The successful contractor

How do we retain skilled employees in construction?

31/5/2015

Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Finding and retaining skilled people is one of the biggest challenges that many construction companies face. The construction workforce is highly mobile and many companies have a high turn-over of employees. Some managers have an attitude of ‘if they don’t like it they can leave’, or ‘we can’t afford to give them what they want so let them go’. This attitude is costly to the company, and often retaining good people isn’t about paying them more money, it’s just about treating them properly.

Why should we care if people leave?

Every company seems to complain of a lack of skilled people. This problem is often exacerbated when our skilled employees leave to join our competitors, or in some cases leave the industry.

Replacing employees is an expensive business. Costs include; recruitment, training, uniform costs, sometimes transport, lost time and production while a replacement is found and lost production while the new recruit finds their feet. (According to one report it can cost 16 to 20 % of a persons annual salary to replace them - read more.)
Then there are hidden costs such as the knowledge the person leaves with – which for a senior person on a construction project could be information required for variation claims, knowledge of clients, client relationships, etc.

Losing a senior competent and knowledgeable person can be difficult to replace as these people are often in short supply.

Losing people often places an extra workload on those that remain behind. This could mean they become overworked and leave the company as well, or it could result in them not being able to carry out their duties properly resulting in mistakes and accidents.

How do you retain your good employees?

The first answer that springs to mind is money. However, you are seldom able to outbid the highest bidder. Anyway do you want to outbid the highest bidder? This is usually an unsustainable practice, it can upset other employees when they find out a new employee is being paid more, and higher wages drives the cost of doing business up. Do you want to employ someone who is only interested in staying if the money is right? Nevertheless, you do need to ensure that the salaries you are paying are market related. However, most employees don’t leave solely because of money, unless the pay is really poor.

There are a number of ways to retain employees which don’t necessarily cost lots of money. Usually just a little effort from management:

Employees want to feel valued, and while money satisfies some of this need, it’s often just about saying thank you for a job well done, being complimented for good work or being asked for your opinion. Feedback and encouragement are important tools.
People leave managers not companies. People will often leave managers who are disrespectful in the way they treat them, their customers or others in the team. Nobody wants to work for a lazy manager, or one that isn’t respected in the company.
Employees want to see a career path. We sometimes leave a person doing the same job because they are good at it. Some people enjoy the security of doing the same job, but most would like to progress and see opportunities for promotion.
Create a spirit of teamwork – the essence of ‘we’ not ‘them-and-us’. Many companies have people who don’t ‘pull their weight’, leaving a bigger workload for their co-workers. Others are only working to satisfy their own personal needs, often at the disadvantage of the company. Most employees want to be part of a bigger team all striving for the same goal.
Celebrate success – construction isn’t an easy business and there are often numerous problems encountered on a daily basis, so when there’s substantial success embrace and celebrate it. It helps make everyone feel part of a successful team – success is empowering, infectious and stimulating. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team.
Training and mentoring is an important component. This not only makes the employee feel valued because the company is investing in them, but it also opens up possibilities for promotion. Most people want to better themselves and learn new things.
Employees want to feel trusted. Some managers micromanage their employees, often stifling innovation and creating a feeling that they don’t trust their employees. Delegating tasks is part of imparting trust.
Organisational culture. Employees want to feel part of a winning brand, a company that respects them, their clients and other stakeholders.
Employees want to know that there is a future for them in the company. Some companies have a culture of ‘hiring and firing’ people. Who wants to work under conditions where you never know if today is your last day? Who would be loyal to that company? Part of this security is the stability of the company, is it a company that is often teetering on the edge of financial disaster.
Communication – how it’s said and what is said. Not keeping people in the dark. Employees may not need to know something, but they may want to know it. Some companies only tell their employees what they think they require to know to complete their work. But many employees want to know more than this. They want to know the company’s future, what new projects the company has won, major new items of equipment that have been bought, and even who the new bosses are in Head Office. Many are embarrassed when they read about the company’s news in the press or hear from friends what is happening in the company before they hear it from their managers.
Tools and equipment – people not only perform better using the correct tools, but they are often proud of new equipment displaying the company’s logo. Who wants to be frustrated by having their work interrupted by equipment breakdowns, or having to continually repair broken equipment?
Treat people fairly. This means paying them on time, not making petty deductions, not being seen to be treating others better than them, or favouring certain individuals. This means ensuring discipline is enforced fairly and equally. Sometimes we do need to carry out actions that some may see as being unfair, such as promoting one person but not another. In these cases it is important to explain your actions and why they weren’t promoted. Part of being treated fairly also means promoting people for the right reason, not just because managers fear losing them, or because they have been employed longest, rather ensuring the most competent person is promoted into a roll they are capable of filling.
Hear what people are saying. This doesn’t mean pandering to every little complaint or giving in to every demand. It may mean explaining a decision, or why a particular demand isn’t justified. However listening may also bring more serious underlying problems to the fore.

