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12 important phrases to use in construction

29/6/2016

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Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
"We are often quick to criticise employees for poor work, but we overlook thanking or praising them for a job well done."

Try saying these 12 important things on your construction project

No this isn’t an English lesson, but rather a reminder of some phrases we forget to use, or are too nervous to use in our construction business. Here are a few things we forget to say, or don’t say often enough. Could you be guilty?

 1. “Hello” (“Good morning”) – Do you greet employees when you pass them. I knew one business owner who would walk right by people in the office every morning without greeting them. We shouldn’t be surprised that these employees found this hurtful. As managers we are often preoccupied with problems and phone calls and I’m sure I’ve been guilty of not greeting employees. But that worker on your construction project will feel recognised and appreciated if you say hello next time you walk-by. That simple act of recognition, which cost you a few seconds, can make your employees feel more included and appreciated and more motivated. 

2. 
“Thank you” (“Well done”) – We are often quick to criticise employees for poor work, but we overlook thanking or praising them for a job well done. Praise can be motivating. A simple thank you doesn’t cost anything and yet it can reap big rewards. 

3.  “Help” – You can’t always be expected to solve every problem. Sometimes you have to ask for help and advice. You don’t have to use the advice, but just discussing the problem with someone else can provide a new perspective. Many projects sink further into trouble because project managers have been too proud to ask for advice and have continued on making poor decisions until the project becomes irrecoverable. We all need help sometimes.

4. “Let’s check” (“Are you sure?”) – Too often mistakes are made which simple checks could have detected. Mistakes with prices and quotations, mistakes with measurements, even mistakes in letters and emails. Take a few minutes to check what you’ve done and you may just avoid a costly or embarrassing mistake. 

5. “Is that safe?” – Most accidents are preventable and if those involved had stopped to ask this simple question they would probably have done things differently and avoided the accident. Don’t kill yourself or others because you didn’t stop and ask; “is this safe?” 
Why should we take construction safety seriously?

6. “Is there an alternative?” (“Can we do it differently?”) – We often accept the first solution without considering alternate methodologies, alternate solutions or alternative materials. There are usually many ways of doing something - more than one may be right - but we should always be looking for the best solution. It may be time for the old dog to learn some new tricks. The way you’ve always done something may no longer be the best solution anymore.

7. “Will we be paid for that?” (“Did we allow for that?”) – I’ve found that contractors often do work for free. Sounds unbelievable! Yet project managers sometimes don’t read the contract so aren’t aware of the basis of the quotation and what the client’s obligations are. They are also sometimes guilty of performing extra work without a written instruction. When you receive an instruction, or open a new construction drawing, ask the question; “did we price to do that work? Will we be paid?” 
Are you working for free on your construction project?

8. “I don’t understand” (“Can you clarify that”, or “I’m not sure what you mean”) – All too often we make assumptions when we aren’t sure of something. This is particularly dangerous when pricing a project when the request for pricing isn’t clear. It can be very costly when you incorrectly assume something. I’ve encountered many problems on my projects when drawings weren’t clear and people assumed something which in fact was incorrect. Don’t be too proud to ask questions – no question is too stupid, especially when the answer could save money, and even sometimes lives! Just as important is to not assume that the person you are giving instructions to understands what you are saying or knows what you want. 
The Contractor's Duty to Ask Questions

9. “No” (“Sorry we can’t do that because;…” or, “Sorry we can’t do that but maybe we could do this;…”)– I’m sure we’ve all accepted a project schedule that’s too short, or been bullied by a customers into giving a discount or reducing our price to fit their budget. We’ve probably lamented these actions later when we finished the project later than the agreed date, or lost money on the project. Maybe we’ve regretted not saying no to an unsafe act? Employees and customers can be demanding and it’s often easier to say yes when they ask for special treatments or exceptions, yet this may lead to more demands and problems later. Of course we shouldn’t get into the habit of only saying “no”. I’ve known people whose first response was always “no” – “no” can sometimes be over used and destructive. Learn to think before you say “no”. If you do say no it’s often useful to offer an alternate solution, or at least give reasons for the negative response.

