Large construction projects often get horridly delayed, raising projected costs at an alarming rate. Managing a construction project is no easy feat as it t requires meticulous strategizing and extensive planning. Even the best-laid plans can go array while working with a large crew and a challenging landscape.
Luckily, there are various tips and tricks to streamline affairs and ensure that all management processes are well-aligned and efficient. Creating a checklist allows a project manager with greater insight and control while managing a large project. It’s easy to lose sight of smaller chores and less significant elements while overlooking the more challenging processes.
Compiling a checklist will help you maintain focus, set realistic milestones, and guide your team towards timely completion. Keep reading to learn more about a construction project checklist that will help you succeed.
Table of Contents
Getting Started
It is wise to divide your checklist across the various phases of construction, starting with initiation. Your list must highlight all the chores required to get a project started. Naturally, this involves paperwork, legalities, obtaining relevant permits, and aligning the team members. The pre-construction phase is an integral part of the project, and it determines the overall success and timely completion.
Streamline all your needs and requirements for an efficient and productive journey ahead. List down all the requirements of the project and the needs of a construction crew. For instance, if the project is situated in a remote location, you need to explore housing solutions. Texas oil field housing is a prominent solution amongst construction crews and workers.
These housing solutions offer housekeeping, food, and even transport for commuting back-and-forth. When your crew arrives on the site, you don’t want any unnecessary delays or complications impeding their progress. Be sure to address all the pre-construction chores before the project begins to ensure a smooth initiation process.
Setting Milestones
The planning checklist for a construction project stems from your proposal for the project. It will highlight all the chores and processes required to complete the project on time and adhere to all requirements. Planning is a continual process, and your checklist is likely to evolve and undergo changes throughout the project.
This part of your checklist will set milestones by allowing you to visualize processes and their possible results. You can examine the project’s scope, set priorities to spend wisely, and avoid expanding your budget. The planning phase also requires scrutiny of quality controls, inspections, and risk assessments.
Consider creating detailed and concrete plans so your checklist can function as a roadmap for all team members. You can organize the work structures and inform each team member of their relevant duties. Your list must also devise realistic schedules and allocation of tasks to ensure that the project completes within the given deadline.
The planning phase also focuses on procuring materials and dealing with vendors. It is a crucial undertaking that requires caution to avoid overspending or obtaining low-quality materials to reduce spending. Carving out a moderate approach is tough, but you will have to engage with multiple suppliers and vendors.
Getting Work Done
Many construction professionals argue that execution is the most challenging phase, as many things go array when workers start working. Planning is a phase that involves passive involvement and the assumption that everything will work out smoothly and as planned. But that is seldom the case.
Construction sites are vulnerable to chaos and noise, and even the most minor of accidents can reduce team morale. The execution phase is the toughest, and it requires strategizing and planning. Project managers need to have a strategy in place for all kinds of unforeseen and unexpected events.
The construction manager must respond to workplace hazards, accidents, or broken machines with a prompt response. If a machine breaks down, you need to have alternatives in place to prevent work from getting halted. Prioritizing worker safety and investing in insurance will help you avoid complications that cause delays.
Monitoring Progress
The controlling phase of the construction process involves monitoring progress and ensuring timely completion. It requires strict quality controls and inspections to ensure that the project aligns with the budget and requirements.
This phase requires a checklist that extends to every single sphere of the construction process. For instance, checking daily activities and safety measures, monitoring materials and quality, and inspecting equipment for signs of damages.
The manager must also closely monitor the cash flow and expenses to ensure compliance with the allocated budget.
Conclusion
Managing a construction project requires a professional to maintain meticulous records and plan extensively. If you don’t have a strategy in place, you will find yourself at a disadvantage while managing a large crew. Workers and engineers will look towards you for direction, and chaos will ensue should you fail to provide this direction.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to putting together a project management checklist. It is crucial to approach this undertaking in a manner that is most beneficial for you. The idea is to note down your plan or agendas for each day to ensure efficiency and productivity. Compiling a list of tasks makes it easier to ensure that everything is well-aligned and streamlined.