Many of these actions cost little money and take a small amount of effort, yet they can create huge loyalty and benefits for the company.

Conclusion

Strong companies are generally built by good people. We are usually only as strong as our team. So invest in your team.

By the time a person hands in their resignation it’s difficult to dissuade them. They probably have already explored other alternatives and many would have signed an employment contract with another company.

How do you retain your good employees? In future articles I’ll discuss other actions you can implement.

Other similar articles by the author:

Providing feedback to your construction team.

Why construction companies should be concerned about their reputation?

Understanding what impacts your company’s reputation.

(Written by Paul Netscher the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’. Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article is adapted from information included in these books. Visit Construction Management Services on this website to see how Paul can help you)

© 2015 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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How designers can make construction projects more successful

28/5/2015

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Image courtesy of suphakit73 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When construction projects don’t go according to plan the contractor is often blamed for the problems. However, completing a construction project successfully is usually a team effort between the client, designers, the client’s appointed project manager (if there is one), the main contractor and their subcontractors. Failure by one of the parties can lead to the project not achieving its outcomes.

Last week I published an article; ‘how can clients ensure their projects meet their expectations?’ In this week's article I would like to focus on the role of the designers. Here I include architects, engineers of various disciplines, landscape architects, interior designers, etc. In some cases the architect or engineer may also be appointed as the client’s principle agent which may require them to fulfil an overall project management role, but, I’ll focus on this in my next article.

What can designers do to ensure the successful outcome of their projects?

I’m sure we have all been on construction projects where drawings have arrived late, changes have been made to completed work which then required rework and projects that have been difficult and expensive to construct because the design hasn’t taken cognisance of the local conditions. We have probably also seen grandiose projects which have been inappropriate to the client’s needs and brief. Often this is a result of a poor or weak design team.

So how can designers assist to ensure projects successfully achieve their outcomes?

Designers need to ensure they understand the client’s brief or scope of work. This should be clearly articulated in the contract document. Sometimes, the client themselves don’t fully understand what they want, so it’s important designers ensure that they and the client are both on the same page with common project expectations.
Designers should understand the client’s budget, ensuring their design fits the budget, or where necessary, advising the client that their budget is insufficient to achieve what they want. In some cases clients need to modify their expectations. Designs that exceed the client’s budget may not be built due to lack of finance or result in the client having a finished project that exceeds their budget causing them pain and unhappiness.
Designers need to learn to say no. This may mean saying no to a project that’s not suited to their capabilities, saying no to client’s design requests which aren’t appropriate or aren’t achievable, and also saying no to the client’s late changes that will delay the project or add additional costs. It may even mean advising clients to delay the start of construction to allow the design to be developed sufficiently. How many projects start construction too early – resulting in the contractor standing idle waiting for information?
Their price for the design must be sufficient to cover their full design costs. Often designers under quote a project to win it, then towards the end of the project when they have used all their budgeted hours they reduce the team and remove key people. This causes the final construction information to be issued late and being of a poor quality.
The design should go through full review stages to ensure it meets the client’s brief, it satisfies all codes and specifications and that it’s constructible.
Designers must ensure the client is fully aware of what services they have been contracted to do. Clients should be advised when there are possible shortfalls covering aspects of the project such as quality control or project management.
Information must be issued in a timely manner so the contractor isn’t delayed. Requesting an information required schedule from the contractor is a good way to monitor this. Timely issue of information needs to allow for the client’s review processes.
Designers need to implement a quality system to ensure that their drawings issued to the contractor are accurate with all the necessary information for them to construct that section of works.
The design team needs to be responsive to the contractor’s requests for information. Time is of the essence on construction projects and delays in answering questions can negatively impact both the schedule and the project costs.
Designs need to take cognisance of the available skills, resources and materials in the project area. Materials and resources that have to be procured from distant locations can impact the project cost and schedule.
Designers should take cognisance of the lifecycle of the project. This would include durability, maintenance, life cycle costs, the client’s operational needs, the client’s operational skills, operational safety and future needs. Some designs don’t take cognisance of future operations and maintenance.
Designers need to ensure that their design integrates with and takes cognisance of other designer’s drawings and information. How often do contractors have to cut holes in finished concrete to allow for pipe and cable penetrations (not shown on concrete drawings), required by electrical and mechanical designs?
Designs need to be constructible. Early liaising with contractors will assist. This could be as simple as selecting column sizes that suit standard available formwork.
Designers must advise and ensure the client carries out suitable investigations at the start of the project, such as ground investigations which could impact foundation designs.
Designers need to ensure their design is compatible with the local design codes as well as the client’s own specifications. This is particularly important when clients outsource portions of the design to design offices in other countries.
The design team need to promptly advise the client when they believe that changes to the design will add to the overall project costs or construction time.
Designers should enter into a construction project in a spirit of collaboration with the client, other designers and the main contractor. Egos or personal agendas should be left behind.