10. “We should do it like this because; ….” – Sometimes we expect our crews to blindly follow our orders and rules. Safety is a prime example where companies and customers seem to have endless rules and regulations. On some projects there is often a culture of non-compliance of these rules. But, maybe if our employees understood the cost of their non-compliance, the potential implications to their and their fellow workers safety and health, they might just be more inclined to do the correct thing. It’s time we stopped saying: “you do it this way because those are the rules”, or “that’s the way we do things around here”, or “that’s what the boss says”, or “it’s my way or the highway”. Your crew deserves the respect to know why we should do things in a certain way, and understanding the reasons will probably make them more likely to do as requested. Explaining why we do things in a certain manner is also part of the mentoring process.

11. “Are we proud of that?” (“Am I proud of this?”) – Many quality problems arise on projects because of a lack of pride or a lack of care. Will you accept the quality of the item in your house? Will you be proud to show your work to your family? Our customers are paying for a quality product and we should be committed to delivering it to them. 
Does anyone give a …. anymore?

12. “Let’s celebrate” – Construction isn’t an easy business and there are numerous problems encountered on a daily basis, so when there’s a substantial success embrace and celebrate it. Everyone wants to belong to a successful team – success is empowering, infectious and motivating.
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"Everyone wants to belong to a successful team."

Good Communication is Essential for a Construction Project Manager

​How many of the above words and phrases do you use?
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A large part of construction management is about managing and motivating people. Good communication is essential. Don’t be too proud or arrogant to use certain phrases. Take a few extra minutes out of your day to use some of these phrases and you would be surprised by at the results you get on your projects - they could just save you millions and earn you a whole lot more respect from your crews.
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Does your manager forget to use some of these phrases? How does that make you feel?
Do you regret not saying something you should have?
Good communication is essential in construction
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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
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Learn more about Construction Project Management

"Very useful guide regarding the management of the construction projects. Open, direct and insightful."
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​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

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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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Construction project logistics - the hidden bottleneck that could be strangling production

26/6/2016

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"Poor logistics will be costly on your construction project."
​Logistics are often overlooked when planning a construction project, yet poor logistics can cause bottlenecks which literally strangle the life out of your project. It impacts production and productivity causing delays and adding to costs. Usually the larger the construction project the more important and complicated the logistics become.

Getting materials, equipment and people to the construction work site

Logistics includes mobilizing people to the project site, getting them to the project every day and then moving them around the project to where they are working. A project with a dozen, fifty or even hundred people can be simple to coordinate, but some projects can have thousands of workers. Sometimes the project may be in an operating facility which already employs thousands of workers. Somehow the construction workers have to get to their job site without impacting the owner’s workers. Then the owner’s workers still have to get to where they are required without hindrance or being endangered by the construction work. This must happen safely and quickly. Even if every person in a hundred person team is only delayed by five minutes in the day, the total impact on the project is more than 8 hours – put simply we have to employ an extra person every day to make up for the lost time. Five minutes on most construction projects is nothing and it’s often more like fifteen or twenty! Why is there poor productivity on your construction project?

Some industrial and mining facilities can cover huge areas and the distanced between work locations can be significant. Lengthy delays in getting personnel to their work areas at the start of the days and after their rest breaks can reduce productivity dramatically.
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Then there are facilities that have extraordinary security that causes huge delays. I have for instance worked in diamond plants and precious metals refineries where security has been very strict and getting materials and equipment in and out of work areas took time, patience, paperwork and effort – tying up staff and disrupting progress and productivity.
Vertical transportation in high-rise buildings can be particularly challenging. I’m sure we have all experienced frustrating delays on these projects waiting for hoists to take up men and materials, or cranes to lift materials to where they are needed.

