by Administrator | Oct 19, 2019 | Construction
A
successful business is not necessarily the one with the most creative ideas. It
is the company that has cultures that encourage and reward its constituents.
As
the old saying goes, “Change is inevitable”. As with construction projects, the
most appropriate statement would be “Change orders are inevitable”. A change
order is simply a work that is added, modified or removed from the original
scope of work of a contract, a document used to record any amendment to the
original construction contract. It is a vitally important tool for contractors.
A change order alters essential information such as the original contract and/or
completion date. Moreover, it is simply an addendum, correction or amendment to
the original construction contract and its scope of work.
The
most indispensable function of construction change order shows the client that
additional work done entails additional expenses. Change orders help
contractors in managing client specifications and demands
Implementing
a disciplined and effective change order process can help contractors improve
profitability, achieve target and safeguard their reputation and credibility.
However, when change orders are handled ineffectively, a loss in profitability
and an unfavorable relationship between the contractors and clients normally
arise. It can quickly derail the success of a project.
Managing
expectation is the most crucial aspect of a change order process. Always
discuss the whole process in advance with the client. This way, the aspect of
transparency will be met. An effective change order process will help
contractors manage their relationship with customers and make the business more
professional and more procedure-oriented when it comes to the monetary aspect
of the project. Being able to effectively manage change order doesn’t have to
be difficult as it only takes a little preparation, understanding and a large
amount of communication with all that are involved in the project.
Change
orders are made to help contractors manage their customers who always want more
for less. Combined with a detailed scope of work, a beneficial outcome between
both parties is expected. These requests for changes can be awkward if the
contractors fail to manage expectation right from the beginning.
Sadly,
change orders will happen at some point in some projects, and the worst thing
contractors can do is to be ill-prepared when it happens. Instead of being
defensive and unmindful, they should be ready to face potential changes. With a
sound mind and positive approach, the frustrations will be reduced resulting in
more favorable results
Having
a change order process in place allows contractors to efficiently identify the
need for change order and manage them when they arise. Since change orders are
an inevitable part of working in the construction industry, it is imperative
that they have to deal with them at some point in a particular project and will
continue to deal with them on future projects. Aside from its importance for
proper documentation, change orders are vital in managing the expectation of
customers.
Embrace
changes, anticipate its potential and be able to work more efficiently in the
event of the unexpected.
by Administrator | Sep 19, 2019 | Construction
First and foremost, to fully understand the concepts and
principles of construction management, it would be appropriate to define the
term “project”. Project is a unique endeavor with an aim to produce a set of deliverables
within a clearly specified time, cost and quality restrictions. It is
undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.
Now that the term “project” has been defined, next to it
would be “project management”. This concept involves the application of
processes, method, knowledge, skills and experience to achieve project
objectives. It is the basis on which every construction project is founded. It
is vital that a project manager must possess the necessary skills and
competence in order to explore and steer within and outside of the project.
Project management is key to the steadiness of the whole process.
Accordingly, “construction project management” can be
defined as the direction, regulation and supervision of a project from
conception, development to completion. Its ultimate goal is the full
satisfaction of its client both in terms of functionality and budget. The main
idea of construction project management is relatively connected to technical
parameters such as budget and execution. It also requires a firm and open
communication between stakeholders, contractors and the community.
At present, change is indeed inevitable. Almost always, a
project cannot be isolated from change that an organization goes through due to
external elements in the environment. Every project manager must keep up with
changes in management specifically in terms of practices and technology. Also,
an effective project manager possesses a wide variety of experience and
knowledge to handle diverse people and meet an assorted objective. With
technology, projects nowadays are rather complex bringing about difficulties in
people, tasks and management.
Projects and project management processes vary from industry
to industry; however, these are more traditional elements of a project. The
overarching goal is typically to offer a product, to change a process or to
solve a problem in order to benefit the organization.
Project and project management processes vary from industry
to industry. However, most construction project management follows a similar
pattern. Normally, this pattern is in this order:
- Initiation. Before starting a project, the
project manager must develop and evaluate the plan to determine if the project
is feasible and worth. Other agents of the project may be asked to participate
as well. If all parties agree to all terms and conditions, the project manager
then proceeds in writing a project initiation
document. This includes the business needs and the business case.
