When it comes to a construction projects process uncertainty is almost inevitable. From constant schedule changes, cancellation of material orders, extreme weather conditions, and the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainties are bound to happen at some point in time. However, general contractors and project managers can work around people, processes, and tools to reduce ambiguities and resolve critical issues.
The following are some vital tips to help you handle uncertainty in your construction project:
Invest In Construction Industry-Specific Tools
Investing in construction-related tools will allow you to stay on top of your weekly project planning and overall plan. Unlike Excel and other traditional instruments, construction industry-specific applications will help you better understand time-sensitive and delicate construction processes.
In other words, they enable all team members to flag critical issues on time and help Project Managers maintain full visibility over each task’s progress. This way, you can timely address process problems, resolve serious legal conflicts, or even avoid them more straightforwardly and effectively.
Divide Work Into Smaller Tasks
The best way to deal with a long project is to break it down into smaller tasks whenever possible. Although you might not be sure about the amount of work to be done in the upcoming year, you should at least determine what you will need to do over the next few months.
Instead of focusing on a two-year project, you can start by defining a project that will include only the first phase. After that, you can redefine and forecast the next stage as a separate mini-project. This way, you can plan and manage each of the shorter projects more efficiently.
Reduce Administrative Workload
Project Managers need to choose industry-specific digital tools for continuous process improvement. Many commercial construction projects continually battle against excessive administrative workloads. This is because all stakeholders don’t have a smart way to report progress and connect their updates to the master program.
Many project managers spend endless hours calling people, get stuck in pointless meetings, or visit the physical site to confirm that they have the right information available to them. Things can get even more problematic when it comes to fighting a claim. You might have to go through never-ending email threads to determine the origin of the problem.
Use a platform that would enable you to keep track of your project’s every detail without having to go through a sea of information. It must allow all stakeholders to submit their updates easily so that the right people immediately receive a notification. Having a real-time updated audit trail would guarantee documentation of every step of the process to help you safeguard your project without diving into a congested email account.
Automate Your Systems And Processes
Standardization is often neglected in the construction industry because each construction project has different goals, requirements, and expectations. However, that’s not entirely the right approach; while some parts of the commercial construction project might require special adjustments, most processes remain the same.
When you standardize your systems and processes, you can increase the chances of predictability and deal with possible risks more effectively.
Taurus Projects is a construction contractor in Fort Saskatchewan that provides high-quality commercial and industrial construction services across Alberta. Visit our website to learn about our construction services, or contact us for personalized service.