Summary

A well briefed and coordinated design team with the right skills can be invaluable to the success of a construction project. Having a substantially completed design available before construction starts usually allows the client to develop a more accurate budget, get more accurate pricing from contractors and results in fewer delays during construction.

To read further on this topic visit: Improving construction productivity with Dr. George F. Jergeas

For other similar articles by the author read:

In construction it’s important to know your clients.

Do your construction materials meet specification and are you installers competent?

Will your construction project be completed on schedule?

(Written by Paul Netscher the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’. Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article includes information from a third book which will be published later this year. To see how Paul can help you visit: Construction Management Services)

© 2015 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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How can clients ensure their projects meet their expectations?

21/5/2015

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Over the course of the last week I posed the following question on LinkedIn; ‘Why don’t many construction projects meet owners’ expectations?’ This article included a link to a KPMG Global Construction Survey which reported that 53% of owners suffered an under-performing project in the previous year. (Read more on the KPMG survey.)

Many readers read and liked my questions but few added their comments, which was disappointing.

Over the course of the next 2 weeks I’ll discuss my thoughts on why some construction projects aren't entirely successful and how their outcomes can be improved.

What defines a project as under-performing?

The KPMG report defined under-performance as:

1.       Projects completed late.

2.       Projects completed over budget.

In addition, I believe the following should also be added to the criteria:

1.       Has the project achieved the desired outcomes – for instance if the outcome was to build a facility that produces 1000 units a day, and the facility doesn’t achieve this target then the outcome wasn’t achieved?

2.       Has the project met the required specifications and quality standards?

3.       Has the project been executed safely with minimal damage to the environment?

4.       Has the project achieved the best use and value of the owner’s resources?

Some projects are expensive ‘white-elephants’ or aren’t ‘fit-for-purpose’. These certainly cannot count as successful even if they came in under budget ahead of time.

The project life-cycle

Many focus on the construction of a project as purely being the construction process. But the construction phase is only one part of the overall project which consists of; inception, planning, design, construction, completion, handover and operation which includes maintenance and, in some cases, should also include the end of facility life. Unfortunately many of the errors we encounter during the construction phase could have been avoided if the earlier phases were completed correctly.

What can be done to make construction projects more successful?

When projects go wrong it is inevitably the contractor that gets the blame and the bad press. When it can’t be the contractor the fall-back position is the designers. However, in many cases the problem is because of the client. In today’s article I want to discuss the client’s role in the success of construction projects.

How can clients ensure the success of their project?

1.       At project inception the client must ensure the right project is built in the right location, at the right time. Unfortunately some projects are ill conceived, are constructed to serve personal or political gain, with little thought to what’s the best use of money and resources and whether an alternative project, or, the project in another location, could have achieved a better outcome.

2.       The project scope must be defined correctly, meaning the facility that is designed and built will meet the client’s expectations.

3.       The client must have sufficient finance for the facility. This means preparing an accurate budget which includes all the costs and when they will be incurred, as well as the source and timing of the finance. Many projects fail because of insufficient funds.

4.       They should have realistic expectations of what they can expect for their budget.

5.       Clients need an understanding of the project life-cycle, including operational requirements and costs, including maintenance, the life of the facility and its equipment.

6.       They should engage a competent design team, and where necessary project manager, who have experience with similar projects.

7.       The designers, project manager and all contractors must be appointed using a contract that has a clear scope of work, clearly articulates what each party is responsible for, and has conditions which are fair, unambiguous, and legally enforceable and which allocates risks to the parties best suited to mitigate them.

8.       The client must ensure they timeously procure all the required permissions and permits in compliance with national, state, local and industry requirements. Many projects are delayed or disrupted when permits such as environmental aren’t procured in time. These permits can have a major influence on the size and location of the facility as well as the final process and design, all of which can impact the cost and schedule.

9.       Clients must ensure full site investigations are undertaken, especially ground conditions, since some founding conditions can result in major cost and time impacts.

