Dynamic Project Management for Modern Construction
Dynamic Project Management for Modern Construction
Are you empowered by technology or limited by it?
👋 Welcome to The Influential Project Manager, a weekly newsletter covering the essentials of successful project leadership.
Today’s Overview:
Chances are excellent that much of your project is supported by one or more digital processes. Think about the influence cloud-based technology has on almost every aspect of construction — from design and safety to management, finance, and communication.
It’s a remarkable industry transformation. Yet, one area of the construction workflow seems to lag behind, still clinging to more traditional methods. That is construction progress tracking.
While Excel has been the construction industry's go-to for ages, it's time to think about a smoother, more efficient way to handle all the moving parts of your project. The end result: smoother operations, better communication.
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Dynamic Project Management for Modern Construction
Filed under: Construction, Project Management
Are you empowered by technology or limited by it?
Chances are excellent that much of your project is supported by one or more digital processes.
Think about the influence cloud-based technology has on almost every aspect of construction — from design and safety to project management, finance, and communication.
Take Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a prime example. Reports show that about 76% of commercial construction projects now employ BIM, with nearly 25% of professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction relying solely on it.
The main benefits?
It’s quicker and more reliable for ensuring quality.
BIM boosts collaboration across all project stakeholders.
It’s a remarkable industry transformation. Yet, one area of the construction workflow seems to lag behind, still clinging to more traditional methods.
That is construction progress tracking.
Many midsize contractors and specialty trades continue to rely on tools like Microsoft Excel, a staple since 1985, for tracking and planning. However, as the industry moves towards digital efficiency and precision, these once-reliable tools are now being re-evaluated.
Many in the industry, from owners to subcontractors, are now asking critical questions:
Why isn't project planning and scheduling as straightforward as using other modern apps?
Why the gap between master and look-ahead schedules?
Why can't field staff update progress in real time?
Why aren't schedule changes immediately visible to all stakeholders?
Why are subcontractors planning without access to a live progress data?
Why does learning new progress tracking software take so long?
Why don't we get top-notch training and support with our software?
All valid questions indeed...
In this week’s newsletter, we explore how decision-makers and project leaders can keep pace with advancements in progress tracking and planning, embracing speed, precision, and simplicity for better project outcomes.
Why Construction Progress Tracking Matters
Imagine a construction project as a complex puzzle, with countless pieces moving simultaneously. Keeping track of this progress isn't just helpful; it's crucial.
It's the key to staying on schedule, within budget, and it's your best bet for knowing when and where to tweak your plans for optimum results.
So, what magic does real-time progress tracking bring to the table? Here's a snapshot:
Cutting Down on Schedule Overruns: Because nobody likes delays.
Boosting Transparency: Keep everyone in the loop, always.
Sharper Decision-Making: With up-to-date info at your fingertips.
Raising Team Accountability: Everyone knows their part and progress.
With such perks, it's a head-scratcher why everyone isn't jumping on this bandwagon, right?
Well, the reason is pretty simple: They're not equipped with the right tools.
Tackling the Historical Hurdles of Progress Tracking
Why has keeping track of construction progress felt like navigating a maze? It boils down to a mix of factors - cost concerns, the daunting nature of digital shifts, or just a preference for the familiar, 'tried and true' methods.
Globally, many construction firms have been hesitant to ditch their old-school tools for digital and mobile alternatives.
To get a clearer picture, let's walk through the (8) steps that typically define updating a construction progress schedule:
The superintendent or PM updates the Excel sheet.
A meeting follows between the superintendent and project manager.
Manually transferring data from Excel to the Master Schedule.
If there's a delay, manually creating a preview to assess the impact.
Any schedule changes mean more manual updates in Excel.
Saving the updated version.
Exporting it to PDF.
Finally, emailing it to the job site team.
This process isn't just time-consuming; it's a window where anything could go wrong on site. Think about the potential for clashes between trades or expensive mistakes due to delayed communication.
Ask yourself: Do you want your project teams to be buried in Excel sheets and look-ahead plans, or out in the field, optimizing production, performance, and safety?
Field managers should be liberated to use their tablets to swiftly and effortlessly update progress on the spot.
Clearly, it’s time to make a game plan for real-time construction progress tracking.
A Game Plan for Real-Time Construction Progress Tracking
While Excel has been the construction industry's go-to for ages, it's time to think about a smoother, more efficient way to handle all the moving parts of your project.