- Planning. In this stage, the team develops a
path to be followed by all people involved in the project. A project Management
plan will now be created by the team.
- Execution. Once planning has been presented, the
real work begins now.
- Performance and monitoring. This phase often
happens simultaneously with the execution phase. It is in this phase where
progress and performance usually measure.
- Closure. This is the last part wherein it marks
the completion of a project. To conclude the project, the project manager may
call for a final meeting to discuss what has and has not been achieved. After
the post-evaluation, the team then creates a list of tasks that were not
accomplished, performs a final budget and eventually issues a final project
report.
It’s no secret that construction project management is quite complicated. The management of a construction project requires knowledge of modern management as well as an understanding of the design and construction process. It is a really challenging undertaking wherein a myriad of parameters and elements should be exhaustively analyzed.
Image by skeeze from Pixabay
by Administrator | Aug 20, 2019 | Construction
In the construction industry, project
completion is the pinnacle of success. With the right amount of planning,
implementing and monitoring, a construction team has the opportunity to
complete a project on time, on budget and with favorable high-quality results.
There are several reasons why a project
might fail. However, such failures can be avoided by adopting efficient and
systematic practices and project management techniques which help in
establishing a clear and vivid understanding of expectations, perceptions and
processes between the client and the construction team.
Good scheduling eliminates problems brought
about by production bottlenecks, facilitates the appropriate procurement of
needed materials and ensures completion of the project on time. Contrary, poor
and inefficient scheduling results in considerable wastes in terms of workforce
and equipment. Delays in the completion of the entire project due to poor
scheduling can also create damage and mistrust between the contractor and the
client.
There are many best practices for project
implementation. However, the following are the basic and most effective:
- Every project should start
with a clear project scope. The construction
team should focus and invest their time in gathering and coming up with viable
information, designate specific tasks to specific people and have a clear
checklist of available and needed resources.
- Timeline. It is necessary to put all tasks on a timeline. This is one way of
checking if all involved agents are on the same boat with the contractor. This timeline will give the contractor a
bird’s eye view of the whole project and all resources. This keeps the team
focused on delivering the goods in a realistic schedule.
- Keep planning. This never stops until the project has been completed. Changes can
happen anytime, and by setting expectations on how to deal with these changes,
the construction team will be able to overcome and surpass such obstacles.
- Implement and check the
metrics. Once implementation has begun, it is
also necessary to not lose track of the metrics. Check all possible signs of
hindrance and difficulties that may cause trouble along the way.
- Quality. This is the most essential measure of success. Getting a project done and within or under
the budget is not enough. What is important is to make sure that the project is
of the highest quality.
Excellence in delivering a good of utmost
quality within the specified time is the ultimate satisfaction that a
construction team can achieve. A successful project can be achieved through a
structured process, teamwork and dedication. The whole process balances the
major constraints and provides an effective tool for coming up with exceptional
decisions all throughout the project.
Such decisions should be based on values, metrics standard procedures
and projected goals.
Project management timeline provides a visual overview of the entire project from conception to completion. It outlines the projected deliverables to be produced and completed in a timely manner. A project plan is incomplete and ineffective if there is no project management timeline right from the start of the project.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
by Administrator | Jul 19, 2019 | Construction
The construction phase or design phase is
considered as the period in which the contractor or builder takes full control
of the overall construction plan and how to carry out its patchwork. This phase
is central to the success of the entire project. This is where the entire
project’s success is built upon. It is the starting point that will nail
success throughout the remainder of the project. This is the point where
review, evaluation, and discussion take place. Conventionally, the
pre-construction phase involves performing the necessary preliminary planning
and engineering in order to fully define the whole process, identify probable
problems and analyze cost impact. In
this phase, the contractor can entirely define the formal approach for
developing project scope, schedule to execute the construction on time and in
control and initiate cost as early as possible with the aim of efficiently
using available resources and money. Pre-construction consequently assists the
owner to determine if the project is feasible or not. If it is indeed feasible,
the pre-construction phase defines the entire scope of work enough to determine
the total cost and possible schedule of the project.
