13

Collaboration with stakeholders, contractors, and companies over months and potentially years is always a challenge for large-scale construction projects. Interests are not always aligned. That said, it can be done exceptionally well. Major construction projects continue to be built in cities worldwide, and a rise in real estate investments is spurring this growth. 

Enhancing the quality of the finished product and managing the schedules and costs are essential for these projects. Here are the best practices for large construction projects.

 

Carefully Map Out Construction Phases

 

Plan how you wish to structure construction phases based on drawings and schematics provided by your team.

Have measurable project goals. Set benchmarks to evaluate progress. Be clear to ensure there is no miscommunication. Also, set smaller milestones and have smaller tasks more easily managed by individual teams.

 

Have Clear Contracts

 

Ensure you draft contracts that clearly outline the roles, responsibilities, and deliverables for all parties involved in a construction project. Include clauses for things like dispute resolution, change orders, and more.

 

Create a Strong and Firm Budget

 

Create a realistic, accurate, and firm budget to reduce the risk of overruns: research market costs and historical data to create a budget that will work for your construction project.

 

Conduct Thorough Site Assessments

 

Inspect the site you are going to be working on. Identify all hazards, be it environmental, legal, or logistically. As you plan your construction project, keep these hazards in mind as you work to minimize delays and unexpected costs.

 

Use Contractor Accounting Software

 

Contractor accounting software is an excellent project management tool. It's well worth exploring digital tools like this, which can streamline communication, share documents, automate certain administrative tasks, monitor costs, and more.

 

Plan for Setbacks, Delays, and Interruptions

 

The longer a project goes on, the more likely it is to encounter setbacks, conflicts, overruns, and interruptions. To mitigate damages and risk, ensure extra time is in the schedule to accommodate such delays.

 

Establish a Risk Management Plan

 

A risk management strategy should identify potential challenges you may encounter on the construction site and seek to mitigate their impact on timelines and budgets. This may include authoring response plans and operating procedures to use in the event of specific challenges.

 

Act in Compliance of Health and Safety

 

Follow health and safety regulations and prioritize safety throughout the planning and execution phases. It's not enough to have safety equipment available. Wear it. Follow protocols. Create and adhere to strong health and safety policies. Ensure workers are trained on safety standards.

 

Maintain Regulatory Compliance

 

Ensure you are performing your duties according to industry and local regulations. Stay updated on building codes. Identify and handle potential legal issues. Maintain tax compliance.

 

Assemble Your Most Skilled Team

 

When undertaking large-scale construction, you want your best team, with skilled experts in project management, architecture, and labour.

 

Source the Best Materials

 

Always choose quality materials from reputable suppliers. The durability of a project's construction materials is not an area you want to compromise on.

 

Hold Regular Team Meetings

 

To keep all team members on the same page, ensure team leads are hosting regular meetings. These meetings are an opportunity to assert or reassert task responsibilities while resolving potential conflicts, hearing concerns, and aligning efforts around a project objective.

 

Keep a Close Eye on Progress

 

Review construction activities and monitor progress. Ensure scheduling is adhered to. If schedule or cost adjustments must be made, do not wait to make them if it means keeping a large-scale project on track.

 

Communicate Often and Effectively

 

Use construction software to communicate with teams and stakeholders. Be transparent with project expectations, progress, and management. Ensure updates are distributed to relevant parties and that all stakeholders are kept involved.

 

Implement Firm Project Controls

 

In your contractor accounting software, ensure you implement firm project controls. Keep track of project costs, schedule, and quality, tracking real-time performance.

 

Be Prepared to Adjust Your Budget

 

The unexpected is bound to occur at some point on a construction site. Be ready to adjust your budget as the project progresses, working to prevent overruns as best you can and ensure accountability.

 

Automate Your Accounting

 

Using contractor accounting software, you can automate so much of project management. Many can be automated, from expenses to payroll, financial reporting, and document management. This saves you time and keeps your data organized, which is key come tax time.

 

Ensure Quality Control

 

Don't ignore, delay, or fail to complete quality control checks. Quality issues have a high negative impact on a construction project's profitability. They eat into schedules and budgets and are bound to be discovered. Maintain strong quality standards.