CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OBSTACLES

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OBSTACLES

The construction projects are facing lot of hurdles in every stage. We can complete the projects successfully, only if we have proper plans to overcome the hurdles and risks. Here is the List of Obstacles, everyone facing in Construction Projects.

• Change of Goals

• Undefined Goals

• Poor Project Definition 

• Unrealistic Expectations (in time and Cost)

• Lack of Communication

• Inadequate Risk Management

• Inadequate Funding

• General Economic Conditions

• Materials Supply Problems

• Supplier Quality Obstacles

• Supplier Availability Difficulties

• Procurement Bottlenecks

• Hiring Barriers

• Difficulty in Meeting Performance Objectives

• Expectations Exceed Reality

• Poor Specifications

• Second Guessing Decisions

• Missing the Market Window

• Changes in Priorities

• Missing Performance Goals

• Personnel Diverted to Other Projects

• Lack of Management Support

• Lack of Customer Support

• Personality Conflicts

• Political Issues

• Intense Competition

• Committing to an Unproven Technology

• Personnel turnover

• Effects of Alternate Technologies

BASIC STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION PLANNING

 EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROCESS

The basic steps in the management planning process involve creating a road map that outlines each task the company must accomplish to meet its overall objectives.

1. Establish Goals. ...

2. Gathering necessary Information

3. Identify Resources. ...

4. Establish Goal-Related Tasks. ...

5. Prioritize Goals and Tasks. ...

6. Create Assignments and Timelines. ...

7. Establish Evaluation Methods.

8. Identify Alternative Courses of Action:

• Even the best-laid plans can sometimes be thrown off track by unanticipated events. A management plan should include a contingency plan if certain aspects of the master plan prove to be unattainable. Alternative courses of action can be incorporated into each segment of the planning process, or for the plan in its entirety.

9. Implementation of Plans: 

     The last and major step in planning process is the implementation part. The planning should be put into action so that business objectives may be achieved. The implementation will require establishment of policies, procedures, standards and budgets. Look for 

 •      Automation Opportunities
• Material Handling
• Duplication
• Redundancy
• Decisions
• Delays
• Rework Loops
• Non-Value Added Steps vs. Value-Added Steps

PROCESS MAPPING FOR PLANNING

RESOURCE PLANNING

• MATERIALS

• MANPOWER

• TOOLS & MACHINERY

MANPOWER

 ORGANISING THE PROJECT EXECUTION TEAM

a. Appointing Project head & technical team (HR & management)

b. Project head will form the rest of the team

c. Project head will allocate the responsibilities of staff

d. Submitting RR of staff to management

 LABOUR CONTRACTORS

a. Execution team will find out the suitable labour contractors

b. Getting quotations from labour contractors

c. Submitting quotations of contractors and get approval from management

d. Work orders with detailed specifications and rates will be prepared

e. Releasing of work order and starting the work

 SPECIALISED AGENCIES (FOR WORKS LIKE PILING, STP, ETC.)

a. Identifying the specialized works in the Project

b. Finding out the agencies, contractors or people who are doing that works

c. Getting quotation for the works

d. Submitting quotations of contractors and get approval from management

e. Work orders with detailed specifications and rates will be prepared

f. Releasing of work order and starting the work

MATERIALS

• Site infrastructure – Barrication, site office, stores, cement godown, steel yard, labour sheds, borewells, power supply, logistics, shuttering materials storage

• Cement & steel

• Bulk materials- sand, aggregates, M-sand, quarry dust, hollow blocks, bricks, stones

• Doors & Windows

• Flooring materials and wall tiles

• Painting materials

• Water proofing materials and admixtures

• Electrical & Plumbing materials

• Amenities like lift, play area materials

TOOLS & MACHINERY

 Concrete mixture machines

 Vibrators, Earth Rammers, Bar cutting machines

 Grinding, Chipping, drilling, demolishing tools

 Props and spans

 Shuttering sheets

 Scaffolding materials

 Lab Equipment

 Safety materials

 Vehicles

SCHEDULING   - Types of Schedules reqd.

