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Avoiding weather related project delays

31/3/2016

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"Contractors are an eternally optimistic bunch and never seem to allow for any weather related impacts on construction projects."

Many projects are completed late so my last two posts focused on project delays. The first; ’10 reasons your project is behind schedule’ looked at delays caused by the contractor and the second post; ‘Is your client delaying your project?’ considered delays created by our clients.

Many readers raised bad weather as a major cause of delays. Yes, inclement weather can seriously delay projects, but in many cases should we not have made allowance for some of the weather events?

Contractors are an eternally optimistic bunch and never seem to allow for any weather related impacts on construction projects. What, are you really going to work on a twelve month long project and think you won’t encounter rain, winds, summer, and winter at some stage in the course of your project! Changing seasons - is your construction project ready?

If you have 500mm (20 inches) of rain in 3 months it will almost certainly disrupt your construction project. But, if the average for that region is 500mm for those 3 months we shouldn’t be surprised and we should have made allowance for rain disruptions in our construction schedule and taken mitigating measures to reduce the impact of the rain on construction work. #constructionschedule

"It's professional suicide if you knowingly accept a schedule which doesn’t allow for normal weather conditions."

Contractors often put the blame on clients for their unreasonable schedules and say it’s impossible to allow additional time for delays caused by rain – average rainfall which will almost certainly occur! Well that’s professional suicide if you knowingly accept a schedule which doesn’t allow for weather conditions which we can expect in that region during the time you will be constructing the project – weather conditions which will almost certainly occur. Instead of knowingly risking your project and betting against weather events not occurring, even though they happen on average, you might consider taking on the odds at your local casino. Mistakes that impact construction schedules/programmes

But some contractors do make their life even harder. Is it possible to at least avoid some of these weather delays? #weatherdelays

How does inclement weather impact our construction projects?

"Recovering from one hour of rain could take days while we pump work areas dry, clean debris and wait for materials to dry out"

Many only see weather disruptions as the direct time lost during the bad weather. Unfortunately some events can cause damage to partly completed structures which could take days or weeks to repair. Recovering from one hour of rain could take days while we pump work areas dry, clean debris and wait for materials to dry out. Adequate insurance can cover us for some of the damages but they usually don’t cover for the delays caused to the project.

Rain – I’m sure we have all experienced rain on our construction projects. Rain:
1. Stops work due to discomfort as well as safety issues.
2. Causes damage. Excavations collapse, building finishes open to the elements are damaged, silt and debris have to be cleared.
3. Saturates materials which particularly with earth moving jobs result in us having to wait for the materials to dry out before we continue.
4. Might cause construction materials to become contaminated and mixed together.
5. Could make project roads impassable and equipment can become bogged down.
6. Often floods work areas, causing delays while the areas are pumped dry.
7. May cause rivers to flood and sweep construction equipment and structures away.
Wind:
1. Prevents us from lifting construction materials with cranes and can even cause accidents by overbalancing cranes.
2. Can cause physical damage by blowing down partly completed work or stacked construction materials.
3. Might cause dust which could stop some construction operations.
Extreme temperatures could cause construction work to stop, or certainly negatively impact productivity. Ice damages water pipes and equipment. Extreme temperatures can be dangerous and hypothermia and heat stroke can kill. Common Winter Construction Safety Issues
Lightening can result in the construction project being temporarily shut down and a direct lightning strike on an item of construction equipment causes damage which is costly to repair and delays the project. Lightening can start fires and partly completed structures could be burned down.
Severe storms such as hurricanes and cyclones not only cause damage to the project construction site, they stop work during the event and usually stop the project several days before the storm strikes so the project can be made storm ready.

Can we mitigate some of the weather delays?

Image by Elisa Way from Pixabay

"Consider different foundation solutions to minimise excavations which have to be done in the rainy season."

There are a number of measures contractors can take to at least mitigate some of the delays caused by bad weather.