10.   A competent contractor should be selected to construct the project who has suitable resources available and that has executed similar projects. Contractors should not be chosen on price alone.

11.   All finance must be in place and all contractors should be paid on time in accordance with the contract conditions.

12.   The client must ensure that the project is managed properly. This management includes monitoring safety, budgets, variations, quality and schedule.

13.   There should be an agreed project schedule which is achievable and allows for normal weather interruptions, takes into account the availability of information, long lead items, approval processes, impacts due to the client’s operations, third party interactions and available access. This schedule needs to be regularly updated and monitored.

14.   The client must ensure that services required to construct and run the facility are available in sufficient quantities in time, so the project isn’t delayed. These could include, water, electricity, transport networks and sewer.

15.   At the end of the construction phase the client must have suitably trained staff to manage and operate the facility. They must ensure all project documentation, including warranties and operating manuals are handed over, and all connections and commissioning is completed.

16.   Successful project delivery demands teamwork and cooperation. If one of the parties fails the project will almost certainly not be successful.

Conclusion

Clients need to become more educated in project delivery, use the knowledge of experts, ensure there projects are managed properly through all phases and appoint a competent team based on factors that aren’t just driven by price alone.

Next week I will look at the role of designers and contractors on ensuring projects are a success and meet the desired outcomes.

Thank you for reading this article. If you found it useful please like or share it.

Please add your comments so we can all learn from your experiences.

Other useful articles by the author:

What does it take to manage a construction project?

Why should we take construction safety seriously?

Did you make a difference on your construction project today?

(Written by Paul Netscher the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’ (see reviews). Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article includes information from a third book which will be published later this year. See how Paul can help you)

© 2015 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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What does it take to manage a construction project?

17/5/2015

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picture courtesy istock

Managing a construction project must be one of the most difficult jobs there is. To do it requires a large skill set. Some skills can be learned by attending courses, colleges or universities. Others are only learned through experience, and often the hard way – learning from mistakes!

Below are some of the skills I think it takes to manage a construction project. See if you agree. What skills do you think it takes to successfully manage a construction project? How did you learn your skills and how can we improve the skills of our future Project Managers?

Skills required to manage a construction project

·         To manage a construction project requires technical skills and knowledge (an electrical project would require knowledge in the electrical field, while managing a concrete project would require knowledge of concrete structures).

·         You may need to understand the performance of various types of equipment and machines. Some of these are used in the construction process while others will be included in the facility.

·         The Project Manager should be able to read and understand drawings, see their interrelationship, and be able to visualise the construction process.

·         You should be able to plan the construction process to ensure the project is completed in the shortest possible time, meeting the client’s milestone dates and access requirements.

·         The Project Manager has to procure materials and place subcontract orders, and then manage the delivery process and the subcontractors’ performance.

·         Project Managers must ensure that none of the workers, visitors, or members of the public, are injured or harmed in any way while on the project, or by any activities related to it. You require a sound knowledge of safety standards, procedures and legislation, which can vary between countries, clients and industries, and in some cases more than one set of safety regulations will apply.

·         In addition, an understanding of the applicable environmental legislation may be required.

·         You have to ensure that the construction project is delivered to the required quality standards, and in order to do this must be familiar with the project specifications, quality control documentation and testing procedures.

·         One of the most important aspects of managing a construction project is to be able to manage, work with, and interact with people. Construction projects involve a number of different parties, such as the client, subcontractors, the public, Designers, project staff, workers, suppliers, local businesses and building inspectors. Many of these people come from diverse countries, cultures, languages, socio economic backgrounds, and educational backgrounds.

·         Project Managers have to use all their people skills to negotiate, persuade, and lead the people working on the project, while at all times remaining calm.

·         You have to establish and maintain relations with the client, the design team and their own team.

·         You also have to be a coach, a teacher and mentor to their team.

·         Project Managers require a knowledge of industrial relations procedures so that labour harmony is achieved without jeopardising the project’s productivity, or profitability. You need to be familiar with the company’s procedures and requirements, specific project requirements, and possible union agreements, as well as legislation governing industrial relations.

·         You need an understanding of basic financial principles, be able to read and produce cost reports, and ensure the project operates profitably.

·         An understanding of legal and contractual requirements, and obligations, is a necessity since they are required to put together claims and variations for changes that occur on the project.

·         The Project Manager needs to take action to prevent problems from occurring, and solving those that do occur.

·         The Project Manager has to manage risks on a daily basis, making judgement calls which can have large repercussions. Decisions must be made every day, everything from minor decisions to major ones that could impact on the safety of the workers, or cost the project millions of dollars. Yet many of these decisions must be made in a hurry.

