People often say that “time is money,” and this is especially
true during construction projects of all types and sizes.
Managing a schedule is not always easy, but the upshots associated with failure to do so can be
costly in multiple ways.
In addition to delay-related costs, some contracts include punitive fines
if certain deadlines are missed. In other cases the negative impact on worker morale can result
in safety or quality lapses, as the overall job-site culture becomes one of mediocrity.
Finally, a
contractor’s brand-value can be damaged once they get a reputation for missing timelines.
See related "punch list" of scheduling best practices...
Renovation has been a specialty area for us, and over the years our workforce has developed important skills and habits that are important considerations for working in job sites that are near or around occupied space.
As this short video explains, extra attention must be paid to safety, noise abatement, dust abatement, scheduling, and consistent communication, to ensure that all parties are aware of ongoing work processes and to manage the impact on "business as usual."
Scheduling is an important factor for projects of all types and sizes, as mistakes associated with timing, material deliveries and processes can be very costly.
According to a study published by Angotti Engineering of CA, three of the top project schedule risk factors include:
- Optimistic Scheduling - "tell them what they want to hear" without regard to real and practical limitations.
- Piling on People – All will go well if we throw people at the project, especially at crisis points.
- Refusing to anticipate learning curves when new people, tools or processes are introduced.
It seems renovation projects have been very popular over the past year or so. Our crews are well-suited to working in or around occupied space which, as you may know, requires heightened safety, dust-control and noise-abatement protocols along with scheduling flexibility.
For example, we recently completed a demolition and renovation project for the US Navy that involved interior updates in an existing structure at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to
provide personnel with additional kitchen space within an occupied security area.
The scope-of-work
included the overall expansion of two kitchenette areas, select demolition, and installation of
new custom cabinetry, flooring, and finish work. Due to the security requirements of the areas to be
renovated, all work had to be coordinated on both 1st and 2nd shifts with security escorts.
Read the full press release...
People often say that "time is money," and this is especially true during construction projects of all types and sizes.
For example, a regional organization was in the process of expanding their headquarters by adding a new wing. The initial decision-making and approval process took a little longer than expected, and consequently the project began six weeks late. This delay brought-about a time-challenge for the company, as winter was quickly approaching.
In addition, the communication between site management personnel, suppliers and sub-contractors was not the best. In certain instances the main crew was unable to work productively because materials were late in arriving. In other cases sub-contractors didn’t arrive on site because they were confused about the schedule. As the frequency of these types of misunderstandings increased, the "ripple effect" became significant and it soon became apparent that the facility would not be weather-tight prior to winter’s arrival, thus bringing about a need to import additional workers and to authorize overtime work – expensive solutions to say the least!
Managing a schedule is not always easy, but the upshots associated with failure to do so can be costly in multiple ways. In addition to delay-related costs, some contracts include punitive fines if certain deadlines are missed. In other cases the negative impact on worker morale can result in safety or quality lapses, as the overall job-site culture becomes one of mediocrity. Finally, a contractor’s brand-value can be damaged once they get a reputation for missing timelines.