• Drawings Schedule
• Material Schedule
• Staff Schedule
• Labour Schedule
• Special Sub-contractors Schedule
• Plant & Equipment Schedule
• Billing / Invoice Schedule
• Financial Schedules - Working capital, cash inflow and outflow, Direct and indirect costs

FINANCIAL PLANNING

• Preparation of BOQ

• Preparation of requirement of materials in the overall cycle of project

• Preparation of Budgets

• Cash flow throughout Project Cycle

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT QUALITY PLAN (PQP)

The Project Quality Plan (PQP) for construction work is a written plan which serves as the basis for the overall Project Quality Assurance System and identifies the Quality requirements, methods to achieve Project Quality objectives & continual improvements during the work execution.

PQP addresses the management of quality assurance activities such as the following:

1. Management Review Procedure

2. Internal & External Audit

3. Planning & Scheduling procedure

4. Project Progress Reporting Procedure

5. Pre-qualification Documents

6. Nonconformance Procedure/Control of Nonconformities

7. Document & Data Control procedure /Control of documents & data’s, receipts, correspondences, drawings, control of quality records.

8. Procurement Procedure

9. Material Control Procedure

10. Control of Inspection, Measurement & Testing Services

11. Laboratory & Sampling Procedure

12. Procedure for the Management of change

13. Corrective & Preventive Action Procedure

14. Design Measurement & Control Procedure

PQP is a structured document that outlines how you’ll handle quality on a particular construction project. Every Project needs  project quality control plan, organization quality manual, and standard operating procedures for effective Project management.

SAFETY PLAN

A construction safety plan is a document that outlines the procedures, rules, and regulations that are or will be put in place to protect workers over the course of a construction project. The document should not only focus on preventing accidents but also lay out responses to safety incidents, including rescue operations, emergency medical services, and post-incident review processes.

A construction safety plan should at a minimum include the following:

Responsibilities and chains of command: Who is primarily responsible for safety on the site? Who is responsible in their absence? Which members of the on-site team have completed first aid or other types of emergency response training?

Medical response: What medical services or devices are available on-site? How will emergency responders be contacted in the event of an injury, fire, or rescue?

Inspections: How and how often are safety inspections going to be carried out? Who will perform them?

Communication: How will safety protocols, procedures, and other information be communicated to workers? Who will conduct toolbox talks? What tasks will require a brief refresher any time a new employee is assigned to them?

Cleaning and organization: What regular housekeeping tasks are required? Who will be tasked with completing them and who is charged with ensuring that all equipment is properly stored after the work is completed or suspended for the day?

Safety gear: What PPE will be required for which tasks? How often must it be inspected or replaced?

Accident reporting: What are the post-accident procedures? How will incidents be documented?

Contractor management: How will contractor and contractor safety and training be ensured?

✡️ "If you fail to Plan - it is a Plan to fail"

A SIMPLE GUIDE TO CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT

 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT 

What is a Project?

A Project is "a unique endeavour to produce a set of deliverables (Buildings, structures in Construction) within clearly specified time, cost and quality constraints".

Projects are different from standard business operational activities as they:

• Are Unique in nature. Every project undertaken is different from the last, whereas operational activities often involve undertaking repetitive (identical) processes.

• Have a defined Timescale. Projects have a clearly specified start and end date whith in which the deliverables must be produced to meet a specified customer requirement.

• Have an approved Budget. Projects are allocated level of financial expenditure with in which the deliverables must be produced to meet a specified customer requirement.
• Have limited Resources. At the start of a project an agreed amount of labour, equipment and materials is allocated to the project.
• Involve an element of Risk. Projects entail a level of uncertainty and therefore carry business risk.

What is a Project Management?

Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and management processes required to undertake a Project successfully.