During the project bid or tender stage. Understand the expected weather conditions at the project location. More importantly understand the contract documents – know what they say about the risks of inclement weather and in particular unseasonal and severe weather conditions. In some circumstance you may decide to exclude weather conditions which are worse than the norm from your bid price. Allow for the costs and delays of the normal weather patterns. Discuss some of the issues relating to the weather with your client. For instance it’s often folly to start a project at the height of the wet season in the tropics. Hopefully informed clients will understand this. The construction project tender or bid schedule
Preparing the construction schedule.
1. Schedule activities that can be impacted by rain, such as earthworks, to occur outside of the rainy season.
2. Close up buildings ahead of the rain season or cold weather.
3. Schedule activities such as roofing and lifting large loads to happen outside the windy season.
4. Understand the expected weather conditions and allow additional time in the schedule to compensate for delays caused by inclement weather.
Consider alternative construction methodologies. This might even mean redesigning structures. We can manufacture parts of the structure in modules or precast some sections reducing the work that has to be done in poor weather. Consider different foundation solutions to minimise excavations which have to be done in the rainy season.
Modify your construction working times. To avoid the summer heat you could start working earlier in the day to make the best use of cooler temperatures and then stop earlier in the hot afternoons. Often strong winds occur in the afternoons, or windy days calm down in the late afternoon so it may be possible to schedule lifting operations to times of the day when there’s less chance of winds impacting operations – even if that means the lifting takes place after normal working hours. Maximise good weather opportunities which might even mean working additional shifts on weekends (these usually cost more but progress on the project may justify these extra costs).
Put protection measures in place. A simple earth berm around excavations can protect excavations from flooding. Modest open-cut storm drains can channel rain water away from work areas. Avoid low lying areas on the work site which can become flooded – especially ensure that construction material storage places are adequately drained and can be accessed even in wet weather. Have sufficient plastic sheeting to cover recently completed work that can be damaged by rain. Put measures in place to protect new concrete from extreme cold. These measures often don’t cost much but they can save valuable time after extreme weather.
Reschedule tasks in anticipation of bad weather. This could include delaying major concrete pours or postponing heavy lifts. In some areas regular afternoon thunderstorms occur so you want to ensure that major construction tasks are completed ahead of these storms, so starting earlier or working in smaller sections may help.
Prepare your construction project before severe weather strikes. Ensure your project team has sufficient warning that a storm or rain is on its way. Loose construction materials must be secured, protective covers rigged to protect unfinished work from possible damage, and checks done to ensure storm-water drains are clear, and partly completed structures are properly braced.
Ensure your construction teams are able to work safely in inclement weather. No-one wants to work in the rain, freezing temperatures or searing heat. However we often have to so it’s important your team has the required equipment. This could include adequate rain gear, waterproof footwear, warm clothing, warm rest shelters, adequate water, safe working conditions, etc. Saving on some of these items may mean the project loses time because employees aren’t adequately equipped to work in the conditions.
Make certain temporary construction roads and working platforms are adequate so that rainwater drains away, and equipment and vehicles can operate without becoming bogged or dangerously skidding. We all try to save money on our project roads and then invariably lose production when we cannot access our work areas after rain.
Have adequate water pumps on the construction site and have a system in place to dispose of storm water. We need to ensure we get our construction work areas clear and safe for work as quickly as possible after the storm ends. Inadequate preparation and saving a few thousand dollars could cost the construction project a day or more of lost production. If you know it’s going to rain at some time during the project be prepared for when it does.

Offsite weather can also impact construction projects

Image by Ray Shrewsberry from Pixabay

"Sometimes it pays to keep sufficient stock or get materials in earlier to avoid disruption caused by heavy rains."

We should also consider the weather risks to activities happening off-site. Items being manufactured off-site may be hampered by poor weather. Will your supplier be able to continue manufacturing if they experience poor weather? I’ve often suffered delays because suppliers couldn’t paint the items because of wet weather. Choosing an alternate supplier that has covered manufacturing facilities may be more expensive but could avoid the risk of poor weather impacting delivery.

Understand your transport networks and how poor weather can disrupt these. Sometimes it pays to keep sufficient stock or get construction materials in earlier to avoid disruption caused by heavy rains. We have had projects cut-off from major centres for days.

Construction weather delays are the norm

Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay

"We can almost guarantee that most construction projects will be impacted by inclement weather."

We can almost guarantee that most construction projects will be impacted by inclement weather. In most cases this shouldn’t be an excuse for delays, although unfortunately these days more projects seem to be interrupted by extreme weather events which couldn’t have been foreseen.

We can prevent, or at least mitigate many of the delays by understanding the weather patterns in the area and allowing for these expected weather disruptions in our construction schedule. Proper planning can also mean that weather dependent activities are scheduled for times when better weather can be expected. We can also implement mitigating measures to reduce the damage and return the project to full production as quickly as possible. Prevent poor weather from disrupting your construction project

Contractors shouldn’t be expected to shoulder the responsibility of extreme weather events or those that couldn’t have been reasonably expected. They should therefore be cautious in accepting contracts where they could be liable for these delays.

Much of what I've said seems very basic, yet, almost certainly some contractors won't put bad weather mitigation in place, and their project will be delayed.

How has inclement weather impacted your construction project? Are weather disruptions a major cause of delays for your projects?