Logistics is about getting materials and equipment from their point of origin to where they are needed at the work face at the correct time and without damage. Logistics includes offloading the equipment and material safely, and installing them when required. Do Your Material Deliveries Suck? How to avoid problems
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Some material and equipment can be over-sized – either being extra wide, long or high or very heavy. Special transport may be required as well as permits and escort vehicles. Can the roads leading to the project site handle these loads? Are the roads on the project site designed for these loads? We need to consider radii of bends, road widths, height restrictions and weight restraints. In addition projects are changing on a daily basis and routes may become restricted or even dug up. What could be a simple exercise of getting an item onto site at the start of the project can turn into a nightmare later as structures are built and roads are changed. Many contractors have suddenly found routes unsuitable part way through the project when new bridges were built over the road restricting the height of loads that can use the route. planning deliveries to construction sites

Construction Cranes

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"Projects frequently don’t have sufficient cranes or material handling equipment."
​Projects frequently don’t have sufficient cranes or material handling equipment. This lack of equipment not only delays getting the materials to where they’re required but could also delay offloading the trucks bringing the material to the project. These delays impact productivity, delay trucks from returning to collect the next load (meaning more trucks are required) and can lead to additional costs from transport companies whose trucks are delayed.

Double handling and even triple handling of materials is a result of materials being off-loaded in the wrong place, or materials arriving ahead of time and the work area isn’t available. The additional handling of the materials results in additional costs but it can also risk damaging materials and equipment.

Lifting operations need to be done safely with trained personnel. Improperly rigged loads can cause accidents resulting in injury and damage to equipment. Lifting operations can be delayed because of wind, equipment breakdowns, inexperienced operators, poor rigging and slinging techniques, cranes being incorrectly positioned, repeated moving of the crane between loads or workers installing the equipment and materials not being properly prepared. Too often work areas aren’t ready for items that have to be lifted, leaving expensive cranes standing idly waiting, while other areas are themselves waiting for the crane. Proper organisation and planning of work areas can free up the cranes to do more work. Cranes, lifting equipment and slings

Crane congestion can be a major problem – especially on large contracts with many different contractors and subcontractors, each with their own crane. This can lead to dangerous situations which need to be avoided such as the risks of crane booms clashing and cranes lifting loads over workers. At the very least it leads to reduced productivity.
A major part of logistics is about getting the right item arriving on the project site at the right time. We need to ensure that suppliers have a delivery schedule which they stick to. Far too often we receive the materials we require last before the items we require first. This leads to a congested work area and double handling of materials.

Storing materials on construction projects

​Often projects don’t consider the laydown areas where materials will be stored before they are needed. These areas may have restricted access. Sometimes they aren’t cleared and leveled properly which could lead to dangerous situations when trucks and cranes are parked on sloping ground. This might result in them overturning. Materials stacked on sloping ground could also over topple causing damage and even serious injury. These storage areas need to be well drained so stormwater can drain away. I have seen storage areas flooded resulting in damage to the materials or at best the material storage area couldn’t be accessed until the water was drained away.
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Storage areas also should be firm underfoot so that trucks, cranes and the materials don’t sink into the ground. Crane outriggers sinking into the ground can lead to dangerous situations of the cranes overturning. Materials must be stored in such a way that they don’t become damaged by the elements or contaminated. Materials must be easily accessible and when necessary so the oldest materials can be used first.
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"Construction materials must be easily accessible."

Good logistics are important for the success of your construction project

Many contractors don’t plan their project’s logistics well resulting in delays to the project, additional costs and in some cases even damages to materials. Contractors sometimes just place an order for an item of equipment or materials required for the project without considering how the items will get to the project, how they’ll be off-loaded, where they’ll be stored and how they’ll be installed.
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Well thought out logistical procedures and plans will pay dividends to your project.
10 reasons your project is behind schedule (programme)
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
Please share this post

Learn more about Construction Project Management

"It is a very easy to use book with guidelines that are referenced intelligently with case studies." 
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​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 Claims: A Short Guide for Contractors'
'Construction Project Management: Tips and Insights'
'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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Increase sales at your construction company

19/6/2016

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Image by Tumisu from Pixabay
"​Is your construction company doing as well as it used to?"
​Is your construction company doing as well as it used to? Is it performing as well as it should? Can your construction projects be better managed?

Are you losing customers? Does your construction company have spare capacity?

What’s the reason for the fall in business? No doubt you are blaming the poor economic climate, more competitors, competition from overseas, the lack of skilled resources and the government. We can always find an excuse if we look hard enough – even the weather can be blamed! Prevent poor weather from disrupting your construction project

But have you actually taken a good hard look at how your construction business is run and managed? Is the company still the same as it was last decade, or maybe even last century? The construction world is continually changing around us. Technology is evolving. Our new employees have different skills and expectations. Customers are changing and their needs are different. Trends come and go – what customers were paying for 10 years ago is no longer desirable. What are you doing about it?