Project Management comprises:

• A set of Skills: Specialist knowledge, skills and experience are required to reduce the level of risk within a project and thereby enhance its success level.
• A suite of Tools: Various types of tools like planning software, modelling software, audit checklists, document templates, registers and review forms are used by Project Managers to improve their chances of success.
• A series of Processes: Various management techniques and processes are required to monitor and control time, cost, quality and scope on the projects. Eg. Time management, Cost management, quality management, safety management, risk management, etc.

Construction Project Management

Construction projects covers entire dwellings, office buildings, Stores, Commercial, Govt., public, industrial, Schools, Hospitals and utility buildings, civil engineering infrastructures such as Roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, airports, harbours, irrigation systems, Power sector, sewage systems, pipelines and sports facilities and so on. The Construction Industry is essential for the growth of the economy of the country.

Construction Project Management is the art and science of managing all aspects of the Project to achieve the project objectives within the specified time, budgeted cost, and predefined quality specifications.

Why Project Management is essential for Construction Projects?

Construction Projects have unique features:

• One time Activity - it must be performed correctly the first time every time
• Complexity - It is multidisciplinary because it involves a set of interrelated tasks to be done by specialists
• High cost and time for execution
• High risk of failure
• Difficulty in defining quality standards
• Uniqueness of people relationship
• Feedback mechanism
• Lack of experience of client or owner
• Untrained workforce

Project Management is essentially about managing a project from an idea through to completion. The general goal of a construction project is - building a project on time, within budget, with the stated quality standards and in a safe environment. 

Project management aims to achieve the stated goals of the project leading to completed facility, by virtue of Planning, Executing, Controlling time, funds and human and technical resources. 

• The Planning essentially consists of setting objectives, identifying resources and forming strategy

• Executing consists of allocation of resources, guiding Execution, coordinating efforts and motivating the staff

• Controlling consists of measuring achievement goals, reporting and resolving problems

The Planning, Executing and Controlling are performed on a continuous basis till the goals of the project are realized.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LIFE CYCLE

A standard construction project has following five major life cycle phases:

(Image : shutterstock)

1. INITIATION

We have to create and evaluate the project in order to determine if it is feasible and if it should be undertaken, at the beginning of the project. A feasibility study is conducted to examine whether each option clearly identifies the project objective and a final recommended solution is determined. Many questions related to the issues of feasibility i.e. “can we do the project?” and justification like “should we do the project?” are mentioned and faced. When a solution is approved, a project is initiated to implement the approved solution. For this, a project manager is appointed. 

At this stage, the major deliverables and the participating work groups are identified. This is the time when the project team begins to take shape. Approval is then required by the project manager to move onto the detailed planning phase.

2. PLANNING

Planning is the key to the successful management of a Project.

Once the scope of the project has been defined in the terms of reference, the Project enters the detailed planning phase. This involves :

• Project Plan (outlining the activities, tasks, dependencies and time frames)
• Resource Plan (listing the labour, equipment and materials required)
• Financial Plan (identifying the labour, equipment and material costs)
• Quality Plan (providing quality targets, assurance and control measures)
• Risk Plan (highlighting potential risks and actions taken to mitigate them)
• Acceptance Plan (listing the criteria to be met to gain customer acceptance)
• Communications Plan (listing the information needed to inform stakeholders)
• Procurement Plan (identifying products to be sourced from external suppliers)

At this point, the Project has been planned in detail and is ready to be executed.

3. EXECUTION

This is the implementation phase, where the project plan is put into motion and the work of the project is performed practically on site. It is essential to maintain control and communicate as needed during each implementation stages. Progress should be continuously monitored and appropriate adjustments are made and recorded as variances from the original plan. A project manager is the one who spends most of the time in this step. 

Throughout the project implementation, people carry out the tasks, and progress information is being reported through regular project team meetings. The project manager uses this information to preserve control over the direction of the project by comparing the progress reports with the project plan to measure the performance of the project activities. If any deviation is found from the already defined plan corrective measures are made. 