To read more about the author’s books and find out where you can purchase them visit the pages on this website by clicking the links below:
'Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide'
'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide'
'Construction Book reviews'
To read more about the author visit the page 'Paul Netscher'
Want to contact Paul Netscher please enter your details on 'Contacts'
Find out how Paul Netscher can help you

Order your books from Amazon
Order your books from Amazon UK
© 2016 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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Don't make these 10 rookie construction mistakes

28/3/2016

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"Basic construction management 101."

Contractors often make mistakes on their construction projects which almost always cost money, sometimes delay the schedule and on occasion impacts their reputation. Most of these errors should have been avoided – in fact many are basic construction management 101.

Unfortunately, because of a shortage of experienced Construction Project Managers we have people managing construction projects who don’t have the knowledge and experience to know better.

However, even this shouldn’t be an excuse for some errors, because a little thought should have told them what they were doing was wrong. Often though, these basic errors are caused when experienced Project Managers rush into their projects forgetting the basics, or simply because they were over eager or under pressure to get the project underway.
#constructionmanagement #constructionprojects #constructionplanning

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

"Even experienced Project Managers sometimes rush into their projects forgetting the basics,"

Don’t let these rookie mistakes trip your construction project up.

Starting work without an agreed and signed contract in place. A contract is there to protect both the contractor and the customer. It sets out both parties’ obligations and rights. It stipulates what the contractor must deliver and by when. It also stipulates the frequency and timing of the customer’s payments. Yet, some contractors start work on a construction project without a signed contract in place. Sometimes they have a letter from the customer telling them to proceed with the work. But what does this letter actually say? Does it refer to the pricing documentation? Does it say when the contractor will be paid, and more importantly when the contract document will be issued by the customer? In most cases the answer is no, and the contractor is in effect working without any contract or security. Then, when the contract is finally issued the contractor has little scope to negotiate any terms and conditions they deem unfavorable. The contractor has already completed some work so it’s difficult to walk away from the construction project because then they definitely won’t be paid. Invariably they have to accept the terms and conditions in the contract document even though they disagree with some. Don’t start construction projects without a proper contract
Starting the construction project before all the permits, registrations and authorities are in place. These could include: environmental approvals, licenses, building permits, plan approvals and road closures. We’ve all heard of cases of construction starting only for the city authorities to stop work because the building plans haven’t been approved. In many cases it’s the customer’s duty to apply for these permits and approvals. Contractors often assume the customer has received all the regulatory permissions and even if they haven’t that they’ll be paid for their team to stand should the work be stopped. Unfortunately, contractors aren’t always able to recover all of their standing and disruption costs. Furthermore, the construction team becomes frustrated with the lost time and it’s often difficult to get the team fully motivated and at full production immediately the construction project is allowed to restart.
Failing to have insurances in place before starting. It’s wise to check that all insurances are in place and that your insurer is fully aware of any project quirks and risks. If the customer is providing insurances or guarantees check that these are in place and valid for the construction period. Often insurance policies are only valid for a year so you should note when policies need to be renewed so they don‘t lapse part way through the project. Also notify insurers of any major changes that occur during the construction project which may impact the insurance policy or guarantee. Construction project insurances - what project managers need to know.
Not locating the existing services and utility lines before beginning to excavate. DID WE REALLY CUT A FIBER CABLE? THAT’S GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE! Many customers joke that if they want to locate the service lines such as power and water then they only need to let a contractor start excavating and they’ll immediately dig up a power cable or water line. Of course this really isn’t a joke. It can be dangerous, especially if a gas pipe or electrical cable is broken. It disrupts construction work and probably impacts neighbors who could be without power or water while the problem is fixed. It’s usually expensive to repair – particularly if it’s a fiber optic cable. But it’s not just about knowing where the service lines are, it’s about clearly marking their positions and communicating to the team where they are, and what the risks and implications are of breaking them. I can’t tell you how often we’ve cut through known services on a project because people either didn’t know they were there, they forgot they were there, or were just plain careless. Damaging existing services
Not planning the project properly before starting construction. I can relate endless stories of contractors having to relocate their sheds and huts part way through the construction project because they were placed in the wrong position at the start. Many a time we have cranes on the project which can’t lift the weights required or are too short for the task – usually resulting in extra costs and on occasion even causing accidents. Then there are construction projects that are under resourced or even over resourced, or that plainly haven’t selected the best construction methodology. A day or two spent in planning the construction project at the start will save costs and disruptions later. planning your construction project
Not putting in place a project kickoff. All workers (even those working for subcontractors) should attend a project kickoff meeting before starting work. This is to make them familiar with the project rules, ensure they understand the quality requirements and are informed of the project risks and safety requirements. Site rules and safety requirements vary from project to project. Ensure there is no excuse for workers being unaware of what’s expected from them on your construction project. Site or project inductions
Failing to get instructions in writing. Some customers issue verbal instructions to their contractors. This informality leads to problems. Not only can the contractor misinterpret the instruction, but it also leads to disputes when the customer later denies issuing the instruction, maybe even forgets giving the instruction or possibly the person who gave the instruction wasn’t authorized to give it. Always insist on instructions in writing. A written instruction is also a reminder to the construction team to claim the variation. 15 Rules for construction variation claims and change orders
Trying to be the nice guy and not submitting claims. (MISTER NICE GUY DOES FREE WORK. DON’T BE THAT GUY). Often Project Managers are reluctant to submit change order requests because they are frightened of upsetting the customer or they believe things will work out for the good at the end of the project and the customer will look after them. If you have cause to submit a delay claim or an extra cost submit it as soon as possible. I don’t think I have had ever had a construction project where we didn’t submit a claim for extra work. In most cases these claims were accepted and in some cases the project almost doubled in value. Yet, we invariably completed further projects for the same customer and there were never any ill feelings. Beside which, customers hate surprises later in the construction project when the contractor nears the end and finally realizes they are in trouble and then presents dozens of claims to the customer, many of which should have been submitted months earlier. If you have a rightful claim submit it, you can always be mister nice guy later and withdraw it. Are you working for free on your construction project?
Not planning the installation of services to start with the deepest first. I’m sure we have all experienced city roads that are newly resurfaced and then another contractor comes along and digs the new road up to lay a water main. Unfortunately in construction the same thing sometimes happens. One contractor buries an electrical cable and then another has to install a pipe below the cable. Coordinate the installation of all the services so the deepest go in first and where possible even use common excavations so the project site is disrupted once, instead of multiple times.
Selecting subcontractors and suppliers simply because they are the cheapest. I can’t tell you how many ‘cheap’ subcontractors and suppliers have become very expensive over the course of a construction project. They either couldn’t deliver the quality product in the required time (which resulted in delays, disruption and extra costs) or there were additional costs added for items which they had excluded in their price (items that other contractors and suppliers may have included in their price). It pays to perform a proper adjudication of all quotes to ensure you are comparing ‘apples with apples’, ‘like with like’. In addition ensure that the chosen supplier or contractor has the abilities to deliver a quality product, safely and on time. Time spent on adjudicating quotes properly is time well spent. choosing a subcontractor