Many managers are so busy dealing with everyday problems on their construction projects that they don’t notice these changes around them. When they do wake up to what’s happening it’s too late and customers have deserted them, their competitors have overtaken them and their construction business is losing money.

Contractors have to adapt and change. It’s no good saying “this worked for me 10 years ago” or “we have always done things this way”!

Some contractors think they can simply go through a re-branding exercise to improve business – which they think means changing the company logo and corporate colors. Maybe even adding a catchy tag-line! The center of the city where we live has been dying over the last 5 years. The streets which used to be vibrant and full of activity late into the night are almost deserted at 9pm. Businesses are closing down. The city council have now, at great expense, launched a re-branding exercise to brand the city center as vibrant and exciting. But it isn’t! They haven’t changed anything in the city. So what’s this re-branding exercise achieved? People fooled by the re-branding into going into the city center at night can only be disappointed.

You have to change your construction company from within and bring on a new strategy.
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"Those considering a career as a construction manger or becoming the owner of a construction company - would benefit immeasurably by reading this great book." Reader on Amazon

10 Steps to making your construction company great

​10 Simple changes you can take to make your construction company more successful.
  • Are you motivated to change? Are you still passionate and enthusiastic about the business? If the answer is no then it’s probably time to move on – hand the company over to those who are passionate, or, sell your construction company. Most of us become tired of doing what we’ve done over the last 20 or more years. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed to call it a day and say you’ve had enough, or maybe just step back slightly and let others take control. Your lack of passion will negatively impact your staff and your customers will feel it and go elsewhere. Sometimes you have to trust those that work with you – or at the very least give them the opportunity to take on more responsibility.
  • Do you have the right people? How can you improve the team? People change, they get older and less passionate. Customers and construction projects change requiring different skills. The company changes and requires reorganization and skills. Often moving people to different areas in the business and retraining others can yield improvements. Unfortunately, it may be necessary to let some employees go who are no longer focused, or maybe they are no longer required or are just a negative influence on their co-workers. Talk to your employees and understand their needs and passions. Training and self-improvement can be a great motivator. construction is a people business. Employ the right people.
  • Reassess the company owned equipment. Does it meet the company’s current project requirements? Is your construction equipment in good working order, or are their frequent breakdowns hindering production, frustrating employees and giving the company a bad name? Are maintenance and repair costs running out of control? Get rid of what’s old, unreliable and not suitable to the future needs of the company. New construction equipment is usually safer, more fuel efficient, ergonomically better, easier to operate, more suitable to the project’s needs, and all round more productive. The Alarming Truth about Using Old Construction Equipment
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"What does your construction equipment say about your company?"
  • ​Are you using the most suitable technology? There is so much new technology out there that can increase your productivity. Yet many contractors are still working on paper and using simple spread-sheets. Apart from productivity improvements your customers expect you to be using the latest technologies. Even the home building and home improvement industry is being revolutionized by 3D modelling and virtual reality. New customers don’t have to create their own vision of what their new house will look like from a few 2D plans, they can now experience it in 3D – as though their home was already built. What technology do you think your customers want to see? Our customers are becoming younger and more tech savvy. Importantly your own employees also want to be dealing with the latest technology. They have grown up using smart phones and expect to use them in business as well. Can technology help your construction project?
  • What image is your construction company portraying? Relook at your marketing brochures and website. I was looking at a construction company’s website the other day and was surprised that many of the construction projects on the website were from projects that were done more than 5 years ago and some more than 10 years ago. Yes we are proud of our first construction projects, and they do show the history of the company. But you need to see that you are firstly portraying construction projects which are relevant to the projects you are currently targeting and that projects from the distant past are not drowning out your newer successful construction projects. Not forgetting that architectural fashions change, and construction equipment changes so that a customer that’s looking for modern construction will be turned away when they see dozens of photos of buildings built 10, 20 or more years ago using construction equipment that hasn’t been seen on a construction project in recent times. Then there are the company awards won in 1999 or whenever. They don’t need to take pride of place on your company’s advertising material anymore. Most customers couldn’t care about the distant past they are probably only interested in the last couple of years. ​​How much is your brand worth? Why a good brand is vital for construction companies.
  • Are you using the latest construction methods and materials? Construction methods barely changed over the last few centuries. But over the past few years we have seen a plethora of new innovations – new materials and new methods. Obviously we have to take care ensuring these materials meet the local building specifications. Clients are looking for innovative building products. Faster construction methods can make us more competitive. Cheaper products add to our competitiveness and our bottom line. But, we must ensure we can still deliver the quality and reliability that our clients expect.
  • Are you delivering a quality product? Maybe it’s time to take a careful look at the product you’re producing. Poor quality results in rework which is expensive and delays the project. When your clients aren’t satisfied with quality they’ll take their future business elsewhere. Do our employees understand the quality that’s expected from them? Do they have the skills and equipment to deliver this quality? Are they proud of the work the company produces? Customers remember poor quality, they don’t remember cheap prices. But good quality often doesn’t have to come at additional costs – it just takes a little extra care, pride and leadership. How important is quality on your project?​
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"When your clients aren’t satisfied with quality they’ll take their future business elsewhere."
  • Are you working in the right construction market? Markets change. Your client’s needs change. You need to change. You may have fallen into the trap of being too dependent on particular clients or niche markets. When these clients no longer have work, or the niche market dries up or becomes more competitive as other contractors move in you have to move on and develop new markets and clients. Preferably anticipate these changes. Obviously new markets must be researched first because construction is littered with failed companies that went into markets they didn’t understand or markets that weren’t sustainable.
  • What do your customers really think of your company? Are you offering value? When last did you visit your customers and have a heart-to-heart chat over a cup of coffee to understand what they think of the company and your employees? Are your employees portraying the company in the way you and your customers expect? Do you send a performance assessment to your clients at the end of your construction projects so they can give feedback on how they believe the company performed on the project? More importantly do you actually read the feedback provided and follow up with customers who weren’t satisfied, to apologize, and to find out how you can do things better? We don’t like hearing criticisms, but it’s sometimes good to face these with an open mind so you are able to make the necessary improvements. Why good after service is essential in construction
  • Do you have a ‘lessons learned’ workshop at the end of construction projects to assess what was done well and should be replicated on other projects and understand what should have been done better and how we can avoid similar mistakes on future construction projects? These workshops shouldn’t be about apportioning blame, or seen by the project team as a witch hunting exercise, or a way to absolve responsibility for errors. Rather, it’s about learning and improving the way we do business.

