Construction and engineering is a very complicated industry, and it needs a high level of knowledge and experience to accomplish construction projects successfully. There are various pitfalls in construction projects, which can be devastating if not understood well. The projects managers are always at risk of falling prey to these pitfalls in a construction project, which, if they can handle them well, will ensure a smooth, safe, and on-time project completion.
According to a study done by a leading construction research firm, about 90% of the construction projects end within over budget, and about 80% of the projects experience significant delays in completion. So, for those who are into construction, it is essential to understand what leads to these delays and budget overheads. Knowing these pitfalls will help the project managers to prepare well to tackle them effectively on the go. This article will discuss some of such expected challenges in construction projects and resolve strategies by an expert to manage those well.
Reddy Kancharla on construction project challenges
1. Inadequate measures for risk management
Oftentimes, the project manager tends to put safeguard measures in place to mitigate the long-term risks. However, the short-term issues and unforeseen challenges are not taken into account but may become miserable once they happen. Reddy Kancharla warns that these small issues can quickly snowball and start to make big adverse impacts on the bottom-line overtime. It may sometimes be the subcontractors, which turn out to be unreliable, sometimes conflict with the workers, changing requirements of the clients, etc. So, it is always important to have contingency plans to be run as and when needed instantly. You also need to build some room for incorporating schedules and also make additional investments into programs such as safety training and continuous learning.
2. Inadequate structure
As we discussed above, construction projects may easily derail or go over budget if there is no proper structure and strategy for the projects. Without setting any clear goals, it is also difficult to do things efficiently. Without clear goals in place, it will become difficult to keep the people accountable and also to complete the project on time with the desired quality. Performance management also is a crucial aspect of construction project management. To ensure this and keep the workers on track, they should have clearly defined goals and responsibilities to perform. Try to break down the bigger and more complex project tasks into small, daily works, which the individuals can easily accomplish.
3. Poor communication
Poor communication can easily impact any project adversely. This is more important in industries like construction, where frequent delegation among various parties is a necessity. Without a clear communication channel, it is become too difficult to rectify the issues. To meet this requirement, project managers and contractors, etc., need to have effective communication skills, and there must be clear guidelines in terms of communication. Communication is the key to solving problems proactively and bringing any heated-up situations back to balance. If there is no scope for an in-person meeting, you can now also use many modes of online communication too to address the issue promptly from anywhere.
Reddy Kancharla also reiterates the need for curbing unrealistic expectations and forecasting, delays in cash flow, utilization of limited skills, etc., to keep your construction projects on track.