A successful implementation stage is characterized by:

• A well-developed team
• Allocation of resources
• Task assignments
• Implementation of Project management plans
• Status meetings
• Updated project schedule
• Tracking systems in place
• Modification of project plans

4. PERFORMANCE AND MONITORING

This stage is all related to the measurement of progress and performance to make sure that items are tracking with the project management scheduling. This phase regularly happens at the same time as the execution phase.

The best tools to use at this stage are KPIs or Key Performance Indicators. Here are examples of KPIs.

• Effort and Cost Tracking—determines if the budget is on track

• Project Performance—monitors the changes and unforeseen challenges

• Quality Deliverables—determines if certain task deliverables have been fulfilled

• Project Objectives—determines whether the project goals and schedule are met 

5.CLOSING

During the final closure, the importance is on providing the final deliverables to the customer, that is:

• Handing over project documentation to the business
• Termination of supplier contracts
• Releasing project resources
• Communicate the closure of the project to all stakeholders.
• Last and final is to conduct lessons-learned studies to examine what went well and what didn’t.

This type of analysis would make the knowledge of experience to be transferred back to the project organization, which will help future project teams.

Construction Project Management Operating Environments

CONSTRUCTION - Specific Project management Skills

Construction Project Management skills are:

• Project management Knowledge Competency
• Technology and Resources management skills
• General management knowledge and Strategic skills
• Environment management proficiency
• Leadership and interpersonal skills

In the fast-changing technology, Construction Project Management skills upgradation, both at individual and corporate levels, is a continuous process.

Project management Knowledge Competency:  10 knowledge areas for managing projects as per PMBOK by PM Institute are:

• Introduction to Project Management
• Project Integration Management
• Project Scope management

1. Project Time schedule Management
2. Project Resources Management
3. Project Cost management
4. Project Quality management
5. Project Contract management
6. Project HR management
7. Project Communication Management
8. Project Risk Management
9. Project Procurement management
10. Project Stakeholders management

Project Manager Attributes

The desirable attributes of a Project manager are:

• Attitude: An open positive 'can do' attitude

• Common sense: An ability to see things as they really are and to pick sensible, effective, straight forward solutions

• Open mindedness: Being open to new ideas, practices and methods

• Adaptability: an ability to anticipate and adapt to changes

• Inventiveness: An ability to discover innovative strategies and solutions

• Prudent risk taker: A willingness and ability to identify, understand and manage the risks

• Fairness: A fair and open attitude, which respects all human values

• Commitment: A very strong overriding commitment to the project's success, user satisfaction and project team working

Above all, Commitment to Project's Success!

Management Levels in Construction

USEFUL GUIDE TO CONSTRUCTION PLANNING

 CONSTRUCTION PLANNING

What is Planning?

Planning is the Process of formulating time based action for coordinating various activities and resources to achieve specific objectives.

Planning - 'What" is going to be done, 'How", 'Where', 'by Whom', and 'When'
                  

Construction Planning is the process of developing construction Project Plan.

Attributes for Construction Planning

• Decision making
• Information gathering
• Identifying / defining activities
• Creativity
• Flexibility
• Inter relationships

Construction Project Planning

1.Design & Drawings Plan

• Conceptual design - Preparing Conceptual sketches and Proposal Analysis
• Schematic design - Approval of Schematic drawings, Preparing cost projections
• Preparing detailed design & drawings, BOQ, specifications, revised cost projections, milestone compleetion schedule
• Preparing drawing schedules, shop drawings and specifications
• Organising the drawings

Preparing Specifications

• Qualitative requirements for the products, materials and workmanship upon which the design is based
• Description in words about the work to be done, the quality of materials and workmanship, the method of construction, the method of testing etc.
• Client's developed standards

2. Time Plan

Time Plan refers the Scheduling - the process of putting the project plan on a Calender time scale.

Benefits of Scheduling

• Schedule simplifies Plan with Barchart, useful in Planning, coordination, Execution and control.

• Schedule Validates time objectives and verifies the accomplishment of tasks on dates imposed for completion of project.

• Schedule aids in the optimization of resources employed and economical use of resources of men, materials and machinery

• Schedule enables forecasting of input resources and earned value in terms of investment, expenditure, output and income

• Scheduling brings out implications of time and resources constraints.