Now is the time to make your construction company more successful

Instead of being totally focused on the day-to-day managing of your company take time to visit your construction projects. Look at them with new eyes. What can be improved? Is the quality and safety acceptable? Are your employees motivated? Are your customers Happy with your company’s performance?

Look around you and see what your competitors are doing. Read articles to learn what customers are doing, and to see new building innovations and construction equipment. Be open to criticism and more importantly be open to change. Change can be challenging, exciting and motivating.
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Maybe call in outside help, because new experienced eyes and ears, which aren’t tainted with past baggage, will view things differently to how you do. Let’s make your construction company as successful as it should be.

10 Questions To Ask That Will Make You A Better Contractor

​Learn more about Construction Project Management

"A page turner for those wanting to raise their game and truly express the essence of a Construction PM. The industry appreciates your effort Paul!"
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​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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Good employees are critical to the success of your construction project in more ways than one

14/6/2016

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Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
"Your employees are more than just workers, they can be a valuable asset in many other ways to."
​​​Many managers only see their employees as workers – simply there to do a job. But our employees are usually more than this, and even more so in construction.

Why employees are more than just workers on your construction project.

Yes, we employee people to do a job, to fill a roll, to complete their tasks diligently, safely and to the required quality. But is a carpenter only good for building things from timber and is that Supervisor only good for supervising a team on our construction project? You may be surprised how their actions, both on and off the construction site, can help, or hinder, contractors.
  1. Your employees are the face of your construction company. Workers in a factory usually work behind closed gates, seldom seen by the customer who purchases the product they fabricated. When you purchase a new car, do you know where it was built, or what the workers look like who built the car? In construction our customers and their representatives often walk the construction project, seeing from close quarters what your team is doing. Does your customer see workers that are productive, working safely, taking pride in what they do, content and happy with their job? Often construction projects are in busy city streets or in suburbia working alongside neighbours where your employees daily interact with the public – people who could be your next potential customers. So, if your workers arrive early in the morning yelling and cussing, neighbours who are woken-up by the commotion won’t be thinking nice thoughts about your construction company. The same occurs when your workers spill out from the construction site at lunch hour and noisily fill the café across the street – talking loudly and pushing other hungry patrons out the way. Or maybe your workers toss their fast-food wrappers out the truck window (the truck with your company logo on the door), or even swear at other drivers. People could be remembering your construction company for all the wrong reasons, and who knows which one of those offended members of the public could potentially have been our next customer? When your customers see your employees they see your company. Your employees can win or lose you future work. They need to understand how their behaviour, and even appearance, can have an impact on the company’s image and your future work prospects. Understanding what impacts your construction company’s reputation
  2. Your employees are recruiters of new employees. If an employee thinks your company is a great place to work they’ll tell their family and friends who may then also want to work for you. In the past we’ve regularly had several members of the same family working for us. However, if employees are unhappy working for you the whole world will get to hear about it – bad news spreads quickly through social media. When you’re looking to fill a vacancy it’s surprising who your employees could find to fill the vacancy – people they went to school or university with, friends, family and people they worked with at other companies. Advertising and using recruitment agents is expensive – but every one of your employees is a potential recruitment agent, either telling potential recruits good stuff or bad things about your company. Good people will want to work for you if they know your employees are well looked after and happy. Good people want to work for good people. So, if your employees are experienced and knowledgeable it will attract others who want to work with them. Make sure your employees are always on the lookout for more good people. 
  3. Your employees advertise your company. They are not only the face of the company, but, if they’re proud of the company and the construction projects the company does, they’ll tell other people about the company. It may just be family and friends, but you never know who those people are working for? Just one of them could be working for a prospective customer and suddenly you’re doing their next project. But these days it’s more than just word of mouth – social media is powerful and those pictures of a successful construction project on social media can be viewed by thousands of potential customers, creating more traffic (all for free) than your expensive websites can generate. But of course, pictures of that quality problem or the crane that tipped over on your construction project could generate even more views, undoing any advertising we’ve done. 
  4. Your employees can generate leads for new projects. You can spend countless hours and thousands of dollars searching for their next potential construction project. Do your employees know how important it is to feed information on potential future projects back to management? Your employees know friends, talk to family, deal with suppliers and subcontractors, often interact with the customer’s engineers and architects – you’ll be surprised at what information they hear! Encourage your workers to pass on information about new projects – it could be your company’s next project – their next job! 
  5. Your employees are often our eyes and ears on the project. You are frequently busy and don’t get to all areas on the construction project as often as you should. What are your employees seeing that you are missing? Will they stop that unsafe act and prevent an accident happening? Will they report the theft of equipment or materials? Will they take care not to damage completed work and stop others from doing so? Is there a relationship of trust with your employees, or do they view everything as a-them-and-us battle? Are they just doing their job or are they there to protect the company’s interests as well. Talk to employees, listen to them, and gain their trust. ​
  6. Your employees are teachers and mentors to new employees, and employees with less experience. They may even be able to teach you new or better ways of doing things. Where did we gain most of our construction knowledge – at the work front, on the project site, learning from others? Without those experienced people who generously shared their knowledge with us we would not have become what we became. We often have really experienced and knowledgeable employees, and the success of our company depends on them passing this knowledge to the next generation of employees. Encourage your employees to share their knowledge and mentor the next generation of construction workers. Training and mentoring in construction​
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"Your employees should be real assets on your construction projects. Look after them right and get the best from them."