The contractor develops a thorough and
detailed process of understanding the entirety of the project, outlines a
viable strategy and convenes a team with a heart full of dedication and aim to
get the job done in time. It is imperative that the team develop a
comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the main business goals and position
the project goals correspondingly.
It is vital to meet the client and discuss
the whole process in order to properly lay out the possible total cost involved
and the totality of the project. This way, the contractor would have a better
sense of whom he or she is working for. This is an excellent avenue for finding
out the objectives and resolving any possible queries that the owner may have. Next
to this would be a definite and plausible schedule, project scope and cost
estimate for the owner.
The monetary estimation is dependent on the
accuracy that the owner requires. Getting the owner on the same page with
regard to the proposed budget is essential. Also, the right overall
pre-construction planning can be the defining point between an on-time, on-budget
project that meets the owner’s needs and specifications. The intent to work
with the project’s owner is to deliver a satisfactory project that meets the
owner’s specifications. In addition to the monetary aspect of the project, the
pre-construction phase enables the construction team to design, evaluate,
study, schedule, and review.
Moreover, it is the task of the contractor
to dig deeper into the plan and specifications to determine the most
economical, viable and efficient way to execute the project plan. It’s an
on-going process from the design stage to the whole duration of the
pre-construction phase with the aim of producing quality contract documents as
well as identifying possible areas of conflict and problems which may affect
the proposed schedule and budget.
Lastly, the pre-construction phase is all
about well-defined scopes, good plans and an experienced team which will pave
the way for a successful construction project.
by Administrator | Jun 19, 2019 | Construction
A construction project is a complex project
as it comes in layers that involve a lot of processes, from that of the actual
design and construction to that of dealing with uncertainties, legalities, and people.
To simplify the phases from all the
complexity, here are the following phases that will be undergone in a
construction project:
Feasibility
and Design
This phase covers the design stage in which
aesthetics, safety, building codes, and regulations go hand in hand. The
feasibility of the design is also studied on this stage to ensure that the
design is plausible and that future issues and problems may be avoided early on
in the design stage of the construction project, making future phases easier to
navigate. In this phase, all possible diversification in the vision and idea
are welcome to challenge the current design to promote innovation and have it
easier on the next stages.
Preconstruction
This phase begins when the design is
finalized and when the contractor has been chosen by the client through the
means of bidding, or some other way. Here, the teams and members are assigned
to their specific responsibilities. It could be that the construction project
manager is assigned in this phase or beforehand even before the designing.
Then, the site investigation is done to ensure that the steps that are to be
followed will be sufficient and efficient for the project and everyone.
Procurement
The procurement phase is the phase where
the materials and equipment needed to complete the project are acquired or
purchased. So here, from purchasing supplies to acquiring subcontractors, these
are the main tasks of the team. Subcontractors may be acquired through bidding
or depending on the discrepancy of the main contractor and client. And in cases
where the demands are not met, some design changes may have to be considered;
to avoid such, this must be considered in the design and feasibility phase
thoroughly as well.
Construction
The construction phase begins with that of
identifying the basics from the schedule needed to be followed to the number of
subcontractors needed and obviously the finalization of payments and such for
the coming progress, after which the actual construction begins. In this phase,
minor issues may be encountered, but mostly they are handled quite easily if
the design and feasibility phase was thoroughly gone through.
Occupancy
In this phase, the owner, client, or what
is supposed to be in the building moves into the project, and the warranty period
begins. Also, the contractors and subcontractors will have to respond if issues
are encountered with regard to the construction as per the contract that they
had.
Occupancy at the same time will work as a
form of advertisement and portfolio for the construction project manager, and
here he/she must be of good terms with the client as into closing the deal so
that bidding will almost hardly come as an option in the next coming projects.
What do you think are the needed things for the construction project manager to get ready for during the occupation phase?
Photo by Fancycrave.com from Pexels
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