You will have to check if the project that is undertaken will be completed under the given constraints. It will be difficult for the whole team if the project is paused and is not reaching the point of completion. You will need to check the goals, resources and timelines to see if you can complete the project with these constraints. Charting down the plan is essential for its step-by-step successful completion. Another thing you will have to keep in mind will be the risks and potential issues that you might face during the project.
Planning a Road-Map
A road-map is not just the overview of the plan for the project. The road-map has a more significant purpose in construction project management. A road-map helps to build an overview for the work on a project. You will know what is supposed to be done step by step. The process will be clean on the map and you will also know the schedule. The road-map will help to stick to the execution of the project as planned and will also help to identify if the construction project is on schedule or not.
Defining Roles and Responsibilities
Call a meeting and invite every stakeholder so you can define roles and responsibilities for everyone. It will help to establish everyone’s role before the beginning of construction. This will help stakeholders clear any doubts they may have. In addition, everyone will be clear on how the project is going to be executed and what they are required to do. The meeting is a necessary step in management before kicking off the project. It helps to bring the team together and create coordination between everyone to ensure a smooth and easy execution of the construction project.
Creating Easy Communication
Communication is an integral part of any industry. Communication between all team members helps each team coordinate with each other and complete the task without any disruptions. Make communication within the teams easy, to create transparency for everyone. You can take the help of digital platforms to create a space where teams can communicate easily. The digital platform will be easy to upload any files, images and documents, or any project related information like budget or any changes in schedule. This will make the data visible for everyone on the project. It will also help in creating fewer errors in communication. The platform will help you to focus more on construction work.
Knowing the Documents
Contract documents are not provided for reference unless your construction project is in trouble, at which point it may be too late. Contracts should be read carefully from the beginning to end before commencing the construction project. Reading the contract documents will give you a thorough understanding of how the contractor and customer are meeting their obligations stated in the documents. This will help the construction project to proceed as it is stated in the documents. In addition, a complete understanding of the contract documents will help to minimize any arguments, troubles and conflicts between the contractor and customer.
Reviewing the Plan
Before initiating construction, you should review the plan and the documents thoroughly with the stakeholders. Call a final meeting with the stakeholders and review the plan and documents together. The final meeting will help to clear any doubts or misunderstandings regarding the project or teams. The stakeholders should know their part clearly. If stakeholders would like to request any changes regarding the construction project, they can state it here to avoid any potential troubles arising later during actual construction. Reviewing the plan and documents in the final meeting will set you on the right path to commence construction.
Commencing the Construction
Now you are ready to start construction. Once construction begins, the responsibility of the construction manager changes a bit. The manager still has the responsibility of managing the project, but now has to ensure that the progress of construction follows the outline that has been established. The manager must keep a close eye on all aspects of the project to ensure that the requirements of the owner are being met.
Tracking the Budget
Throughout the entire construction period, it is imperative that the manager track and monitor the budget. There are unpredicted and unplanned expenses that arise during any construction project. Using software to monitor and track the budget will be efficient as it is a useful tool that can automatically and effectively manage the costs. The manager must know how much of the budget has been spent, including the extra costs, as well as the remaining costs to complete the project versus what remains of the budget.
Being Responsible
One of the most important elements of the entire construction period, is safety. Safety on a construction site is imperative to a successful completion of any construction project. There can be any number of unpredicted obstacles that can lead to potential accidents and/or injuries on a construction site. It is essential to take extra precautions to prevent any construction accident from taking place, thus ensuring the safety of all workers as well as any visitors on site. Managing such a huge project is not an easy task. It takes a lot of preparation, forward thinking and continuous communication to prevent any accidents from taking place.
