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Construction, Business - 4 min read
Head of Sales and Marketing
Sep 23, 2016 8:03:00 AM
Throw 50 tradies, 150 materials and 250 conflicting opinions onto a construction site and issues are bound to arise. Add in dirt, dust, delays and distractions, and frustrations can easily boil over.
Thankfully, a skilled and dutiful project manager can keep these concerns under control. They’re the driving force behind a construction project completed on time and on budget, and should support everyone on site when and where needed.
However, not all project managers are skilled and dutiful. Here are 6 pieces of bad project management advice you should avoid following at all costs.
Project managers can’t afford to ignore issues in the hope they’ll resolve themselves. Even seemingly minor disruptions, like a missing delivery or disgruntled neighbour, can grow into a show stopper. It’s up to the project manager to address concerns as soon as they arise to avoid a snowball effect.
Project managers might be wary of micromanaging, however no one has ever messed up a job because of clear instructions delivered regularly.
Sites with a number of subcontractors coming and going need extra care. Don’t simply leave the management of subcontractors to general contractors; ensure everyone on site is kept up to date with plans.
Nothing can damage project timelines like a team of builders running on empty. Project managers who see lagging productivity and push the accelerator even further won’t get anything out of their workers. Sometimes the best way to boost productivity is to take the foot off the gas.
The health and wellbeing of labourers is critical to ensuring a project is finished on time, on budget and to a good standard. Not to mention without any catastrophic accidents.
However, if you feel your labourers could be putting more into their work without putting themselves at risk, consider incentivising them with early completion bonuses.
The harsh reality for today’s construction project managers is that the job demands a well-rounded knowledge of many disciplines.
Having a working understanding of all trades will ensure you can spot issues early. Yet expertise of project managers goes further than knowing what quality workmanship looks like.
Project managers who understand the time and cost saving benefits of construction software can deliver the best project possible. Project management tools and estimating software are essential ingredients to today’s efficient construction projects.
Unfortunately, being a project manager on a construction site isn’t always the easiest gig in town. Sometimes it’s necessary to make a tough call and when an underperforming trade is threatening the quality of a project, laying down the harsh word is a must.
Ideally, general contractors will have prequalified their subs and everyone on site will be producing quality work. However, it only takes one sour grape to slip through the cracks before projects can be damaged.
Project managers aren’t always the youngest on site. They’re usually experienced, and as such have developed their own processes and approaches.
However, construction today looks remarkably different to even 10 years ago. The technology at a manager’s disposal can revolutionise how they do their job, and how they direct others to do theirs.
For example, Cubit makes estimating and takeoff simple and intuitive. To see how Cubit can enrich your build, book a free 14 day trial by clicking below:
We understand estimating can be complex and tiring. We're here to make it much easier.
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Construction - 9 min read