·         Project Managers also have to be salesmen selling themselves, and the company to clients and their teams, so as to enable the company to win and be awarded the project, and further work.

·         You also have to positively influence the contractor’s reputation.

Even when there is help

In some cases, on large projects, there may be a team to assist the Project Manager, consisting of specialist resources, such as Planners, Quality Control Managers, Safety Managers, Engineers, Contract Administrators, clerical staff, and so on. But even in this fortunate position they must manage the processes, and ensure there is full compliance on the project, therefore they’ll need to understand these processes. The Project Manager will have to delegate and motivate their team, using the skills of the individual members and guiding them towards the common goal.

Conclusion

Then just as you have mastered all the problems on one project and successfully completed you move to a new project and do it all over again. Often the new project is for a new client in a different location, working with a new team, with different subcontractors and suppliers. The project could be completely different and result in you using different skill sets. No construction project is exactly the same as the previous one; each is unique, with its own set of problems and parameters.

What do you think makes a great construction project manager?

Thanks for reading this article. I hope you found it useful. Please share or like so others in your network can read it.

Other similar articles by the author:

Why we should take construction safety seriously.

Did you make a difference on your construction project today?

Simple steps to make your construction project more successful.

(Written by Paul Netscher the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’. Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article is adapted from information included in these books. )

© 2015 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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How can a construction company rebuild a damaged reputation?

14/5/2015

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Some weeks ago I posted two articles ‘Understanding what impacts your construction company’s reputation’ and ‘Why construction companies should be concerned about their reputation’. In these articles I mentioned how easily reputations can be damaged, even by individuals in the company, and how this damage can sometimes prevent the construction company from winning further work. At the time someone asked the question; ‘How can a construction company recover from a poor reputation?’

Last week I was reminded of the topic when I saw the following article: A major construction company has been faced with damaging allegations of fraud and bribery so after more than 60 years in business they have decided to change their name. Read more. Now this often happens among micro companies that run up large debts or do work badly, and then the owners reinvent their business under another name and carry on business as usual. This strategy works for them because the companies are so small they have an insignificant audience and a limited history. But I’m not sure this strategy is successful for a giant well known construction company that has made the national news headlines in both bad and good ways. Are clients that gullible that they’ll believe that a new name means a clean reputation? Then, what about the history, the good parts of the brand and reputation that are also being disposed of, doesn’t this count for anything?

My recommended action when dealing with damage to your reputation

1.       Find out the reasons for the bad reputation. It might be a poor safety record, unsatisfactory quality, ill disciple amongst employees, arrogance, frequent disputes and claims against clients or not completing projects on time.

2.       Institute damage control – that is, prevent the damage from spreading and fix the immediate problems. Now some large companies will get their spin-doctors out and issue press releases and statements. I’m not sure this is totally effective – and if anything it often spreads the bad news more quickly. Sometimes these press statements are issued too soon and don’t deal with the problem effectively, and sometimes more damaging revelations reveal themselves after the statements. It’s wise for senior management to get involved directly with the problem – don’t rely on reports, rather go and visit the problem and talk to the parties’ first-hand. Clients usually appreciate it if they know senior management is taking their problems seriously. It may stop them taking their actions further.

3.       Solve the immediate problem.

4.       Ensure the problem won’t occur again. This may include dismissing people who caused the problem, introducing new systems into the company to prevent the problem reoccurring, retraining employees, etc.

5.       Now the difficult part of the exercise comes! How do you convince your clients that the company has changed? Some of them may have been impacted by the causes of your poor reputation – it may even have cost them money. But before selling the message to your clients and the public make sure that you have definitely resolved the problems and they won’t reoccur. If similar problems reoccur after you have told your clients they won’t, then they will doubt you even more next time you tell them everything is fixed.

Rebuilding trust

Unfortunately clients can be very unforgiving and it could take time to rebuild trust again. Changing the company’s name is a bit of ‘smoke and mirrors’ which won’t fool most discerning clients, in fact it may make them feel like they are being misled.

1.       It’s important that everyone in the company knows what’s been done and what has to happen in the future. When clients talk to senior management or project managers they must get the same message. That message must be clear and include:

1.1.    ‘we made a mistake’

1.2.    ‘we acknowledge our mistake’

1.3.    ‘we have rectified the mistake by….’

1.4.    ‘we have taken the following steps to prevent the problem reoccurring….’

1.5.    ‘remember the good things we achieved in the past, what we did right and our past successful relationship and projects’.

Clients need to be convinced that the company has changed and things will be different and at the same time reminded of the things that were done well and worked.

