Although no two projects are alike, the following statement should be true for every projected timeline:
Mission: Strike a balance between competing priorities to complete project management and execution on time and within budget.
Considering this mission, consider the following factors when creating your project timeline.
Before Construction
Dimensions, Scope, and Complexity
With size, scope, and complexity are the most influential variables in any project, the most difficult issues for construction management to manage are always cost and schedule. Your best line of defense against delays and expensive errors is to hire a general contractor (GC) with experience who has a track record of balancing these three constraints, or the “project management triangle.”
To see if a GC is a good fit for you, request a sample statement of qualifications from a similar project that has been completed. It will indicate how detail-oriented the team will be.
Bottom Line: The more detailed the plans, the more confident you’ll be when scheduling to avoid budgeting issues.
Plan for the Unexpected
Even after thoroughly reviewing your master schedule and identifying potential disruptions, a worst-case scenario question to address ahead of time is: What is our backup plan? As a risk management measure, you should have a proper contingency plan to account for unforeseen conditions such as late deliveries and major equipment mechanical failures. The contingency budget is typically set at 5% to 10% of the total budget.
Bottom Line: Creating easy-to-implement contingency plans will go a long way toward mitigating and resolving problems before they spiral out of control.
Permits and Approvals
Securing the permits and approvals may take longer than you’d like, so get started as soon as possible. Even in a good economy, municipalities are still lagging in review, with an overabundance of new projects resulting in understaffing and longer unplanned timelines.
The more you learn about permit processes like access, utilities, drainage, and signage, the better prepared you’ll be for unexpected obstacles. The first step in navigating these rough patches would be contacting planning and zoning officials to discuss potential remediation steps.
To properly address the approvals stage and site specifics, gain a thorough understanding of the local requirements and restrictions. You can only anticipate problems you know of, so do this now.
During Construction
Setbacks in construction
When estimating project duration, remember that setbacks are possible because there are risks of uncertainty. Setbacks include labor and material cost overruns, loss of use, and lawsuits.
Missed milestones and delayed completion dates caused by a slowed-down crew and material availability will have a domino effect on more than just the project construction. Working with a developer who goes above and beyond early on is critical, rather than only when problems arise.
On that note, site specifics such as contractor and material availability and site access come into play. If the ingress/egress is restricted, equipment, materials, and accounted labor are delivered.
Bottom Line: A quality control method can help construction companies combat rework and reduce delays. Doing your part to carefully coordinate the crews’ work to ensure no overlaps during the appropriate phase will also increase overall productivity.
Inspections
The project’s defined scope should be prominent during the inspections stage to ensure that everything is proceeding safely and correctly or revealing any red flags. Two types of inspections would be beneficial in preventing the timeline from expanding: scheduled and random. The benefits outweigh the disadvantages by ensuring proper safety planning, hazard identification, increased task focus, and improved quality.
Bottom Line: Inspections are critical in exposing any violations or mismanagement during the project’s completion, so they should be accurately estimated in the schedule.
Plan Modifications
Even after you account for complexity, setbacks, and permits, delays can occur whenever a client, contractor, or municipality requests a change. New plans, permits, and inspections may be required depending on the nature and extent of the damage, delaying completion and increasing costs.
Establish a change order process and communicate it to the team that makes the details work ahead of time to avoid a threat to the later stages.
Delays and contingencies
Establish and communicate a change order process to the team working on the details ahead of time to avoid a threat to the later stages. Although each project’s contingencies will be unique, alternative solutions could include quickly mobilizing replacement cranes, performing repairs, or locating required parts.
Bottom Line: To reduce the likelihood of delays, don’t overlook the contingency funds that have been set aside as “insurance” against other costs.
*Special Bonus! *
Before finalizing your schedule, remember the time of year and weather challenges for that specific location. For example, plan an appropriate alternative to framing or foundation work during a rainy season.
While the development schedule will differ from project to project, considering these top factors to be more strategic in decreasing downtime and being aware of all the moving parts will yield the best results.
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