Planning dictates when and how effectively you will complete a job. Construction project scheduling software like Bridgit is preferred by businesses. Unfortunately, a lot of project managers make careless errors when putting the project’s timeline together.
Nationwide construction projects surpass 16%, and occasionally even more. Poor management, including errors in resource allocation, scheduling, and supervision, is the primary reason of the overrun.
The budget for the entire project increases when there is a cost overrun since you now have to pay the extra wage, fuel, and other expenses. You can envision how significant the costs will be.
This article will outline five scheduling blunders you should watch out for when working on a construction project.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHEDULING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS A schedule is necessary to monitor the progress of a construction project. You can never make an estimation of the:
Resources that are necessary include labor, tools, money, etc. Test results, inspection requests, etc. are examples of quality metrics. Management, supervision, resource distribution, etc., are examples of responsibilities. The building project’s planning process includes scheduling. You may spread the budget and activities equally by scheduling your upcoming project within the planning phase and minimizing delays.
Additionally, the following areas emphasize the value of scheduling:
Making plans for the future – It aids in planning your construction project. Knowledge creation – Scheduling creates knowledge and necessary project specifics. Better time management of resources, such as labor and equipment, is made possible. Better coordination – The operating team and the construction site have more time to coordinate. More lead time – Having enough advance time for procurement allows you to decrease costs by delaying placing urgent resource orders. Better safety – Prior to starting the project, prepare standardized methods to increase worker safety. Weather protection – Employees have more time to adjust to the environment and take precautions against the elements. Risk assessment – Effective project scheduling makes risk assessment simpler. More time for other stakeholders – Other parties can better plan their own activities, such as vendors, designers, and clients. Increased productivity – By finishing the project as quickly as possible, you can increase productivity. Despite the fact that scheduling is crucial to a project’s success, many contractors and project managers neglect to plan out the important tasks.
5 USUAL ERRORS IN PROJECT SCHEDULING The following are the five faults that project managers and contractors frequently make while creating a timeline for a construction project:
IRRATIONAL DEADLINES The process of scheduling include setting deadlines and breaking the construction project down into milestones. To make the task of allocating resources and tasks to other departments easier, project managers divide the project into different stages.
Unrealistic timelines for the project milestones were unfortunately imposed by contractors who had direct contact with the project owners. They presumptively believe the team can complete the project by meeting all the deadline-bound milestones.
Additionally, some contractors never consult the project manager, who is well-versed in the demands of the project. Contractors consent to the project owner’s requirements even if the deadline looks improbable.
The following results follow from this error:
Project delays – The contractor must pay the liquidated damage because of delays in the project’s completion. Poor reputation – By failing to complete the job by the agreed-upon deadline, the company’s reputation is tarnished. Financial loss – Cost overrun results in a loss for the business. Employee demotivation – Senior management will place the blame on the employees, which kills their morale. They might struggle in upcoming building initiatives. Contractors must therefore possess the necessary project knowledge before speaking with the project owner. Alternately, while discussing a construction project, they must include the project manager. Then, realistic timelines can be agreed upon by all parties.
INAPPROPRIATE METHODS Teams work independently during the planning stage and adhere to a single construction technique. Platform B may be used by the construction team if the planners use Platform A for scheduling. This technique flaw frequently appears when the project manager is not properly supervised.
You can never schedule the project timetable if two key teams don’t cooperate on a common construction approach.
It is nearly hard to plan essential building tasks using two separate approaches. In order to schedule the project using the information from both teams, the project manager must bring them together on a single platform.
NONE OF THE PROJECT CONSTRAINTS ARE MENTIONED When scheduling, it’s crucial to take the limits of the construction project into account. The project’s schedule never matches the resource estimation when the planning team forgets to specify the constraints.
The limitations of the project also have an impact on:
Cost – When contractors solely consider the finances and disregard risk, quality, and time, the company will experience cost overruns. Risk – Without implementing a risk mitigation strategy, the entire timeline for construction projects collapses due to the numerous risks involved. When planning a project, you must take quality into account because high-quality operations require the best resources. Time – To establish a nearly trustworthy project timetable, a realistic project timeline must be established. NO TESTING CALENDAR One of the main stages of the construction project’s schedule is testing. It can result in destruction if a project is finished without testing its essential elements.
When scheduling a project, the testing phase is often given the least amount of time. That’s a bad strategy because testing is the only stage at which the testing team may carefully examine each project component.
The standard tests in a building project are as follows:
Sieve evaluation Bulk test Test of compression Viscosity Additionally, some tests—like the sieve analysis and slump tests—are conducted before the project ever starts. After construction, a few tests, including input voltage and ventilation, are conducted.
IGNORE NATURAL DELAYS Natural delays shouldn’t be disregarded by project planners. These are undoubtedly outside the scope of human control. For instance, it’s crucial to take the weather into account while organizing a building job. Weather-related delays and resource waste are both possible outcomes.
Contractors must be mindful of natural delays, particularly in areas where severe weather is predicted. That contains:
Snow Wind Rain To increase productivity and complete the project within the allotted time, you might concentrate on these variables when planning the schedule for your subsequent construction project.
Some contractors make the improper project timetable since they don’t truly understand a construction job. Poor scheduling makes a construction project more likely to fail since it will lead to unneeded delays.
Additionally, the project manager might not be able to assist in this circumstance. In order to honor obligations, you should always schedule your construction project carefully during the planning stage.