2.       Generally the ‘proof is in the pudding’ as they say. So if you can demonstrate a successful completed project without the previous problems you are better able to tell your story. However, most clients aren’t naturally going to give you a 2nd chance to win a project with them. You may have to do it by giving them an offer they can’t refuse, that is, submit a bid price that is much cheaper than your competitors – but this could cost you money as your price may in fact have to be below cost, which has its own problems.

3.       The best strategy is for senior management to visit major clients to spread the message about the changes and improvements made to way the company will do business in future. Unfortunately often things get blown out of proportion and some clients may not have heard the correct story. However, having said this don’t try and hide, or gloss over, past problems.

4.       When tenders or bids are submitted ensure that your price is competitive, ensure that you can deliver the project to the client’s satisfaction. In addition spell out in your bid how you will deliver the project taking care that the previous problems won’t reoccur. The client will be asking themselves the same questions even before they look at your bid, so make sure you give them answers that will make them feel confident about using you. Don’t just give them rhetoric, but tailor your answers to their specific project. Remind the client of similar previous projects you have done successfully.

5.       Should you be fortunate to be called into post tender meetings with the client make sure senior company management attends. Don’t be scared to bring up the past problems and address these and what will be different on this project.

Conclusion

If this fails to win your old clients back you may have to look for other markets, new clients, then, if all else fails consider rebranding the company completely.

But, what do you think? Have you experienced something similar, having to rebuild a company’s reputation?

Obviously it’s best to look after your construction company’s reputation and ensure all employees understand how vital it is to maintain the company’s reputation. It’s much easier than rebuilding a reputation that’s been broken.

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found it interesting. Please like or share the article and add your comments and experiences.

Other similar articles by the author:

Will your construction project be completed on schedule?

Construction is a people business. Employ the right people.

Why should we take construction safety seriously?

(Written by Paul Netscher the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’. Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article is adapted from information included in these books.)

© 2015 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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Why should we take construction safety seriously?

10/5/2015

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Image courtesy of stockdevil at FreeDigitalPhotos.netPicture

The impacts

Have you had a worker die on your project? Have you visited a seriously injured worker in hospital? Maybe you’ve been injured yourself working in construction? What does it feel like?

Some of us have had the misfortune of having serious accidents on our construction projects. It’s not pretty – and I’m not talking about the blood and mess. It’s the after effects, the disruption, the scars and loss left behind.

I was a Contract Director for a construction project in a remote part of Africa and while visiting the project, a scaffold that concreters were working on collapsed, resulting in a worker falling onto the broken timbers. A piece of wood penetrated the upper part of his inner thigh, which bled profusely. Fortunately the client had a full-time paramedic on the project, who treated the injured worker, before transferring him to the hospital an hour’s drive away.

Since there was so much blood, I was concerned the worker would die, and since we were working in a foreign country, I was also worried about what could happen to us. I had visions of the local police arriving, arresting us, and locking us in the local prison. I had no illusions as to what conditions would be like there. It was certainly a scary thought for all of us.

There was, however, a happy ending. The injury wasn’t as severe as it had appeared and the worker returned to work the next day. We were fortunate, since I’m sure if the piece of wood had pierced a major artery, which was probably only centimetres away, the outcome would have been very different.

This accident could have happened in any country, and if the worker had died there was the possibility of the Project Manager and I both being jailed if found responsible for the death. In first world countries prisons may be slightly better than elsewhere, and the justice system may allow for a fair trial, however, the consequences of the Project Manager being found responsible for the death of a worker, or member of public, on their project, is still possibly prison time, certainly a heavy monetary fine. Unfortunately very few Project Managers understand this, and it’s probably the reason many don’t take safety as seriously as they should.

But let’s put aside the direct consequences to you for a minute, and consider some of the other consequences of an accident on a project. What about the workers themselves? What about their families? Workers have an expectation, and a right, they’ll return home from your project in the same health as they started. Families expect to see their loved ones, and bread-winners, return from work at the end of the day, and you, the Project Manager, have the duty of care to ensure this happens.

What’s the problem?

Over the years I have seen huge improvements in safety on projects. When I look back to my early years in construction, I shudder to think how we used to do things, and the risks we took with our own lives, and the lives of workers. Safety has changed for the better which means we can all sleep easier at night.

However, construction work is a hazardous business and accidents happen easily. In fact, I have often found accidents happen when we least expect them and even when the simplest tasks are being done.

