In most cases, taking a short cut to save time is a bad idea, but there are many ways taking advantage of construction site manager tools and concepts can save valuable time during a construction project. Let us look at five tips you can use to save time on construction projects.
Tip One: Be Present
A wise man said, knowing is half the battle. This concept is certainly something important in project management. You cannot fix what you do not see. One effortless way to save time on construction projects is to be involved in every aspect of planning. A good deal of time is lost to segmented departments or outside professionals like sub-contractors and vendors failing to share valuable information. This decentralized information hub usually results in delays or work stoppages. Diligent attendance to project planning meetings, where ideas and issues are shared, will reduce time, and help meet deadlines. Trying to collaborate in planning from the initial stages of development can find most of the issues that are likely to arise, enabling the team to plan for contingencies and be ready for whatever may come.
Tip Two: Plan for Everything
The saying goes, “the best laid plans…” applies to construction project management. One way to save time on construction projects, or at least avoid prolonged delays or missed deadlines, is proper planning. One clear concept is to develop contingency plans. One of the easiest ways for projects to derail is having to rework a plan in progress and scramble to find solutions that fit within the budget and schedule. Oftentimes, construction professionals want to present a confidence in their ability to adapt in the moment, but contingency plans are like hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. You can imagine the possible issues and develop a plan to address them. Having this backup plan can save hundreds of hours of research and rework to get back on track.
Tip Three: Observe and Report
It is not a secret that one of the most time-consuming aspects of project management is in monitoring, sorting, and organizing the mountain of paperwork generated by a construction project. Throw in daily progress reports to investors or clients and available time seems to disappear overnight. On top of that, making sure the team has all the latest information is a time sink in and of itself. How do you decrease the time it takes to generate and share reports without increasing cost and complexity? Taking advantage of available construction technology to make short work of the process of monitoring and reporting the progress made and issues encountered. SiteKick is one such construction technology helping project managers spend more time in the field and less time back in the construction office generating and sharing reports. Learn more about SiteKick’s time saving tools.
Tip Four: Look Toward the Future
That brings us to one of the easiest ways to save time… leveraging construction technology to eliminate the worst time sinks in project management. While the industry has not always been the model of early adoption of technology, things are changing and changing rapidly. It is not secret that the most successful construction companies find increasingly innovative ways to using technology to their advantage. Construction technology is one of the major reasons why these companies enjoy savings in time and money. There are a variety of tech companies who have capitalized on the increased use of technology in the construction industry.
On the construction management side, companies like Procore are helping construction project managers and administrators tie up a lot of loose ends from scheduling, to budgeting, communication, tracking and other time consuming (and costly) aspects of construction project management. SiteKick adds another useful suite of tools including environmental monitoring, data collection, security, and report generation to Procore. SiteKick is quickly building its name pushing the envelope of construction technology.
If you are team uses smart phones and tablets in the field already, Procore and SiteKick have powerful mobile apps that let you be everywhere at once, offering seamless integration with the processes you already know and love.
Tip Five: Build it Better Quickly
Again, shortcuts are not always a great solution to save money. Using time-saving techniques and materials however can be a game changer. Research and use products and materials that are designed to save money. That is not to say use inferior materials or products, just built with time saving in mind. Find and leverage prefabricated materials to save in labor time, or choose skilled labor known for fast output without losing attention to detail. Hiring the right professional at the right time can save hours downstream and save you from costly delays and rework. Finding ways to work smarter, not harder is not always easy, but with the right team, you can have it all.
To find out how SiteKick is discovering new ways to help construction project managers find the time to have a life outside of work through the careful application of technology to their processes, contact us today! We are ready to show you the most comprehensive site monitoring and reporting solution for managing construction site activities!
