Are you renovating your home? First time project manager? Whether you are starting a new contract or starting a new job, there are pitfalls to project management. This article seeks to help you avoid them with handy industry-backed tips.
If you ever watched those building design programs on TV and thought that you could do that, then you may have a project manager’s spirit. You may also be completely wrong. We aim to protect you from the worst mistakes made in construction projects by letting you in on industry secrets. Let’s talk top tips and how to perform project management roles like a boss.
The 5 Tips for Excellent Project Management
If you are striving for excellence in your next big project, read this first.
1 – Everything Runs on a Schedule
Any construction project follows one golden rule: that things must happen in order. You can’t build the roof if you don’t have support beams in the walls. You can’t install electricity if there are no ceilings or floors. Certain key points of the work must take place in the correct order. It is this dedication to queuing which makes construction work so slow. Using construction scheduling software can help. When you can schedule each activity in order you can map out your project and make less mistakes.
2 – Communication is the Key to Success
Talking, communicating, filling in enquiries, answering emails, talking to the team – all of this is bread and butter for a project manager. Communicating is how you will succeed in this role. If people don’t know what is going on at the right time, they will get in each other’s way. The last thing you want is the points of order in your planner to fall out of line.
3 – Time Management
No matter how big or small the project, you need to engage in some top tier time management. What happens if you spend all day answering work notes and you don’t get out onto the site to check progress? What happens if you miss things during the project because you are spending too long with the client? Losing time means staying past 5pm to finish up and nobody wants that…
4 – Budget Wisely
There is an industry fable about the unskilled project manager who leaves things to the last minute. When you start something like a room refurbishment, the client will tell you from the get-go what it is that they want. If you then wait until you finish the building work to buy the fixtures and fittings the client chose, you might not get them. They could be out of stock, out of production, or limited in number. This leads us to one of the best tips in the construction industry. Order your parts/décor/equipment from the outset of the project and it helps you stay within budget.
5 – The Clean-up
You don’t get to be one of the best construction agencies in the industry without cleaning up after yourself. The modern client expects quality artisanship followed by a swift exit stage left. They don’t want to have to clean up your rubble and mess once you are gone. Here are some tips on how to price your junk removal. Remember to factor it into the cost of the job.
