Did you know that delays and cost overruns affect more than 98% of all mega construction projects? Similarly, did you know that the average slippage time is more than 20 minutes, and the average cost increase is 80%? When a construction project is affected by significant delays, the owner can decide to abandon it.
6 ways to reduce construction time
Nevertheless, here are some ways to reduce construction time.
1. Use a suitable construction technology
One main advantage of using construction technology is that you can streamline your entire process to minimize risk. Construction technology also makes it easy for different key players, such as contractors and subcontractors, to collaborate on projects. Because decisions are made more swiftly, risks can be mitigated before they stall the project.
ALICE Technologies is an example of a technology that can reduce construction time. It is the first construction optioneering platform in the market created to simplify complex construction projects, reduce risk, and cut down on project time.
2. Have a cut-off date for change orders
A change order is a document that demands an amendment to the scope of work. This document can be issued for several reasons, such as incorrect estimates and design changes. Whatever the reason, you’ll need to have a policy of when and how a change order can be accepted.
This is because change orders can be confusing and expensive. Therefore, it’s important to make it clear at which stage of the construction phase change orders will be rejected.
3. Increase productivity
Several strategies can be used to increase productivity. The easiest is ensuring that your workers are motivated to work. You can do this by improving the working conditions of the site and paying better wages.
Another way of improving productivity is by firing unproductive workers. If you don’t fire unproductive workers, there is a high probability that they might influence other employees.
You can also increase productivity by ensuring no team is overworked or underworked. If a team is overworked, they become less productive, and this can cause delays.
4. Have proper collaboration tools
Large construction projects require many decisions to be made promptly. Sometimes, a delay in one decision can have a ripple effect, leading to other activities becoming stalled. Collaboration tools should be used to connect with important decision-makers to prevent such occurrences. These decision-makers should include architects, engineers, project managers, contractors, and subcontractors.
The tool should also have monitoring features to hold people accountable. Another important feature is that it should be cloud-based so that workers can easily access it with their phones.
5. Collaborate with subcontractors when creating a work schedule
In the construction world, the best people to advise on how to reduce construction time are subcontractors. This is because they are the people on the ground that do the actual work. Subcontractors can advise how long activities (such as piping or painting) take. Because they are on the ground, they can help develop strategies to do their work faster.
6. Don’t start work without the necessary permits
One common mistake contractors make is starting construction work before the proper permits have been applied for and approved. This is risky because a local government can halt a project without the proper permits. Sometimes, the project owners are also penalized.
When you build with authorized permits, you remove the risk of the project being halted, reducing the construction project duration time. This is because you won’t spend time in litigation trying to save your project.
Why should you avoid construction delays?
Delays increase the cost of financing
To better understand this point, let us assume you are a project owner financing a construction project using a bank loan. Your bank loan is for a two-year construction plan that includes materials, labor, and equipment costs.
Let us also assume that the project delay increases the completion date by another 12 months. If this is the case, you will have to seek additional financing from the bank to finance operations for another year. This increases the project’s overall cost, and in some cases, the project might become unviable to implement.
Customer dissatisfaction
Ensuring that your client’s projects are completed on time is in your best interest as a contractor. This is because you will save them money and also protect yourself from legal lawsuits.
Another important reason a project should be completed on time is that your client will be happy, increasing your ratings. It has been proven the best way for contractors to grow their business is through referrals. After all, referrals are more trusted than other marketing strategies. Therefore, every contractor must seek to safeguard their reputation.
Legal repercussions
If the delay is caused by factors you possess control over, you could be subject to legal lawsuits. If the court finds you guilty of causing the delay, you may be required to pay the project owner millions in damages. One way to protect yourself from lawsuits is to have a detailed contract detailing your responsibilities.
Not all delays are caused by the contractor—some can be caused by the project owner. For example, it is unfair for a contractor to be penalized for a delay caused by the project owner. Also, you should not be penalized if heavy rains or natural calamities cause the delay.
In conclusion, if you can reduce construction time, you can rest assured that every project owner will want to work with you since they can depend on you to ensure that construction costs are manageable.
