Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Construction companies are constantly dealing with very complex projects that require intricate and thorough planning to ensure they are executed and completed successfully. Therefore, project management should be a crucial part of every construction project as it helps team members understand client expectations in the beginning and deliver accordingly once the project is in full swing.
For that to happen, they require effective communication and collaboration, which is something that good project management can make happen. A construction project manager needs to plan, organize, schedule, coordinate and supervise projects, as well as take care of the budget so that every task can be completed seamlessly and effectively. Here’s how construction companies are using project management software to plan, build and manage complicated projects.
Initiating the Project
Initiation is the most important part of every construction project, as it includes determining whether a project is feasible. A construction project manager, together with the stakeholders, needs to create the business case for the new project and go through every possible detail to evaluate whether it represents a good opportunity.
A feasibility study is often designed for everyone to be sure that they should move forward with the project. If the conclusion is to start the project, they create a project initiation document that outlines the business case and the entire plan for the construction.
Planning the Project
The planning phase of the project is crucial as in this stage a construction project management plan is created that every team member must follow. Apart from scope documents that outline goals, objectives, deliverables, schedule, costs, and all the resources, the plan needs to contain a visual representation of the project that will provide everyone with a checklist for the tasks to be completed. This is called a work breakdown structure (WBS), and its purpose is to break the project into small, easily digestible chunks.
During the planning stage, a project manager should also create a risk management plan for more effective risk mitigation. A communication plan is created so that everyone can stay on the same page and work together towards achieving the common goal.
For that to happen, they require effective communication and collaboration, which is something that good project management can make happen. A construction project manager needs to plan, organize, schedule, coordinate and supervise projects, as well as take care of the budget so that every task can be completed seamlessly and effectively. Here’s how construction companies are using project management software to plan, build and manage complicated projects.
Initiating the Project
Initiation is the most important part of every construction project, as it includes determining whether a project is feasible. A construction project manager, together with the stakeholders, needs to create the business case for the new project and go through every possible detail to evaluate whether it represents a good opportunity.
A feasibility study is often designed for everyone to be sure that they should move forward with the project. If the conclusion is to start the project, they create a project initiation document that outlines the business case and the entire plan for the construction.
Planning the Project
The planning phase of the project is crucial as in this stage a construction project management plan is created that every team member must follow. Apart from scope documents that outline goals, objectives, deliverables, schedule, costs, and all the resources, the plan needs to contain a visual representation of the project that will provide everyone with a checklist for the tasks to be completed. This is called a work breakdown structure (WBS), and its purpose is to break the project into small, easily digestible chunks.
During the planning stage, a project manager should also create a risk management plan for more effective risk mitigation. A communication plan is created so that everyone can stay on the same page and work together towards achieving the common goal.
Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Executing the Project
After making the construction project management plan construction can begin. The project manager makes sure that the proper resources are assigned to the project and that the tasks are executed properly. They also make sure that the schedule is followed and regularly updated.
Monitoring the Project
The project manager must monitor the project progress to make sure that everything is going smoothly and that every construction worker’s performance is at the highest possible level. Apart from controlling the project’s progress, they also need to work closely with the stakeholders, especially those responsible for the safety at the construction site.
Completing the Project
When the construction project is completed, the project manager creates the construction project report. They evaluate everything that was completed and analyze and evaluate mistakes and failures as well as the successes. If anything was left, it is evaluated as well, after which the final budget is calculated.
After making the construction project management plan construction can begin. The project manager makes sure that the proper resources are assigned to the project and that the tasks are executed properly. They also make sure that the schedule is followed and regularly updated.
Monitoring the Project
The project manager must monitor the project progress to make sure that everything is going smoothly and that every construction worker’s performance is at the highest possible level. Apart from controlling the project’s progress, they also need to work closely with the stakeholders, especially those responsible for the safety at the construction site.
Completing the Project
When the construction project is completed, the project manager creates the construction project report. They evaluate everything that was completed and analyze and evaluate mistakes and failures as well as the successes. If anything was left, it is evaluated as well, after which the final budget is calculated.