Your employees can damage or add value to your construction company

So next time you look at an employee don’t just see them as a worker, a carpenter, a concreter or an iron worker - rather see them as an asset that can add value to your construction company. Embrace them and treat them fairly. Make them proud of their company. Let them know how their actions can damage or add value to the company. Building a successful construction company isn’t just the responsibility of the owner or senior managers – it demands teamwork and commitment from everyone. We depend on good workers in more ways than we usually consider. 
Employing the right people in construction​

Learn more about Construction Project Management

"This book helps with practical tips learned from real experiences. A must read book for the people who are involved in construction projects, especially project managers."   
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​​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'
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Don't make these scheduling (programming) mistakes

9/6/2016

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"A good construction schedule is essential to the success of every construction project."
​I find construction schedules invaluable on all of my projects. For small projects they could be simple hand drawn bar charts and for large construction projects they could consist of thousands of linked tasks created using specialist software such as Primavera, Microsoft Project, Candy or similar.

Why are construction schedules important?

​Construction schedules are useful because:
  1. They inform the construction team of what tasks they should be working on and when.
  2. They advise the customer when they should provide construction information and grant access to the contractor.
  3. They are invaluable for calculating extension of time claims. Can I Claim for Additional Time on My Construction Project?
  4. Progress of the project can be measured.
  5. A resourced schedule enables the contractor to plan when resources are needed and how many of each resource are required.
  6. Material deliveries can be arranged so they’re delivered before they’re needed. planning deliveries to construction sites
  7. Subcontractor’s work can be planned so they arrive when they’re needed and complete their work on time. What’s expected of your subcontractors? Do they know?
  8. They can be used to plan cash flow. Negative cash flow – the death for many construction companies
  9. Knowing the project duration the contractor can calculate their overhead costs for the project. The construction project tender or bid schedule
  10. A properly planned construction schedule will avoid clashes or hold-ups on the project caused when the preceding necessary tasks haven’t been completed.
However, many construction schedules are poorly prepared and have numerous errors which can mislead both the contractor and the customer. In fact a poorly prepared construction schedule, or a schedule with errors, can be more dangerous than having no schedule at all.
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"A properly planned construction schedule will avoid clashes or hold-ups on the project"

