Construction is a complicated business. Throughout the lifetime of a project, countless parameters must be taken into consideration. The main purpose of project management in construction is to keep track of these parameters, and unsure through monitoring the quality, cost and schedule, that the parameters are upheld. 

Of course, that’s a long and extremely demanding process which can easily turn to a disaster if the right systems and processes are not in place.

It comes as no surprise, then, that we often hear about the serious problems that the industry is facing with regards to productivity and on-site performance.

The good news is that things seem to gradually change for the better as digital solutions enter the field. Nevertheless, digital solutions aren’t enough on their own. A solid digital strategy is also required in order for the agents of the project to get the most out of their use.

In a nutshell, here are five crucial factors of success for almost every type of project in construction:

1. Start by the Team

Curating the right team for your job is extremely important. If are able to find experienced people who you can trust to get the job done properly, you are able to find confidence in the building process and know that issues will be tackled in the most efficient way.

And that’s not all. A strong and tech-savvy team can also facilitate the transition to a digital way of working and pave the way for a healthy digital strategy. The future for construction workers is changing rapidly, and it is expected that tradies are able to understand and use technology as it is given to them. For this reason, it can be important to be sure your team members are adaptable, with analytical minds and good experience working with data and technology.

2. Find the Right Digital Tools

Once you’ve built your ideal team, it is time to focus on the digital solutions that can help you in getting on with your project successfully. Construction is one of the most under-digitised industries ahead only of agriculture and hunting.

That being said, it might take some effort from your side in order to convince your team about the benefits of the digital solutions that you have chosen to use in the course of the project.

Ideally, the tools you select should coordinate with the varied projects you have going on, so you can be sure all of your team members are aware of the needs of the project and how to tackle each process. 

Our suggestion: put extra attention to the construction phase, both planning and follow up, as this is where a lot of money can be spent due to miscommunication and lack of transparency.

3. Invest in Training

This is where the hard work begins. Once you have selected the digital solutions you want to implement, you should immediately start thinking about training. Simply giving everyone access to new digital tools, especially without showing your team how to use them, will bring little to no value to your business. 

For that reason, you really need to agree with your software provider that they will take the responsibility to onboard your team and show them all the different ways in which their product can help you bridge the gap between the construction site and the office.

Furthermore, by investing in training you have the opportunity to show your team the multiple benefits that a digital tool can provide them on a day-to-day basis. This can be the key to accelerating the transition to a more proactive digital culture and will help smooth your work processes in the long run. 

4. Standardise your Processes

The fourth step in our list can help you both on your current and future projects. Standardising the systems and processes you use during the building projects can work miracles with regards to minimising project delays and budget overruns.

The reason behind this is simple. All members of your team will be aware of what they are supposed to do at every phase of the project and will feel sure that the right tools are at the right location the moment they need them.

Now imagine that you can replicate this process in multiple projects. Regardless of who is coming on site to work for your project, you can be confident that the programme will be respected and that everything will progress as it is supposed to.

5. Constantly Review and Analyse the Data

Last but certainly not least, no matter what your project is, you need to take good care of your data. Construction is one of the worst industries when it comes to storing and analysing data.

That is an extremely dangerous trend for the sector and you should not follow it. This is where digital tools can offer enormous value as they can play the role of an objective source of truth for your project.

Shortly, these are some of the ways data can help your project:

• Restore trust in contractual relationships.
• Minimise project disputes.
• Monitor productivity and efficiency on site.
• Issue weather reports which can help the project team adjust tasks accordingly.
• Field reporting.
• Snagging.

Beyond this, by collating and analysing your data you will be able to create long-term, realistic strategies for designing and managing upcoming projects. By being able to implement the same tools and processes in multiple projects, you can save your organisation from behemoth costs and painful delays.

Wrapping it up

At the end of the day, running a successful construction project is hard going. There are resources to help prevent disaster, and even smooth your everyday management, and many of these resources come in the form of digital technology and programs. These programs can provide you with a detailed overview of your project, and play a key role in the standardisation of the building process.

About the original author: Anastasios Koutsogiannis is Content Marketing Manager at GenieBelt.