Harnessing the Power of Project Management Software
If you want your construction company to be successful, you cannot rely only on paper documents and Excel sheets to plan and manage your projects, especially when it comes to very complicated ones. You need to use tools that will enable you to turn your projects into successful ones, which is why you need to utilize project management software.
This software will help you with scheduling and with eliminating potential risks that may occur during the construction. Among numerous features, one of the best ones is the option for creating Gantt charts, which provide you with a clear insight into your project and helps you allocate resources, assign tasks and meet all your deadlines.
You can also create task dependencies, which will save you time, and you can track time on your projects, so that you know exactly how long every task will take. With project management software, you can better organize your activities and even get real-time snapshots of them, so that you can effectively monitor the construction work and make better decisions, especially when something needs to be done quickly.
The allocation of resources is very simple with this software, as the features provide transparency, so that everyone knows what they are responsible for and when they should perform their assigned tasks. Project reports and financial summaries can be created with just a few clicks, which saves considerable time (time which is often in short supply).
Perhaps the most notable features of project management software are communication and collaboration features. Without these, construction projects might not be as successful as should be. The construction team needs to be able to seamlessly work together towards achieving the project goals. They need to be able to communicate in real-time, not only among themselves, but also with clients and other companies.
This software enables them to do so, as it is cloud-based, where every piece of information can be accessed anytime and anywhere. This kind of faster collaboration leads to better decisions and helps with making every effort pay off.
As you can see, construction companies can benefit considerably from utilizing simple project management software. If you are thinking about getting one, make sure that it is cloud-based, that it easily integrates with other types of software that you are already using or plan on using, that it has an intuitive interface and enables you to easily collaborate with multiple teams, and, most importantly, that it is reliable.
Author Bio : David is a technical writer, his works are regularly published in various papers and top-notch portals. His rich experience in Project management domain helps him offer latest and fresh perspective on improved efficiency in work flows across organizations. His informative works on similar lines can be reached out on ProProfs Project.
If you want your construction company to be successful, you cannot rely only on paper documents and Excel sheets to plan and manage your projects, especially when it comes to very complicated ones. You need to use tools that will enable you to turn your projects into successful ones, which is why you need to utilize project management software.
This software will help you with scheduling and with eliminating potential risks that may occur during the construction. Among numerous features, one of the best ones is the option for creating Gantt charts, which provide you with a clear insight into your project and helps you allocate resources, assign tasks and meet all your deadlines.
You can also create task dependencies, which will save you time, and you can track time on your projects, so that you know exactly how long every task will take. With project management software, you can better organize your activities and even get real-time snapshots of them, so that you can effectively monitor the construction work and make better decisions, especially when something needs to be done quickly.
The allocation of resources is very simple with this software, as the features provide transparency, so that everyone knows what they are responsible for and when they should perform their assigned tasks. Project reports and financial summaries can be created with just a few clicks, which saves considerable time (time which is often in short supply).
Perhaps the most notable features of project management software are communication and collaboration features. Without these, construction projects might not be as successful as should be. The construction team needs to be able to seamlessly work together towards achieving the project goals. They need to be able to communicate in real-time, not only among themselves, but also with clients and other companies.
This software enables them to do so, as it is cloud-based, where every piece of information can be accessed anytime and anywhere. This kind of faster collaboration leads to better decisions and helps with making every effort pay off.
As you can see, construction companies can benefit considerably from utilizing simple project management software. If you are thinking about getting one, make sure that it is cloud-based, that it easily integrates with other types of software that you are already using or plan on using, that it has an intuitive interface and enables you to easily collaborate with multiple teams, and, most importantly, that it is reliable.
Author Bio : David is a technical writer, his works are regularly published in various papers and top-notch portals. His rich experience in Project management domain helps him offer latest and fresh perspective on improved efficiency in work flows across organizations. His informative works on similar lines can be reached out on ProProfs Project.
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