 "Will the client be happy with the workmanship and products" It’s good practice to request a subcontractor or supplier produce a sample, or build a mock-up, of the product they are supplying. In fact, this is often a client requirement which should be included in the request to price or tender and contract documents. The purpose of a sample or mock-up is to ensure that:
"If the client rejects the sample even though it meets specifications then they may be liable for additional costs to satisfy their new requirements" Just a word of caution though, a sample or mock-up should not cause the client, Engineer or Architect to make fundamental changes to the specified product or finish, that will incur additional costs to either the contractor or the subcontractor. If this does occur the client should be informed there will be a variation. Obviously if there are quality problems with the original sample or mock-up, or the samples don’t meet the required specifications, these are the contractor’s and subcontractor’s issues, and should be rectified at no additional cost to the client. It’s important, if the client or their representative has requested the sample or mock-up, that it’s formally approved, either in writing or within the minutes of a project meeting. I’ve often had the client claim part way through the project that they never actually approved the item. "Samples should remain to the end of the project." If possible, the sample or mock-up should remain to the end of the project, or at least until after the actual installed product has been accepted by the client. This should prevent arguments with the client over the standard of the final product since it should be the same as the approved sample. #constructionquality #constructionmaterials #constructionsubcontractors
More useful articles: Are your construction materials compliant? The Contractor's Duty to Ask Questions Don’t Start Your Next Construction Project Before Reading This Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights. Visit to read more. The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon. © 2022 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author. 
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 "Project managers cannot do everything themselves and it is often necessary to delegate some tasks." On large, complex construction projects the Project Manager may have several staff working for them, such as Assistant Site Managers, Section Engineers, Engineers, Safety Advisors, Quality Managers, and Supervisors. It’s impossible for the Project Manager to attend to all the tasks, so it’s therefore necessary to delegate tasks to members of their team. "Not delegating tasks can lead to mistakes and a frustrated and demotivated construction team." I've seen construction projects where the Project Manager has tried to do everything, often leading to disaster because they take on too many responsibilities, resulting in tasks being completed late, done badly, or forgotten altogether. This leads to frustration in the rest of the project team, since they are left waiting for materials or equipment, which the Project Manager was supposed to organise. Furthermore, members of the construction team may feel overlooked and not trusted to manage their section of work, resulting in poor morale and productivity. #constructionmanagement #constructionprojects #constructionprofessionals "Time spent training someone, will, in the future, be time well spent" Frequently I hear excuses as to why a task has not been delegated such as; ‘it will take longer to show them than if I did it myself’. Yet how will the other person ever learn if they are not taught? Time spent training the person now, will, in the future, be time well spent, since hopefully the person will be able to do the task unaided. I also hear comments like the person is ‘useless’ or ‘incapable of doing the task’. Are they really useless, or is it because they've not been shown what to do? Do they have the appropriate training and experience to fulfil the role expected of them? If they are genuinely useless, why are they still employed and what’s being done to replace them? Of course, the opposite of not delegating tasks is to delegate everything, or to delegate inappropriate tasks. This can result in mistakes, and even damage people's careers. If you are a member of Linkedin check out this great article on delegation Is your inability to delegate holding you (and everyone else) back? Other useful articles: Time management Employing the right people in construction Successful construction demands good communication
"Practical; very informative, and useful" Review on Amazon Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
Visit to read more. The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon. © 2022 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.  "Knowing about a problem means action can be taken to fix it" In many construction companies there’s a culture of hiding problems. This is often a result of managers blaming subordinates and implementing harsh measures against staff who may be responsible for the problem. It’s important to foster a spirit of openness and ensure people understand it’s not about blame, but rather about solving the problem, and being aware of a problem as soon as possible in order that mitigating measures can be implemented. Of course where an individual has performed poorly, disregarded company policies and procedures or participated in fraudulent activities it will be necessary to institute the appropriate disciplinary procedures. #constructionmanagement #constructionprojects "No matter how well construction projects are planned, or how well the company is run, problems will arise." Unfortunately no matter how well construction projects are planned, or how well the company is run, problems will arise. It's essential decisive action is taken quickly to prevent the problem becoming bigger, and to resolve the issue. Regrettably many problems only come to light when it’s too late to solve or mitigate them – possibly jeopardising the survival of the construction company.  "Very helpful with lots of useful information! Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
Visit to read more. The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon. © 2022 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.  "Labour productivity is often poor on construction projects" On many construction projects poor labour productivity is a major problem. It results in tasks costing more than was originally budgeted, causes schedule slippage, and means more personnel are required than allowed for, in turn increasing accommodation and transport costs, and even requiring additional supervisory staff. #constructionproductivity #constructionmanagement #construction Reasons for poor construction productivityThe obvious sign of poor labour productivity is personnel standing idle on on the construction project during work hours. This could be due to a number of reasons for example:
"The cost of poor productivity in construction is enormous" It’s important to ascertain the reasons the workers are idle because the costs can be enormous to construction companies.  "I found this book very insightful. The author did a very good job." Reader on Amazon UK Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
Visit to read more. The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon. © 2022 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author. Well the 2014 Soccer World Cup is over. It cost billions of dollars. Brazil is saddened in defeat. The Germans are elated by their victory.
