Construction delays happen. Inevitably, even the most well-planned projects can experience unanticipated events such as bad weather, labor shortages, or material supply chain issues. When delays do occur, great project management dictates that you should have a plan in place to minimize the impact of delays so you can deliver the end product on time and in full.
We at MRG Construction Corp offer you a few tips for handling construction delays and staying on schedule:
Have a Clearly Defined Project Plan
After you define the scope of the project and establish the work breakdown structure, you should create a detailed plan for your schedule. A clearly defined plan with leads and lags makes it easier to identify potential delays and to develop contingency plans. Your plan should include the following:
- The timeline for each phase of the project
- A list of all the required materials and equipment
- A roster of workers
- Your budget for the project and allocations for each phase.
Manage Stakeholder Expectations
Communication among the stakeholders of any project means the difference between a successful build and one that runs into overtime. Your list of stakeholders includes the owner or sponsor, the architect, the contractor, the subcontractors, and the suppliers. Clear, effective, and frequent communication using the right tools will help to identify roadblocks to meeting deadlines. This also helps to remedy problems as early as possible.
By keeping stakeholders informed, you can build trust and avoid any surprises down the road.
Be Flexible and Adaptable
Murphy’s Law sometimes prevails; things don’t always go according to plan. Therefore, demonstrating reliance and flexibility can go a long way to ensuring timely delivery. If you do experience a delay, don’t panic! Instead, take a step back and assess the situation. Take the time to thoroughly understand the cause of the delay. You can then assess your options to bring the project back on track.
Have a Contingency Plan
Well-planned projects can still have issues, so mapping “Plan B” or “Plan C” (or more) as contingency items can provide ways to overcome timing problems due to unexpected events. Your contingency plan should include the following:
- A list of alternative suppliers
- A list of alternative materials
- A list of alternative workers
- A budget for unexpected expenses
Monitor and Control the Project Closely
According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), the fourth of five process groups after initiation, planning, and execution is “monitoring and controlling.” Once the project is underway, you must monitor it paying attention to metrics related to timing. By monitoring the project closely, you can take corrective action as soon as possible to prevent small delays from turning into big ones.
Additional Information
Now that you can enter a project confident that, with a little planning, flexibility, management, and monitoring, you can deliver it on time and up to quality expectations, here are a few tools which will ensure your success:
- Use construction management software. Construction management software like Procore, our choice at MRG Construction, helps you to track progress, manage costs, and communicate with all stakeholders.
- Document all requirements, lessons learned, etc. Accept that you cannot control every circumstance. However, you can ensure that the team documents and securely stores all issues. This can help set expectations in the future for other projects.’
- Hire a qualified contractor. A qualified contractor such as MRG Construction possesses the experience and expertise to handle the unexpected and get your project done on time and on budget. Our team of highly trained construction professionals including project managers, superintendents, and tradespeople receive training on how to manage uncertainty and how to get a project back on track and on time.
MRG Construction Corp stands ready to serve you to deliver on-time, on-budget, and to-spec commercial interior tenant build-outs, ground-up construction, or renovations. Click the button below to send us a message about your upcoming project.