"By being a little smarter, remembering to do the basics right, we can save ourselves a whole lot of trouble later."

Do the basics right and you will save time and money

Now I’m sure many would say these errors are elementary and they wouldn’t make them. Yet, it’s sometimes surprising the stupid mistakes we all make when we are rushed. But, just as important is to make sure that your team don’t make these errors. By being a little smarter, remembering to do the basics right, we can save ourselves a whole lot of trouble later. The 10 P’s of successful construction project management

This article was first published on the ClockShark website - Get The Industries' #1 Time-Tracking AppRunning a field service or construction business takes coordination and a great team. With ClockShark you get the industries' #1 timesheet app

To read more about the author’s books and find out where you can purchase them visit the pages on this website by clicking the links below:
'Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide'
'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide'
'Construction Book reviews'
To read more about the author visit the page 'Paul Netscher'
Want to contact Paul Netscher please enter your details on 'Contacts'
Find out how Paul Netscher can help you

Order your books from Amazon
Order your books from Amazon UK
© 2023 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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10 deadly sins in construction

19/3/2016

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It’s surprising how often construction projects don’t go as well as expected. Why is this and what can be done to improve the success of construction projects? I’ve often been asked what contractors should do differently.
Here are some items I believe are critical to the success of all projects. See if you agree. I’m sure you can add a few more to my list. I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