• Monitoring of Projects against the scheduled baseline

Types of Schedules

• Drawings Schedule
• Material Schedule
• Staff Schedule
• Labour Schedule
• Special Sub-contractors Schedule
• Plant & Equipment Schedule
• Invoice Schedule
• Financial Schedules - Working capital, cash inflow and outflow, Direct and indirect costs

3. Resources Plan

• Types of Resources (Labour, Materials and Equipment)
• Total quantities of each resource type
• Roles, responsibilities and skill-sets of all human resources
• Items, purposes and specifications of all equipment resource
• Items and quantities of material resource

A schedule is assembled for each type of resource so that the Project manager can assess the resource allocation of each stage in the projects.

4.Finance Plan

Similar to the Resource plan, a Financial Plan is prepared to identify the quantity of money required for each stage in the project. The total cost of labour, materials and equipment is quantified and an expense schedule is defined which provides the Project manager with an understanding of the forecast spending vs the actual spending throughout the project.

Preparing a detailed Financial Plan is extremely important as the project's success will depend on whether or not it is delivered within the time, cost and quality estimates for this project.

5.Quality assurance Plan

Meeting the quality expectations of the customer is critical to the success of the project. To ensure that the quality expectations are clearly defined and can resonably be achieved, a Quality Plan is documented. The Quality Plan:

• Defines what quality means in terms of the project
• Lists clear and unambiguous quality targets for each deliverable. each quality target provides a set of criteria and standards which must be achieved to meet the expectations of the customer.
• Outlines a plan of activities which will assure the customer that the quality targets will be met.
• Identifies the techniques used to control the actual level of quality of each deliverable as it is built.

Finally, it is important to review the quality not only of the deliverables produced by the project but also of the management processes which produce them.

A summary of each of the management processes undertaken during the execution phase is identified, including Time, Cost, Quality , Change, Risk, issue, procurement, Acceptance and Communication management.

6. Safety Plan

Prepare a detailed Safety Plan which involves every activity of the Project. The safety Plan includes:

• Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) required
• Barrication, safety nets, guard rails and Protective systems required
• Precautionary measured to be taken while each activity (eg. Earth work , Concreting)
• Safety staffs required to manage, based on the size and activities of the project
• House keeping requirements
• Essentials like Lighting, Fire safety
• Any special precaution to activities like electrical, scaffolding, people working in high places

Creating the safer environment to work will improve the success level of the project.

PROJECT PLANNING STEPS

• Define Scope of work, method statement and sequence of work
  
• Generate Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to produce a complete list of activities
• Develop Organisational Breakdown Structure (OBS) and link it with WBS to identify responsibilities
• Determine relationship between activities
• Estimate activities time duration, cost expenditure and resource requirement
• Develop the Project network

FIVE LEVELS OF WBS

1. The entire project
2. Independent areas
3. Physically identifiable section fully contained in  level -2 - reflect construction strategy
4. Desciplines setup schedule
5. Master Schedule activities, quantity and duration

ACTIVITIES

• Function in the project that consumes time, resources and cost

• 3 types of activities
•  - Production Activity, Procurement Activity and Management Activity

A GOOD PROJECT PLAN

• Involves advance thinking as to what is to be done, what are the activities, how it is to be done, when it is to be done, where it is to be done, what is needed to do it and how to ensure that it is done.

• Provides the yardstick for measuring progress and evaluating resources performance

• Provide the basis for coordinating the efforts of clients, consultants, architects, designers, quantity surveyors, specialists, suppliers, contractors and the project staff

• Has build in flexibility in the form of floats, to navigate changes in the planned path for meeting fast changing environments

• Creates healthy environment and make people time, cost and quality conscious

Well conceived Project plan, developed before the commencement of project execution stage 

- making project successful in scope and profit.
- can go long way to  prevent project collapse due to various aspects

✡️ "If you fail to Plan - it is a Plan to fail"