Despite being a leading industry in the world’s economy, studies have confirmed that over the past couple of decades, productivity is indeed falling or, at best, stagnant. As a result, the American construction industry faces an efficiency problem, which many modern-day construction companies try to rectify through innovative tools and tech to keep all aspects of project management effective.
No matter what kind of construction project you’re working on, inefficiency can cause productivity levels to decline and can be caused by various factors. From improper training and supply chain issues to a lack of technology usage and poor communication, many things can cause inefficiency on your job site.
To prevent your site from suffering from the repercussions of inefficiency, it is essential that you take precautions to prevent levels from dropping down to below average. Yet, the question you might be asking is how? Fortunately, we outline some simple suggestions for doing so in this article, covering everything from investing in project management software to delegating tasks – keep reading to find out more.
Table of Contents
Train Your Staff Properly
No matter which industry you operate in, training is essential for teaching your employees critical skills to keep your construction projects running smoothly and efficiently. Especially in an industry that demands accuracy for success, exercise is crucial for improving productivity levels and, in turn, the quality of work being produced.
For instance, if you put one trained employee and another untrained employee on the same site and ask them to perform the same tasks, you’ll find that the trained employee will complete their work quicker and of a higher standard than the untrained employee.
The untrained employee may eventually get the job done, but there is a higher chance of mistakes which could cost you more time, money, and labor to rectify had they been trained from the beginning. By teaching your employees what is expected of them, as well as the critical skills needed to be successful at their jobs, you’ll be able to complete projects sooner and move on to the next stage of your project.
Invest In Project Management Information Systems
One of the most significant ways of overcoming challenges in the construction industry is by using technological advancements like project management information systems to ensure that your projects are on-time, cost-effective, and productive.
Depending on your site’s project management software, it can automate all the time-consuming aspects of project management so that your freed-up time can be spent on more time-consuming aspects of the construction project.
As well as automation, project management software can provide construction sites with the following benefits; improved planning process, managing/tracking worker productivity, communication, generating/analyzing data, and much more.
Learn more about project management information systems by visiting the site of providers like Kahua, an innovative, secure cloud-based system designed to help improve your site’s project management efficiency.
Practice Active Listening
Another way you can increase efficiency levels on your construction site is by practicing active listening. We don’t just mean listening to other managers and superiors; we suggest listening to your workers. Ultimately, your workers are amid the action day in and day out, meaning they’re more likely to pick up on anything amiss long before it reaches your ears.
Whether something is going wrong, another worker isn’t pulling their weight, or something could be improved, your workers act as your eyes and ears when you can’t see how production is going in person. Providing that you actively listen to your employees, they can spot holes in your plan and report them back to you before the project gets too far underway.
To prevent any problems arising from inefficient listening skills, ensure that you always give your workers a chance to report back to you with any findings and ask questions when appropriate. If they don’t approach you, check in with them regularly and see how they think the project is going and if anything could be improved.
Improve Your Planning Processes
Unbeknown to many, various mistakes can be made during the planning process of your construction project, which can cause inefficiency issues immediately. Since the planning phase is the most delicate process, any errors made at this point can be detrimental to the entire project, whether communication-based, responsibility-based, management-based or more.
Therefore, to prevent headaches in the future, it is essential that you devote an adequate amount of time to your project’s planning phase, which means determining the staff you’ll need, what processes you’re going to use, what equipment you need, and how you’re going to get it, and anything else that is essential to outline in the planning stage. Doing so is the only way to save yourself wasted time, effort, and money to ensure that your project is on time and efficiently.