10 deadly sins which impact the success of your construction project

Ignoring good safety practices. We have a duty to ensure our employees return home safely at the end of each day. Furthermore accidents cost money and disrupt projects. Unsafe working conditions can result in a loss of productivity and negatively impact the morale of our employees. Accidents happen quickly on construction projects – don’t add another injury to the industry’s statistics or another headline to tomorrow’s newspapers. Ensure your team has the knowledge and equipment to carry out their tasks safely. Don’t accept unsafe practices.
Producing poor quality work. Poor quality workmanship negatively impacts your reputation. In addition the cost of rework is enormous and industry sources say it could add over 5% to the cost of every project. It also causes project delays. Of course poor quality work can endanger lives should the structural integrity of the facility be jeopardized. Ensure your team has the proper skills and equipment to carry out their tasks and that they clearly understand the specifications and the quality expected from them. There is no excuse for poor quality and we all need to step-up and take pride in our work and our projects.
Not training your team. We depend on our team to deliver a quality project safely, efficiently and on time. Do they have the necessary skills to do so? We continually hear moans that we cannot get the skilled people we need. We often have to pay inflated wages and salaries to obtain particular skills which are in demand. Yet, what are we doing to overcome this skills shortage? Are we training the next generation of workers for our company and the industry? I’ve always found training to be an essential component to my business. Trained, skilled employees are an asset. But more importantly providing training to employees is good for their morale and helps with employee retention. Train and mentor your team – it will pay dividends.
An unplanned project. Planning starts before we set foot on a project. It involves deciding the most suitable construction methodology, how we’ll manage the project, deciding what resources are required and by when and then procuring these resources. Planning our equipment needs, where we’ll place our cranes, sheds and offices. A project that’s not planned properly will cause problems later. Planning also means considering all alternatives to ensure we’ve chosen the most suitable methods and materials. But planning is also an ongoing process. I am frequently amazed how many project managers don’t appear to plan their projects on a daily and weekly basis. Work comes to a halt because materials or equipment haven’t been ordered or because we haven’t got the project ready for the follow-on activities. Projects seem to drift from one crisis to another. Obvious problems seem to be overlooked until they hit like a run-away express train. Yes, some project managers are good at putting out these fires, but how much better would it have been to avoid the crisis in the first place? Set time aside each day to plan and consider what has to be done next on your project, then ensure that the processes, materials, people and equipment are in place so the work will be able to proceed as planned. A little extra time spent on planning will save you money and time later.
Not having a good construction schedule which is regularly updated and referenced. I’ve always found a project schedule an essential aid to managing a successful construction project. ....Continue Reading......

This article is published on the ClockShark website. Please follow the link above to continue reading.

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Is your client delaying your construction project?

13/3/2016

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Image courtesy of Sira Anamwong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many projects are completed late. The reasons for this can be complex and depend on many factors. Often it’s the fault of the contractor and their poor project management. Late completion is costly to both the contractor and the customer. It also damages the contractor’s reputation.

Planning the project properly before work starts and managing the project during construction is essential and goes a long way to avoiding delays. Equally important is to have a well prepared schedule which considers the construction methodology and the known constraints. This schedule needs to be regularly updated and the results assessed to ensure the project is on-track to be completed on time. With this knowledge the project team can take timely action to rectify schedule slippage. If slippage isn’t corrected as soon as possible it invariably becomes worse, and the time remaining to catch-up the lost time becomes less, making it harder to make up the delay. It will eventually become impossible to catch up and finish on the due date. Unfortunately many contractors don’t investigate why their project is falling behind and simply add more resources in an effort to catch-up. This is expensive and doesn’t always help. By the time they find out that more resources aren’t working, more time has slipped by and there’s less chance of catching up.

In a previous post I discussed some reasons why contractors cause themselves to fall behind schedule. (Read: 10 Reasons why your project is behind schedule.) Many of these reasons can be easily rectified. However, in some case it’s not the contractor’s fault, rather the customer or their team that’s causing delays to the construction. In some cases these delays should have been allowed for in the contract schedule as they were spelled out clearly in the contract document. However, it’s often the case that the customer is causing delays which weren’t foreseen in the contract document. Why should the contractor then be responsible for these delays? It’s important for the contractor to highlight these delays to the customer and the team so they can take steps to rectify the situation. Also, the contractor needs to submit an extension of time claim for these delays so that they aren’t penalised for finishing the project late when it’s not their fault. They also must recoup costs they have incurred due to the delays.

Is your customer, or their team, delaying your project?
There are many reasons to consider when analysing why the project is falling behind schedule. We previously discussed reasons due to the contractor. Now let’s discuss the reasons customers delay the project:

The customer provides construction information late. I’m sure we’ve all been on projects where the client’s drawings have been issued late. This delays the project and frustrates the contractor’s team. If the customer has an agreed contract schedule they should know when the information is required so there’s no excuse. Providing an information schedule which links back to the construction schedule is a valuable aid. The customer often has to be regularly reminded of the forthcoming project information requirements. Immediately notify the customer (or their project manager) when information is late and where necessary lodge a delay or variation claim.
Late access. Often contractors are dependent on the customer providing access in accordance with the agreed schedule. The project will be delayed if these dates aren’t met and the contractor is entitled to claim for these delays.
Changes in specification. This is something that contractors don’t always detect until it’s too late. Change in specifications often increases the price of items, but they could also have longer manufacturing lead times. In some cases specifications are changed after items have been ordered which means that the original order has to be cancelled and new orders placed which can significantly delay projects. Sometimes customers and their designers aren’t aware of the implications to the project of these changes. If they are immediately made aware they may revert back to the original specifications to avoid delays and additional costs.
Scope increases. One mega project we were constructing was priced on a re-measurable bill of quantities. During construction our construction team was struggling to stay on schedule and was continually asking for more resources. Eventually we had much more equipment and people than we had allowed when we priced the project and consequently were showing major losses on our cost reports. When the team eventually caught up with re-measuring the quantities they found that some items had increased in quantity by more than 25%. Unbeknown to the construction team they had been accelerating the works at our cost – doing more work in the same period of time. Many projects increase in scope and contractors need to continually compare the actual scope with the scope they priced. Increased scope usually means we need more time to complete the project or additional resources to complete it in the original time. Contractors need to timeously notify their customer of scope increases as these usually add to the project cost which is detrimental to the customer’s budget as well as requiring additional time to complete.
The client’s activities cause delays. Sometimes the contract document includes customer activities and constraints that the contractor has to work around and accept. In these cases the contractor’s schedule should have taken account of them. However, often during the course of construction the customer introduces new constraints. On some projects we have had to shut down the work several times a week to allow our customer to carry out blasting activities. In other cases our work hours have been limited. Some existing facilities may have particularly rigorous security arrangements which impacts and delays the movement of people and materials onto the project.
Additional quality tests and inspections. Customer’s quality managers at times can introduce additional tests or quality inspections which are not only costly but can cause delays. Some clients add in additional ‘hold’ or inspection points or require 24 hour or even 48 hour notice periods for inspection. It’s important the customer is immediately notified so they can reassess these requirements to ensure the additional costs are worth the benefit.
Late drawing or design approval. The project schedule and document should stipulate the maximum turn-around time to approve the contractor’s drawings and designs. Some customers aren’t good at keeping to these times. However, in some cases contractors cause further delays because their drawings aren’t correct, are not submitted through the correct channels or aren’t in the correct format.
The customer’s team doesn’t immediately respond to request for information and drawing queries. Unfortunately I’m sure we’ve all received drawings with missing or conflicting information. On occasion querying and receiving the corrected information can be a tedious and time consuming process which delays the project. These delays need to be brought to the customer’s attention. We always include a list of all outstanding queries in our project meetings.
Customers’ not providing facilities and utilities in the required quantities and in the time they were obligated to supply them. On one of our earthmoving projects the customer undertook in the contract document to supply water at a specified point and in the quantities we required. Unfortunately the designated water point wasn’t ready until we were several months into the project. The alternative supply was 3 miles further away, it was used by other contractors and it couldn’t deliver the quantity of water we required every day. We not only needed more water tankers to haul the water a longer distance, but they had to queue behind other contractors to refill. As we know water is required for compaction so the limited water supply reduced the amount of material we could compact each day. This reduced our production which increased our costs and caused major delays. Ensure that the customer has provided the utilities and facilities where the contract says they should and that the quantities are in accordance with the agreed contract.
The customer’s other contractors impact and delay your work. They may restrict access to your work areas, damage your completed work or hold-up your work where you are required to interface with them.

Conclusion
By being aware of the customer’s obligations in the contract document and the project schedule contractors can take active steps to ensure their customer fulfils them. Customers are quick to blame the contractor for delays to the project and fail to understand how their own actions are damaging progress.

Don’t allow your customer to delay your project. Ensure you have an agreed project schedule which specifies information and access required dates. Regularly monitor construction progress and understand where and why delays are occurring and then take swift action to correct slippage. If it's your customers fault notify them and advise them of the consequences so they can rectify their problems. Contractors often require to manage their clients and customers to ensure the project is completed on time.

To read more about the author’s books and find out where you can purchase them visit the pages on this website by clicking the links below:
'Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide'
'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide'
'Construction Book reviews'
To read more about the author visit the page 'Paul Netscher'
Want to contact Paul Netscher please enter your details on 'Contacts'
Find out how Paul Netscher can help you

Order your books from Amazon
Order your books from Amazon UK
© 2016 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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Ask these 10 questions before submitting your next bid - they may save your bid

9/3/2016

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Construction company estimating departments are sometimes like sausage machines turning out price after price, quote after quote, working on a number of estimates at any one time. I’m amazed at how estimators manage to keep the different projects separate, how they isolate and review different supplier and subcontractor quotes for the different projects, how they manage to do this without making mistakes. Or do they?
Unfortunately contractors do make mistakes pricing projects. These mistakes might increase their price, probably meaning they don’t win the project. Sometimes they fail to include documents requested by the client resulting in their proposal being disqualified or going in the trash (a waste of effort). Other times they under-price an activity and they lose money when they construct the project.
Of course companies can avoid some of these problems by being more selective with which projects they price, discarding projects which are unsuitable and concentrating on those that they really want. However, even so mistakes happen.
Ask these questions
It’s prudent to carry out a few checks before submitting your price. Ask yourself and your team these questions:

Have we included all documentation asked for in the RFP? Customers often ask for a whole host of documents which could include forms the contractor is required to complete as well as other documentation such as the contractor’s insurances, process manuals, project schedule, estimated cash flows, safety plans, quality assurance plans and bid bonds. Failure to include one of these documents could result in your price being disqualified.
Will the person reviewing our proposal find the documents requested? You may have included all the documents but it doesn’t help if the person scrutinizing your submission can’t find them. This may lead to your price being discarded or at best the customer becoming frustrated. Include an index which will help the client. Also clearly highlight the relevant documents requested.
Have we priced everything the customer requested? Do we understand the scope of work? Often the project scope is read at the start of the pricing exercise and then forgotten. It pays to review it from time to time to ensure you haven’t priced something that is actually the customer’s obligation or left out items you should have priced.
Is our price competitive? We sometimes know who our competitors are and how desperate or not they are for the project. Sometimes we even know the customer’s budget or price expectations. If we believe our price isn’t competitive and we really want the project it may be necessary to reduce our profit margin. We could also revisit some of our calculations and quotations received from major suppliers and subcontractors. Don’t do anything stupid by cutting your price so you lose money – rather take a critical look where there are real savings possible. Conversely if you know the competition is going to be pricing high you could decide to increase your price by increasing your profit margin.
What are the project risks? Have we considered all of the project risks? Have we been too conservative when looking at the risks? Some contractors almost blindly price a project assuming everything will go as expected and are then surprised when things go wrong – even though they could possibly have been foreseen. Other contractors see a risk around every corner and add contingency for every eventuality. By preparing a risk schedule we will have a better understanding of our risks and the steps we should be taking to mitigate them. Reviewing this schedule before submitting your price is always good practice.
Will it be clear to the customer what’s included in the price? Contractors sometimes think their customers have ESP and should know what the contractor has priced and what is allowed in their price. If you have had need to assume something or you haven’t priced an item ensure that your customer knows this. If you’re pricing a new house it should be clear from the information provided with your price what the house will look like and what finishes have been included.
Is the math correct and have we carried all prices into the final contract price? This sounds simple yet many a contractor has gone out of business with simple math errors. We often trust in our computer spreadsheets and software, but unfortunately these often depend on the formulas we enter. Check and recheck. Sometimes customers ask contractors to include a provisional amount of money for a section of unknown work, but I’ve known contractors who left this amount out of their final price, and had to later carry the cost of this amount themselves.
Have we added in all the costs for our subcontractors? .........Continue Reading........

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10 reasons your project is behind schedule (programme)

3/3/2016

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Image courtesy of sdmania at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Unfortunately many construction projects are completed late. Invariably this negatively impacts the contractor’s reputation and costs both the contractor and their customer money. Often the contractor has to pay penalties for finishing late and they incur additional costs to remain longer on the project. The customer receives access to their facility late and usually faces additional costs for supervising the project for a longer period.

A well prepared schedule which is regularly updated allows us to detect early when a project is running late. When we fall behind, the normal course of action is for the contractor to place more resources on the project or work extended hours in the hope of catching the lost time up. Unfortunately this doesn’t always help as the true cause of the slippage hasn’t been uncovered. In fact adding more people or resources to the project may even add to congestion making the problem worse – especially if they aren’t the right resources.

Usually the longer the problem persists the worse the schedule slippage becomes and the less time remains to catch-up the lost time.

When schedule slippage is detected it’s important to uncover the real reasons and then take action to rectify the problems. Sometimes the cause may be a minor bottleneck which could be fixed with small adjustments to the running of the project.

Reasons for construction projects falling behind schedule
There are many reasons for a project finishing late. In this article I’ll only focus on reasons caused by the contractor. These include:

