How Construction Businesses Are Adapting to Tighter Project Timelines
Construction project timelines have become tighter over the last few years. Whereas clients used to be more lenient on how quickly their projects took, they now demand shorter windows. Developers also demand quicker timelines and the overall pressure to get things done has never been higher. What’s more interesting is how some construction companies have no problem keeping up with tighter timelines while others lag behind getting up to speed.
It’s often a matter of how they respond to planning, equipment and suppliers. Those who can manage under pressure have adapted to these tight situations over time and realized that in order to effectively respond to shortened project windows, they need to start from the get-go in a specific way.
Planning Backwards From The Deadline
Many construction companies today work with a new perspective: planning in reverse. They no longer start the project with the first step and try to fill in the gaps going forward. Instead, they find a completion date and work backwards to anticipate potential delays.
Planning backwards essentially helps prevent delays. If during the planning period it’s understood that one of the critical path items has a high potential for something to go wrong, then by the time someone gets started with that project, they should have plan B options already in their back pocket. Getting the project done on time doesn’t mean buffer time exists everywhere but only in critical path items when the stress of learning how to get back on track is reduced. When something inevitably takes longer than expected (and always does), there can be a cushion situated where it needs to be so there’s still progress.
Access To Equipment Without The Wait
This brings us to equipment. For years, construction companies relied upon getting their own equipment because they knew their project schedules years in advance and could plan ahead. However, now that timelines are overlapping, it’s not so much more advantageous to have equipment sitting in your yard as it is to depend upon reliable suppliers who provide for you at a moment’s notice.
That’s why more contractors are building relationships with reliable suppliers who can deliver quickly. For height access work specifically, working with established providers for scaffolding hire Perth operations means getting quality equipment on-site fast without the capital tied up in ownership. The flexibility this creates is huge when you’re juggling multiple projects with overlapping schedules.
Speeding Up Approvals And Inspections
In addition, prior to this past decade, one of the biggest bottlenecks was waiting for inspections and approvals along the way from different stages of the project. Now, construction companies are relying upon proactive education with inspectors before work starts.
Instead of getting inspectors out on-site once work commences — especially if they’re not available for days — getting them familiarized with what’s being proposed and for how long gives them the opportunity to plan accordingly with your schedule. Similarly, some insiders use remote approval processes by taking photos, documenting their efforts and saving some steps along the way if criteria allow for it. This doesn’t replace those who have to inspect physical work but it does get rid of unnecessary visits during phases where more materials were brought out than anticipated.
Better Communication Channels
With the technology we’ve experienced since Covid-19 over 2020, no one has an excuse for delayed communication anymore. If a jobsite supervisor catches something wrong at 7am, they can snap a photo, send an email, give their supervisor a call and advocate to figure out their next steps before the office opens at 8am. Group messaging channels keep everyone on the same page without waiting for a million people to send out prolonged email chains that others might miss due to being out on another jobsite.
The best construction companies who handle tightly scheduled jobs enforce strict compliance that everyone must be "in" on the communication platforms: they send and receive messages throughout the day — and outside of 9-5 hours— to ensure everything that needs addressing gets done sooner than later.
Supplier Partnerships Make All The Difference
Furthermore, general contractors who master meeting deadlines with other projects have strategic alliances with supply teams as well to keep momentum going. When you’re familiar with a team who pays well and treats their employees kindly, they’re going to give you more favors when things get tight. Whether they can fit you in last minute for something small they might have available or whether they have special suggestions based on your project history that can save you time, the support systems help bridge gaps along the way.
In addition, your supply teams became part of your extended project family instead of acting strictly like vendors. They know your typical working history which means they’ve trained themselves and their employees accordingly so they can better recommend solutions before you realize you need them for certain problems along the way.
Workforce Accessibility
Companies who meet time constraints also foster accessibility regarding workforce needs; instead of spreading one reliable crew too thin across many tight-deadline jobs, they’ve built themselves extensive resources so that if crunch time occurs at one site, there’s a stable successful subcontractor who can jump in at a moment’s notice without anyone even batting an eye.
Similarly, those workers need cross-trained perspectives so that someone can do formwork one day and then assist with finishing work another day; this gives everyone flexibility when schedules are rough around the edges without anyone getting paid for ineffectual waiting around for jobs to move forward if they’re capable at doing something else as well during that time frame.
Always Learning Improvements For The Future
This process allows construction companies not only to meet tight schedules today but also improve consistently over time; bad ideas become irrelevant suggestions while best suggestions get standardized protocols set in place, all with well-researched documentation that fosters continued success no matter what kind of jobs are worked on next.
Timelines haven’t suddenly become tighter due to some unfortunate news warranting retrospective evaluation; they’ve become tighter because construction companies with resources know how better to respond so they combine appropriate elements as needed instead of simply rushing through everything at once without clear intent or proper execution along the way before success occurs.