Safety isn’t something that happens naturally. Just consider the recent maintenance tasks you did at home or in your garden, I’m sure if you analyse these, you’ll find you didn’t use the correct personal protective equipment, or follow proper safety procedures. I know I’m guilty of numerous safety breaches every time I work around the home and garden! (Most hospitals treat more injuries incurred from DIY projects in the home than other causes.) In fact, if you think about the last time you were driving, did you obey all the rules? When walking, do you stop at the traffic light and wait for it to turn in your favour, or are you impatient and cross as soon as you see a gap in the traffic? (No wonder there are so many injuries from motor vehicle accidents!) We’ve all done these things, so why should we expect to do things any differently at work? If you engage in unsafe behaviour outside the work place, the chances are that most of your workforce does the same thing.

What can we do?

Many hate safety because all they see are rules, expenses and a drag on production. But safety is not just about rules! Safety is about changing behaviour and changing mindsets, including your own.

And if you want to know about expense and disruption to a project, then have a serious accident and you’ll soon know about it!

Anyway why should production come before people's lives?

Safety cannot be left entirely to the safety advisors, nor can it be driven only by the Project Manager. Safety is a team effort that needs support from the whole management team and all the workers. To achieve this, the Project Manager has to lead the team – and lead by example.

Safety must be set-up properly from the start of the project, which should be scheduled and planned in such a way that the work can be done safely – the client’s deadlines and schedule should not dictate otherwise.

Don’t let anyone be hurt on your construction project today.

Thank you for reading this article. If you found it useful please like or share it.

Please add your comments so we can all learn from your experiences.

(Written by Paul Netscher the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’. Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article is adapted from information included in these books.To see how Paul can help you visit Construction Management Services )

© 2015 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.
Image courtesy of stockdevil at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Improve cash flow. Implement these strategies when pricing your next project

7/5/2015

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Over the course of the last 3 weeks I’ve discussed ways in which construction companies can improve their cash flow position. In this article I’ll discuss what contractors can do when they bid for their next construction project to improve their cash flow during the execution of the project.

Contractors often become excited at the prospect of winning a new project and many don’t stop to consider if they have the finance to survive the negative cash flow that many construction projects entail. Often the bigger the project, the larger the cash flow strains your construction company will face. It’s important during the bidding stage that you prepare an accurate forecast of the anticipated cash flow for the project. If you are unable to sustain any negative cash flow affects it may be better to not price the project, or, you need to develop a strategy to mitigate the negative cash flow.

Construction companies can do many things when preparing tenders to improve their cash flow such as:

1.            checking that the client can meet their financial obligations on the project – this sounds straight forward yet it’s amazing how many construction companies end up working for a client who doesn’t have the funds to pay them

2.            researching whether the client is known to pay the full value of the monthly valuations on time – some companies have a reputation for paying their contractors late, or, their projects end in legal disputes which could delay payments and also reduce the amount the contractor is eventually paid

3.            negotiating more favourable payment terms which may include:

a.        negotiating to be paid interim valuations in the course of the contract

b.        arranging for the valuations to be paid within a shorter period than stipulated in the tender

c.         being able to submit invoices at an earlier date or more frequently

d.        the client withholding a lesser percentage as retention, or capping the amount of retention money withheld to a maximum value

e.        payment for materials which haven’t been built into the project but have been delivered to the project – this might be particularly relevant for expensive pieces of equipment

f.         replacing the retention money with a surety bond

g.        asking the client to provide a payment guarantee which could ensure that if they got into financial difficulties you could claim against it

h.        requesting the client to make an advance payment (particularly to cover the purchase of major items of equipment or material)

i.          structuring the tender in a manner that a larger portion of the project overheads are paid at the start of the contract, or that work done earlier in the project has a higher value than work done later (I’ve run many contracts with over-claims running in excess of a million dollars just by structuring the tender correctly and ensuring that our monthly progress valuations were maximised)

4.            requesting the client release retention money earlier by:

a.        shortening the duration it’s held

b.        releasing it in tranches as interim milestones are achieved

5.            reducing the value of the guarantees

6.            allowing the guarantees/bonds to be released earlier or when important interim milestones have been achieved

7.            understanding if the value of the project is going to grow substantially – now most contractors love it when the value of their contract grows, but this could place additional strains on your cash flow, particularly if the value of retention money increases, and the sureties are withheld for a longer period

8.            understanding the risk of the contract schedule being extended – again this is often in the contractors favour if they are able to agree variations for this extension, however it will mean that retention money and sureties/bonds will be held for a longer period which could impact cash flow

9.            understanding when the final completion date is – this is particularly important for subcontractors, since in some contracts the general contractor (main contractor) may specify a completion date linked to their completion date and not when the subcontractor’s work is completed – again this may impact final payments and release of retention monies

10.        preparing a cash flow forecast which is based on the schedule, when payments will be made and when costs will have to be paid

11.        checking the payment terms and conditions for suppliers and subcontractors that have quoted for the work – some of these may be substantially different to your terms with the client, and in some cases specialist suppliers may demand upfront payments

As an incentive to the client you may need to give them a discount for agreeing to better payment terms. This discount could also make your price more attractive compared with your opposition. Often it may be necessary to explain to the client why they won’t be disadvantaged or the project put at risk by agreeing to slightly different terms.