Common errors with construction schedules

​Some of the more common errors include:
  1. Making the construction schedule fit the customer’s dates even if they aren’t achievable. Usually in the request for price the customer provides the start and end dates for the project. Sometimes contractors simply accept these dates assuming they can complete the construction project in the time provided, when in fact it’s not possible. On other occasions the contractor ‘squeezes’ their schedule to make their construction time fit within the client’s dates, even when they know it’s impossible to meet these dates. This can be dangerous for many reasons:
    1. Inevitably the contractor cannot finish the project in the allotted time and they not only face the prospect of paying liquidated damages but their reputation is damaged.
    2. The contractor remains on the project longer than allowed in their price resulting in them losing money.
    3. The contractor’s team may become demoralized knowing they can never meet the required dates, knowing no matter how hard they work the client won’t be satisfied with their performance, and in fact even their senior management will blame them for delivering the construction project late. ( Contractors shouldn’t commit to dates they cannot achieve. They could either submit an alternative achievable construction schedule that doesn’t satisfy the client’s dates, or not price the project, or discuss with the customer alternate methods or strategies to enable the customer to get access to parts of the project they require on their required dates.)
  2. Formulating the construction schedule without considering the construction methodology. Frequently I see schedules which were drawn up by a planner with no input from the construction team. In fact, some of these schedules don’t even consider the construction methodology the construction team is using. This is obviously pointless because the project progress is often difficult to measure since the tasks are in a different order, or possibly don’t even appear on the schedule.
  3. Failing to allow for the normal expected weather conditions. Contractors frequently complain of weather delays. But often the weather experienced is normal for that region at that time of the year. Yes, on occasion there are abnormal weather events (something that seems to be occurring more often) which cannot be expected. However, contractors should allow for normal weather interruptions which could include rain, winds, snow and extreme temperatures which could disrupt the project or reduce productivity. When Contractors Can’t Claim a Delay From Their Client on Construction Projects
  4. Scheduling individual structures without considering the impact of adjacent structures, or the impact they’ll have on adjacent structures. Many structures on a project are connected in some way. Deeper structures may have to be completed (or certainly brought to the underside) before the neighboring structure can begin. Structures can impact access to the neighboring structures. When preparing a construction schedule it’s essential to consider the impact of adjacent structures and utility lines on other structures.
  5. Forgetting the project constraints. This should be simple, yet sometimes contractors don’t allow for customer imposed restrictions which could include restrictions on working times and accommodating other contractors or the customers own activities. Sometimes even statutory holidays, when work can’t be done, are forgotten.
  6. Allowing inadequate time for material procurement. Some building materials require lengthy procurement periods to allow for design, design approval, preparing drawings, drawing approvals, fabrication and shipping.
  7. Ignoring inspections and testing. Waiting for test results can delay follow-on work. Often the client has to witness completed work or test results before the next activity can begin.
  8. Not allowing for commissioning. On some facilities commissioning can take several weeks. This commissioning may include tying in to existing infrastructure and utilities. It could include passing tests witnessed by the customer or the various authorities, closing out major snags, completing documentation and obtaining permits.
  9. Failing to make allowance for local conditions and productivity. Productivity can vary hugely between countries, and although wage rates may be lower in some places you may need four times as many people to complete the same construction task in the same time. But productivity also depends on the customer and their operations. Working in an oil and gas processing facility may require far more rigorous quality and safety standards than working in the city. Some facilities have stringent security which can make it difficult to get people, equipment and materials onto the project. Construction projects in busy traffic can result in slower progress. But even not being able to find people with the required skills can impact productivity and hamper progress.