Can the winning team teach business anything? Read this article Eleven lessons to learn from the German football team I think whoever we support we can concur with most of the items. In fact I'm sure that if we analyse most winning sports teams we will find the same things. Indeed, just as companies do, many teams have experienced periods when they have fared poorly and they have had to change their approach to once again become winners. Brazil was beaten 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals of the 2014 soccer world cup. This was the biggest semi-final defeat in the history of the world cup and was devastating for Brazil as the host nation.
So what went wrong? Some of Brazil's star players were unable to play, while others performed poorly. Germany exploited these weaknesses with devastating effect. Are there lessons for your project team? Most project teams are similar to a soccer team. Different members with different skills and responsibilities. Some of these will be stars, while others may just be average. As much as we would like to have a team consisting only of stars, this isn't always possible, and in most cases isn't always necessary. After all stars often demand more money and aren't always happy to do the ordinary everyday tasks. It's therefore important to organise the various team members in such away that people are used to their best abilities. So what happens when one of your star players leaves, is sick or performs badly? Well make sure you implement a contingency plan to cope with the situation. You also need to be continually training the next generation of stars who can step up as replacements. Where necessary you need to look after your stars - this may even include not overworking them and allowing them time off so others can step up into their positions. Of course like every soccer team you cannot let complacency set in. You also need to be continually training and honing the team's skills and setting new targets.  "Communication is something that a Project Manager has to do all the time, every day" Communication is something that a Project Manager has to do all the time, every day on construction projects. It’s both verbal and written, and will be with workers, project staff, management, Head Office staff, subcontractors, suppliers, the client, the client’s team (which may include Engineers and Architects), local authorities and members of the public. #constructionmanagement #contractors #construction What is good communication?Communication should:
"Good communication is vital to the success of any construction project." Good communication is vital to the success of any construction project. There are courses and programs which can improve the level of written and oral communication, and consideration should be given to attending one of these.  "Great book, this guy is a construction genius! Highly recommended." Review on Amazon Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
Visit to read more. The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon. © 2022 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author. Emails can save time on a project, but they can also waste time and lead to embarrassing actions which we would all rather forget. For this reason emails must be dealt with in an appropriate manner.
See the following interesting article: Effective use of Emails in construction project communications  "We always hear excuses that safety costs money, but poor safety and accidents cost money." The costs of poor construction safetyPoor safety could result in additional costs due to: It resulting in an accident which may result in:
unsafe work conditions also affect productivity Poor safety measures also waste moneyInappropriate implementation of safety measures could result in:
Poor construction safety costs lives and moneyPoor safety performance will reflect poorly on the contractor and clients may not award projects to a contractor whose safety is poor. Poor safety costs money, but more importantly it can cost lives, and change lives forever. Poor safety on your construction project could even claim your life. No construction project or construction schedule should risk people's health or life. #constructionsafety #constructionprojects #constructionmanagement "Poor safety on your construction project could even claim your life"
"This is a fantastic book to get a realistic and detailed idea of construction management." Reader on Amazon Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
Visit to read more. The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon. © 2022 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author. |
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