Once the construction contract is in place it is almost impossible to modify the terms or conditions with the client so it is important to agree all the terms and conditions before signing the contract.

A little extra thought when preparing your tender could make a substantial difference to your company’s cash flow later.

Other useful articles by the author include:

Negative cash flow the death for many construction companies

How to improve cash flow on your construction projects – part 1

How to improve cash flow on your construction projects – part 2

Thank you for reading this article. If you found it useful please like or share it.

Please add your comments so we can all learn from your experiences.

(Written by Paul Netscher the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’. Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article is adapted from information included in these books.)

© 2015 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

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Did you make a difference on your construction project today?

3/5/2015

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Photo courtesy khunaspix freedigitalphotos.net

Did you make a difference on your construction project today? This seems a strange question and I’m sure most will respond with an emphatic ‘yes’. However, I challenge you to answer the same question on your way home tonight and I expect at least half of you might struggle to answer truthfully in the affirmative.

Ask yourself these simple questions

To help you decide how much of a difference you really made, answer these simple questions.

Did I improve productivity, such as highlighting ways to work more efficiently?
Did I stop an unsafe act or actively improve safety on the project?
Did I thank someone for a job well done?
Did my presence improve quality?
What problems did I solve? (Well I’m sure you all solved problems, but were your solutions the best in the circumstances?)
Did my actions prevent a problem from occurring?
Who did I teach or mentor?
What steps did I take to reduce costs?
Did I constructively engage with the client?
Was I able to improve revenue?
Did I reduce wastage?
What did I do that helped the environment?
Was I a good advertisement for my company and is my project a good advertisement?
What steps did I take to secure new business?
Was I an inspiration to my team? Did I lead by example?
Is the project on schedule and what steps were implemented to ensure it remains on schedule?
Do I know what needs to be implemented tomorrow and is everything in place so it can happen?
Does my team understand what needs to be achieved, how we will achieve it and what the required standards are?
Did I attend to all the tasks that required my attention today?
Am I proud of what I achieved today, or could I have done better?
What did I do to improve my management skills and my technical knowledge?

(Now some may be quick to say ‘but that’s not part of my job’. People in Head Office find the work, senior managers interface with the client. Well that’s not strictly true. Anyone on a construction project can hear of potential new projects when they talk to suppliers, subcontractors, their friends, neighbours or relatives. This can provide vital leads for company management. When the client walks around the project a courteous greeting goes a long way to customer relations.)

Congratulations if you said yes to most of these questions. Your construction project should be a success. What else did you achieve? Please add your comments.

What can we do?

Unfortunately many of us can work hard all day, be rushed off our feet solving problems on our construction projects, answering emails, attending meetings, yet, without really making a significant difference to the project. Take time to stand back and plan your project and implement steps that will make a difference. Look at your project with new eyes. Many of the actions take only a couple of minutes from your day, yet can make an enormous impact to your project, your company and probably your career.

This message is particularly important for those managers who aren’t full time on a project, that make whirlwind visits to site, and then leave making very little difference, or even in some cases, leave more mess, resentment, confusion and uncertainty behind. Even if you just get into the habit of actively looking and making one remark about; safety, quality, productivity and another item, you’ll get into the habit of looking at your projects with new eyes. But remember though, it doesn’t all have to be negative, and always ask if the project needs help or advice!

Continually ask the question; “What difference did I make to my construction project today?”

Tomorrow is a new day. Make you construction project a success. Make a difference.

Other similar articles by the author:

How poor productivity impacts projects

Mistakes must become lessons, but we must also learn from our success

Who is responsible for safety on your construction project?

Who is responsible for quality on your construction project?

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you find it useful. Please like or share the article so others in your network can also benefit.

Please connect or follow me to read similar articles (my contact details are on my profile).

Please add your comments - together we can make our construction projects more successful.

(Written by Paul Netscher the author of the acclaimed books ‘Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide’ and ‘Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide’. Both books are available in paperback and e-book from Amazon and other retail outlets. This article is adapted from information included in these books. Read more about Paul Netscher or see how Paul can help you visit Construction Management Services.)

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