  10. The schedule allows, or demands, too many trades having to work in a single area at the same time. Only a finite number of workers and different trades can work in an area at the same time. Fitting more people and activities into a small area doesn’t make the work go quicker – in fact it often results in the work going slower as workers work on top of each other or have to stand-down waiting for others to complete their work. Freshly completed work may be damaged by the follow-on building trades because the materials haven’t dried or cured resulting in the work having to be redone.
  11. Not updating the construction schedule correctly or failing to take action when slippage occurs on the project. At times the construction schedule isn’t updated correctly and progress isn’t recorded correctly giving the contractor and the customer misleading information. On occasion when slippage is detected the contractor ignores the information and doesn’t take corrective action, or takes the wrong actions which don’t help. It is essential slippage on the schedule is detected early and the correct actions are implemented to catch up the lost time. 10 reasons your project is behind schedule (programme)
  12. Not conveying the construction schedule to the team in the field, or to subcontractors.  All too often the contractor has a construction schedule which is kept in the office, but those in the field aren’t aware of what tasks need to be completed and by when. Sometimes the contractor simply hands the complete construction schedule, of thousands of activities, to the supervisors and expects them to find those tasks which are relevant to their section of works. It’s essential that those in the field know what tasks have to be completed, when they must be completed and even the reasons why some construction activities must be done first. Providing the construction schedule in a pictorial form, showing just the activities relevant to that area which must be completed in the next three weeks, can be useful as this can be pinned to the shed wall where it can be viewed by all workers from that section. The construction team must be told when progress is slipping. Importantly though, they must have the correct construction resources and must receive their materials in good time so that they can deliver the construction project on schedule.
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"This book helps with practical tips learned from real experiences. A must read book for the people who are involved in construction projects, especially project managers." 

Construction schedules are essential to contractors and project owners

Preparing the best workable construction schedule or construction program is an art, a science and one that needs expertise and experience. The schedule needs to reflect how the construction team will build the facility, the realities of the construction site, the available resources and skills, the local conditions and the contractual requirements.

Committing to a construction schedule which is impossible will cause damage to both the contractor and the customer. Following a schedule with flawed logic will invariably result in a delayed construction project, or even some completed work having to be redone. Ignoring the schedule or not conveying the contents of the construction schedule to those in the field defeats the purpose of preparing the schedule.

Construction schedules are useful to contractors and customers and shouldn’t be viewed as just a contractual requirement, or another document for the customer to ‘whip’ the contractor.
How you can make your next construction project more successful. 
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
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"Have read two of your books and their practical slant make them essential reading for any budding construction PM, they should be on academic reading lists rather than those dull theoretical PM texts kids are made to read!"
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​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
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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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    The opinions expressed in the attached articles are those of the writer. It should be noted that projects are varied and different laws and restrictions apply which depend on the location of the contractor and the project. It's important that the reader uses the supplied information taking cognisance of their particular circumstances. The writer assumes no responsibility or liability for any loss of any kind arising from the reader using the information or advice contained herein.
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