Tips for a Construction Project Manager to Run a Smooth Operation
The world has been in a permanent state of urbanization globally. Do you know which industry has been thriving based on rapid urbanization? Construction industry. Are you familiar with the forecast for the construction industry? It is expected to touch $1.4 trillion as per the researchers by 2021. This exponential growth in the construction industry will cause workforce growth, adding 200,000 employees on an average every year in the industry. The construction industry has also experienced a rush due to corporate housing. Corporate housing offers temporary housing facilities to business travelers.
Corporate housing includes condominiums and apartments. The clients of corporate housing include healthcare professionals, entertainment crew, energy explorers, government, technology, and more. With such promising industrial growth, one shouldn’t be surprised to see an increasing number of people opting for a construction project management career. Being a Construction Project Manager, you will wear several hard hats every day.
Managing construction projects isn’t a small task. You will be handling thousands of action items. You will be under constant pressure to meet the timelines to deliver projects while ensuring that your team performs effectively. So whether you are already in the construction project manager role or getting into it, there are few industrial tips and tricks that can help you run this operation smoothly. Here is a list of tips to help you act as a construction project manager for a regular construction project or short term corporate housing project:
Plan, Schedule, And Automate
For the successful execution of the construction project, invest more time preparing a plan and scheduling tasks. Go over the project scope and prepare an overview of the resources you possess to execute the construction plan. To keep things realistic, work closely with your workforce, including suppliers and subcontractors, along with finalizing project milestones. You can use unique templates for project planning to streamline your workflow while increasing the project efficiency. After finishing the plan and schedule, make the best use of automation facilities in the construction industry. Construction automation has experienced substantial technological advancements. The automation in a construction project’s process can increase the managers’ productivity while ensuring high quality and consistency.
Establishing Delivery Timelines
If you wish to stand out as the construction project manager, focus on predicting realistic delivery timelines. As per the recent study of construction industry efficiency, the timelines predicted are 58% accurate. So you can improve this by improvising the work scope, developing task lists, and use Gantt charts for mapping things.
Choose The Project Management System For The Project
As you will be dealing with various teams in a construction project, use as many project management tools as possible. The digital revolution has made it easier to access multiple project elements. With the project management tools, the various stakeholders involved in the project will have access to the same information at a consolidated access point. This single point of data will be better than having your official documentation all over the paper, email, and electronic files.
Organized Documentation Process
All the construction project related documents must be in place, updated as required, and tracked consistently. The relevant stakeholders should sign the records from the start to meeting milestones and closing out. Your project will always be vulnerable in terms of budget and timely delivery. To deal with the unforeseen situations, documentation comes in handy. Besides, having documentation can help you prevent legal issues, conflicts, and project delays.
Real-Time Communication And Collaboration
Construction projects are a lot more complicated in modern times. All the stakeholders, including project owners, subcontractors, lead contractors, vendors, field teams, back-office staff, and architects, all need to be on the same page for the desired outcome. So before you kick off the project, develop an efficient communication plan. Keep it clear, open, and honest. Use modern technology to have real-time workflows and deliveries.
Keep Tracking
Just because the work is moving without any significant issue doesn’t mean there is no imminent risk. You need to keep track of progress at every point. You can choose from several leading technologies in the construction industry to track all the project points and foreseeing risk. These technologies can help you take corrective action as soon as there is a risk. You can find tracking technology in the form of construction and accounting software or state of the art applications made for mobile phones.
Conclusion
As a construction project manager, you will get ample opportunities to enhance your abilities and portfolios as the industry is thriving. As more complex and demanding opportunities come your way, remember that with the right tools and knowledge, you will be able to organize documents, communication, stakeholders, and other details regarding the project in a much efficient way.
Tina Peters is a home deco enthusiasts, world traveler and a blogger that loves exploring new things, styles and cheap home remodeling ideas. Her main focus is helping people all around the world when it comes to home renovations, remodeling and improvements.
