5 Ways to Improve Efficiency in Construction
Construction operations are complex and fragmented. From pre-construction to the final inspection, there are numerous points where standard operating procedures and documentation can be streamlined to increase efficiency without sacrificing quality or safety. That being said, construction is not a simple industry, so many moving parts exist. Each process step requires various documents, permits, inspections, and more. Fortunately, there are ways to streamline these processes and make them more efficient. Here are five tips you can use to improve efficiency in your construction projects:
Define your key performance indicators
Before you can streamline your operations and improve efficiency, you need to understand the problem areas. Start by defining key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure efficiencies, such as the daily number of permit applications or the average time needed to complete a construction project. Other indicators might include:
- The number of change orders.
- The number of project delays.
- The number of errors in critical documents.
- The number of incidents.
- The number of quality issues.
It’s important to understand that these KPIs are not all tied to operations; they’re connected to the end goal (i.e., the project completion).
Utilize digital tools
Construction operations have traditionally been paper-heavy, but we’ve moved far beyond pen and paper. With the advent of digital tools, you can make your operations leaner and more efficient. Start using an electronic document management system (EDMS) to replace paper documents. One of the most significant advantages of digital tools is the ability to use version control. If a change order is approved, for example, you can ‘track’ that change in the document and make it visible to everyone on the team. You can also see when the change was made and who made the change.
Incorporate automation
As with most industries, the construction industry is ripe for automation. Here are a few automation ideas that can help improve efficiency in your operations:
- Use construction claims management software to automate insurance claims. This will help you spend less time completing paperwork and more time building your project.
- Use computer-aided design software (CADD) to automatically generate design drawings (including changes). CADD also enables you to set up digital modeling and simulation software to view your project in 3D and see what your construction site will look like.
- Use scheduling software to automate the project schedule. This can help you minimize the number of errors and find out where your resource bottlenecks are.
Establish clear communication channels
As with any industry, communication is critical in construction. Unfortunately, poorly executed communication can lead to errors, slowing construction, and increasing costs. The best way to ensure that your team communicates is to establish communication channels and enforce rules of engagement. For example, you can set up a Slack channel to centralize all communication or create a shared Google Doc where documents can be added and edited by all. Another way to enforce clear communication is by ensuring that all team members know who to go to for what, be it unforeseen issues, sourcing the right construction equipment, etc. This will help remove the communication “noise” from the rest of the team so they can focus on their tasks.
Streamline your processes and workflow
There are plenty of ways you can streamline your processes and workflow. Here are a few:
- Create a ‘standard operating procedure’ (SOP) for each process stage. An SOP is a detailed checklist outlining all the required documents, permits, and tasks.
- Establish clear roles and responsibilities for each step of the process. For example, there should be a precise workflow for how the project manager deals with change orders. You should also have a ‘quality gate for each process step.’ This is a checkpoint where the right stakeholders verify quality.
- Maintain an updated Project Management (PM) Plan. Your PM Plan should include the initial scope of work, current scope of work, a risk assessment, work breakdown structure, and more.
Conclusion
Construction is a complex industry that is rife with opportunities to improve efficiency. Knowing where to best implement changes can help you improve your overall performance.