Material handling on the project site – this is one of the commonest causes of delays on projects. Materials aren’t reaching the area where they’re required. This is a particular problem with multi-storey buildings where everything has to be lifted by crane. Projects often underestimate the number of cranes required, forgetting that trucks have to be off-loaded and that lifting activities don’t happen uniformly throughout the day. Congested project sites can also be a problem delaying deliveries and blocking access routes. What can appear simple on a piece of paper, getting an item from point A to B, is sometimes not so simple on a busy project. Yet often simple steps such as packaging materials differently, having more materials handling equipment, working the lifting equipment longer shifts, changing the sequencing of lifting in the day or more focussed supervision on this activity can unblock this bottleneck and improve production on the whole project.
Poor productivity. If our labour and equipment aren’t producing what is normally expected we will need extra resources to complete the same amount of work. However, just throwing additional resources at the project doesn’t always yield the desired result and it’s also very costly. It’s often more effective to uncover why the productivity is low and try and rectify the problem. Some reasons for poor productivity include:
1. Employees aren’t working their full shift. They may take an extra five minutes on either side of their tea and meal breaks and leave their work place up to fifteen minutes early. Before you know it the project is losing between thirty minutes and an hour for every person on every shift.
2. Workers may have a low morale due to an underlying problem such as conflict with management or Supervisors, mistakes with their wages, etc. Resolving these problems and improving morale can improve productivity
3. Workers don’t have the right skills. Obviously a skilled and experienced carpenter will usually produce better quality work faster than someone who isn’t as skilled.
Frequent breakdowns of equipment. Breakdowns of key items of equipment such as cranes, concrete mixing plant or excavators can cause severe disruption to a project. After suffering innumerable delays on my projects due to crane breakdowns I persuaded the company of the folly and the cost of using old cranes and we embarked on a replacement scheme. Sure new mobile cranes are expensive, but just the increase in productivity on our projects more than compensated for these additional costs. Unfortunately those studying project schedules don’t always appreciate how disruptive broken equipment can be. Even hiring a better replacement item can change the mood and productivity on the project.
Shortage of materials. This is usually caused by the team not ordering sufficient materials or not allowing for fabrication lead times. Sometimes however the supplier has their own problems and it may be easily resolved by approaching another manufacturer. Even problems with insufficient delivery trucks can disrupt supplies. It could be an easy fix by bringing on other transport companies.
Theft of materials or equipment. In previous articles I highlighted one project where a third of every load of cement the project received was stolen en route. The project experienced cement shortages which hampered our production and caused delays. Sometimes the theft could be as small as removing a battery from an excavator which, in the countryside, could mean the machine and the other equipment working with it stands for several days. Even the theft of small electrical tools from a tradesman can mean they’re not working efficiently for hours or even days. Unfortunately theft can create bigger problems particularly if it is a long lead item such as an electrical distribution board.
Having too few resources of a particular trade. I’ve often experienced projects where one trade has held up the others. For instance if you have insufficient scaffolders you aren’t going to be erecting the scaffolding fast enough for your steel fixers and carpenters so they are going to be standing. If we need more people ensure we get those with the skills we are short of on the project and not just more of everyone. Sometimes there is only a minor hold-up and it may be possible to get the project through by asking a few employees with the required skills to work extended shifts.
Poor quality work resulting in rework. Poor workmanship causes delays when completed work has to be demolished and rebuilt. Even minor rectification work can distract valuable resources away from critical tasks.
The Supervisors and the team doing the work aren’t aware or don’t understand the schedule. This may seem stupid, yet, this happens surprisingly often. Management may give a copy of the updated schedule to Supervisors but often this is the schedule for the whole project for the remaining duration and it could be several or even hundreds of pages long. Most Supervisors are only concerned with their section of work and what needs to be done in the next couple of weeks. Therefore give them only their relevant sections of the schedule for the next few weeks. In fact I’ve found that, if possible, providing a schedule in a pictorial form highlighting the important dates works well as it can be put up on their office wall and is easily understood by their team. Even better is to spend time explaining to the Supervisor what needs to be achieved and explaining why certain dates are critical to the project. It’s amazing how a team who know what they have to achieve and the reasons behind it can then deliver.
Neighbouring sections of work negatively impact each other. This is usually because of congestion, safety issues or access problems. By analysing these problems sometimes we can develop solutions which may mean using different access systems, bigger cranes, additional safety measures, changing the sequence of the work or even working different shifts (one section could work day shift while the other at night). Yes, there may be additional costs, but not falling behind schedule is often more important.
A subcontractor isn’t performing. One non-performing subcontractor can impact other subcontractors and your own team. Often all it takes is the subcontractor to improve their performance, bring on extra people to stop slippage on the schedule. In extreme cases you may consider taking work away from the subcontractor. Of course ensure that your dealings with the subcontractor are in accordance with your contract with them. Also, understand why they aren’t performing as the reasons could be due to your team or the customer’s team.

Conclusion
We will all at some stage fall behind schedule on our projects. It’s important we detect this slippage early. Then, don’t take the obvious choice and add more people to the project, but rather analyse the reasons for the slippage and then take the necessary action to rectify these issues. Spend some time in the field and watch what the team is doing. Where are the bottlenecks? How could we do things better? Make sure your team understands the key dates on their section of work and how it impacts the project as a whole.

Of course, construction projects aren’t only finished late because of the contractor’s failings, it’s often caused by the customer or their team. My next article will deal with how customers can cause projects to finish late. It’s important to consider and address all the causes for a project running late so you can ensure slippage is caught up and the project is completed on time.

To read more about the author’s books and find out where you can purchase them visit the pages on this website by clicking the links below:
'Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide'
'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide'
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© 2016 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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