Management over a construction project has everything to do with its results. Not only will proper management make for a good outcome, but it will also allow you to stay within your project’s timeline and budget. As a construction project manager, it’s your responsibility to get things right to do a job successfully. To do so, you must plan out each step it takes to manage and execute a construction project. Here’s what you need to step-by-step to perfect your construction management process.
1) Create a project initiation document
A project initiation document is the foundation for any construction project. This is where you will lay out what it’s going to take to accomplish the project. You will need to reference your project initiation document throughout your entire project because it outlines the resources you’ll need to carry out your project. Some things a project initiation document will define are:
- The context of your project
- Funding for your project
- Roles and responsibilities of workers involved
- Timelines, resources, and management stages
After creating your PID, you’ll need to set more concrete and specific end-goals for your project. Many project management systems like JobNimbus will help you arrange a plan digitally to achieve these goals.
2) Set expectations and track progress
Once you’ve determined your goals and the people assigned to the project, you’ll need to go over the plan with your team and discuss expectations. Speak with each individual involved with the project to clarify what their responsibilities are, how they will execute them, and any questions they may have.
Your PM software will come in handy for this step so you can track job progress. You can also see what subcontractors are assigned to specific jobs and check-in with your crew frequently. Tracking and check-ins are important so you can measure the progress of your project and stay on track. Frequently track your jobs so you can tackle any obstacles when they occur, stay on-schedule and on-budget, and ensure the quality of your performance is up to par.
3) Evaluate performance and brainstorm improvements
After you’ve finished your project, you still need to evaluate how it went and what went wrong. This step will help you provide training for your team and reevaluate the planning and execution of your projects. You should call a formal meeting with your crew to discuss everyone’s performance and get their insight on how to do better. Take notes, identify where mistakes were made, and contrast budget reports so you can adjust your plan accordingly and maximize success for your next project.
JobNimbus lets you view and build custom reports so you have all the essential information you need to evaluate at the end of each project.
Perfecting your project management process requires constant improvement, so the best time to reevaluate your current process is now. Though it takes a lot of work, it’s simple to do, especially with the help of project management software. To manage a construction project step-by-step, you should first, create a project initiation document, then set expectations and track progress, and finally evaluate performance and brainstorm improvements. To learn more about how PM software like JobNimbus can help improve your processes, view our free demo or the rest of our blog for more!