If you want to track construction progress in real-time, there are several areas on which it’s essential to focus. While it’s helpful to track everything, improving progress tracking in just one area can make a huge difference. Even if you can only add another system or two a year, it’s worth starting now.
1. Establish a Single Source of Truth
Overcome the chaos of scattered documents and siloed data by establishing a single, unified source of truth for all project documentation.
This centralized system should integrate all your platforms and technologies, ensuring consistent, accurate information.
2. Invest in Workflow Tracking
Tracking certain processes and workflows can be inconvenient; if you’re not careful, they can delay your project schedule significantly. Getting set up with the right software is crucial for efficient tracking. Focus on:
Automating Submittals: Use software to automate submittal log creation and streamline the review process with all stakeholders in one unified platform.
Streamlining RFIs: Tackle the challenge of RFIs by standardizing and simplifying the request process with advanced technology, speeding up responses and project progression.
3. Set Up Task Tracking
With so much going on in the thick of construction, it’s helpful to see how individual construction tasks are progressing.
Advanced tracking tools can break down progress by team or individual tasks, setting clear workflows and helping everyone stay aligned.
4. Schedule Tracking
Scheduling in construction is a dynamic beast. Arm yourself with tools that not only track but optimize your schedule.
Even if you're not tracking every detail, at least keep key milestones in check.
5. Provide Field Productivity Tracking
Once construction kicks off, field productivity becomes your project's pulse.
Implement field tracking software for creating and sharing daily reports, resolving field issues swiftly, and keeping tabs on tasks like punch lists and inspections.
6. Elevate Photo Documentation
Photos are invaluable for tracking progress, but only if they're organized.
Embrace a system that categorizes and GPS-tags photos, providing a clear visual progress record and making operations management a breeze.
7. Connect the Dots
Finally, it's all about integration. You've got the tools; now ensure they talk to each other, offering a cohesive, real-time view of your project's progress.
The Big Picture: Smoother Operations, Better Communication
Imagine a project where operations staff have more time for coaching, analysis, and process improvement, rather than being bogged down by constant progress updates.
This is the future of construction progress tracking — less confusion, more effective communication.
Embrace the Future of Construction Progress Tracking Today
Old ways die hard in construction. Change is often met with resistance, especially when it means moving away from familiar tools like Excel, Project, or P6.
But as we've consistently emphasized, revolutionizing your construction progress tracking doesn't mean overhauling everything overnight.
By methodically applying the steps we've outlined, tailored to your company's unique needs, you'll soon see tangible improvements in your project's progress, precision, and efficiency.
Embracing technology for progress tracking is more than a convenience; it's game-changing. It maximizes your time, streamlines project management, and ultimately boosts your bottom line.
The understandable hesitation is an issue next-generation progress tracking tool Sablono tackles head-on.
With Sablono Track Free, progress tracking features allow teams to track, visualize and report on work progress to reduce uncertainty and miscommunication. It’s 100% free! Learn more about Track Free here.
Until next week,
Kyle Nitchen
🎁 Bonus: Free Templates for Your Projects
Not quite ready to jump into full digital transformation? No problem. To help you get started, we're offering some free, interactive templates. Simply download and tailor them to fit your project's needs:
Construction Tracker Excel Template: Keep a detailed log of your project's progress and get a comprehensive overview of on-site activities.
Line of Balance (LOB) Template Excel: This scheduling tool is vital for coordinating different construction activities, ensuring a smooth workflow. It's also great for spotting potential bottlenecks before they become major issues.
Construction Quality Control Checklist Template: This checklist provides predefined criteria for various stages of your construction project, helping you monitor quality and identify defects early on.
These resources are designed to give you a taste of streamlined project management, paving the way for a more digital future in your construction processes.
Best of luck!
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You are very correct when you say old ways die hard in the construction industry. It is so interesting how that's so common with construction companies out here in my part of the globe. And mentioning the need for a shift to more advance tools that facilitates the entire flow in the company, is always meet with fierce resistance. It makes think, people truly just love having things hard, it is like they develop comfort from that. But I know with all of our little drops here and there, another generation will definitely do things differently. Thank you very much for sharing, believe there is day coming in the AEC industry that, many will float in this direction to gain this insight, keep up the wonderful job leader.
Love your posts!