Understanding how others approach obstacles creates an opportunity to refine your own processes and improve profitability. The key is in managing what you can control through earlier detection of upcoming issues from workers, suppliers and clients.
With the cost of supplies rising, the persistent labor shortage and razor thin margins, any opportunity to streamline projects without compromising quality is a win. Looking closely at the challenges in construction today—labor shortages, supply-chain delays and rising costs—it’s no surprise that some contractors in the wall and ceiling industry are facing headwinds.
From a workforce perspective, there are several factors impacting the ability to recruit and retain talent. Data from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) shows the construction industry will need 439,000 additional workers this year; some estimates, like the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), reports the current need as higher for skilled workers, at 723,000. Closing that gap will not be easy when you consider the aging workforce, with more than 20% of construction workers now over 55 years old. Existing workers are feeling the strain.
Construction is physically and mentally demanding. When there are not enough workers, those workforce challenges are exacerbated, slowing productivity and elevating safety risks.
The second significant challenge in the industry today is unexpected shifts in the supply chain. From material availability, to shipping delays and increased costs and looming tariffs, supply-chain disruptions continue to impact project workflow.
Finally, rising costs. In a recent survey of more than 400 construction professionals, 95% report experiencing unexpected or increased costs over the past year. As a result, these rising costs have led to projects exceeding budgets.
It may seem like construction labor shortages, supply-chain disruptions and rising costs make it impossible to maximize project profitability. However, there are ways to get ahead of those issues before they undermine your team’s efforts. Let’s start by revisiting some proven best practices in project management.
Best Practices in Managing Wall and Ceiling Projects
Project management for construction, especially wall and ceiling projects, is in a category of its own. Unlike other industries, where everything is controlled, construction project management is often about dealing with the unexpected.
Yet good construction project managers know how to quickly pivot based on following these best practices.
Define the scope: Proper project planning requires a clear and detailed breakdown of all requirements and expectations.
- Break down each aspect of the project: Create a complete and detailed plan for every element within each phase of the project and who is responsible for executing each task.
- Articulate and reinforce roles: Everyone involved in the project should understand their role and how each team member contributes to the project’s completion.
- Monitor and measure: Keep an eye on each aspect of the project and quickly address small issues before they escalate.
- Encourage feedback: The team that is closest to the project often has the most valuable insight and recommendations, feedback that should be encouraged and shared across the company.
Even when you apply these best practices in project management, labor shortages and supply chain snags can derail progress. Yet why is it that some contractors can get ahead of issues and keep projects on track while others struggle as these issues arise? The difference is the more successful contractors understand where and how problems may arise long before they do, enabling them to take actions to prevent them.
Ten Ways to Get Ahead of Project Delays
After analyzing hundreds of construction projects of all sizes, we have been able to identify hallmarks of success and warning signs of failure, and effective shortcuts that do not compromise quality. Here are 10 ways to streamline a project and get ahead of delays:
1) Embrace Digital Transformation. A lot of jobsites rely on a variety of paper-based processes and digital tools for managing each part of a project. A recent survey of more than 400 construction professionals found that 91% still rely on paper-based processes, and only 12% have fully automated systems.
This means that most construction jobsites are over-reliant on a mix of paper and digital tools to get work done, creating more opportunities for disconnected teams and information, especially between the jobsite and back office. The best way to avoid mix-ups and inefficiencies is to replace outdated paper processes through digital transformation.
2) Strategically Plan. Once you throw that digital switch, there is no lack of digital tools designed specifically for the construction industry. Arguably, these options can lead to a messy glut of tools being used to manage each project. For example, different supervisors use their preferred tools on each jobsite, leading to inconsistent processes and information as each digital tool tracks various aspects of the project—inadvertently creating information silos.
Along with making it difficult for managers and executives to get a big picture view of the business come expensive software subscriptions and increased cybersecurity risks. A strategic digital transformation in construction is not just about replacing paper processes with digital tools. Rather, it is about using technology to streamline processes and share information so workers can be efficient, and projects remain on track.
3) Eliminate Gray Work. Gray work is what happens when employees spend time on activities that do not move a project forward. For example, rekeying site data from paper forms or combing through project plans or previous proposals in pursuit of a new bid. The time spent pulling together information from various data sources is known as gray work.
It undermines productivity and according to a recent survey among construction professionals, gray work can take up to 11 hours or more each week. That time directly cuts into a project’s profitability and impacts employee morale. Instead of being like 71% of construction professionals that maintain multiple project management solutions, consider streamlining project information on a centralized work management platform. This eliminates redundancies and rekeying data and provides an easier way to drill down on the status of any project.
4) Institute Succession Planning. Consider pairing experienced pros with newer employees and digitally documenting how they do their work. This doesn’t need to be an extensive coaching or apprenticeship arrangement that impacts hourly rates. Instead, guide the new employee through the initial process of hanging drywall sheets or installing acoustic ceilings or any other required job skill that has not yet been mastered. Pairing senior and junior workers at critical points in the project, and digitally documenting the process, creates a best practices playbook for future employees. Ultimately, this saves money and time.
5) Share Safety Information. Everyone agrees that safety remains the top priority on the jobsite. To boost safety, encourage workers to document and share best practices as well as near misses and causes for accidents. Creating a safe work environment is not just about avoiding accidents, it is also about creating a culture where employees should not feel embarrassed or punished for mishaps. Shared knowledge across all project sites reduces future risks and can lead to more effective ways of working.
6) Analyze and Rank Suppliers. A lot of supply-chain issues often take the contractor and supplier by surprise. However, identifying patterns and trends based on past behavior is a way to get ahead of potential delays. Consider creating a scorecard for each vendor and factoring in previous interactions into project planning. You may discover the vendor with the higher prices ends up costing less than so-called bargain deals that arrive days or weeks later than expected.
7) Reward Reliable Specialty Contractors. Given the tight labor market, it can be cost effective to incentivize your most reliable specialty contractors with higher wages. This requires keeping track of all specialty contractors’ performance, experience and certifications so you can easily identify the best talent for the job.
8) Factor Trend Data. While most project plans pull from prior jobs, consider including data from daily logs including location, season, and weather patterns. Having this additional information can inform project planning and staffing, and results in more accurate bids.
9) Understand the Lay of the Land. Site data including topography, survey data and soil tests based on projects built on similar terrain is critical for planning. Additionally, keep notes on local regulations, inspectors and their processes to avoid surprises that can lead to delays. If this data is not available from previous projects, you will have to rely solely on external sources as you build up your project database.
10) Master Your Clients’ Best Practices. It is one thing to know about the ceiling and drywall industry, yet it is quite another to know the protocols and standards of your clients’ industries. For example, the requirements of building a research lab differ from constructing a data center. When you specialize in a few industries and demonstrate expert knowledge of their building requirements, you will have more profitable projects completed on time while driving word-of-mouth references.
How Isola Homes Streamlines Project Management
Isola Homes, a Seattle-based construction company, sought to grow their business using some of these tactics. Known for innovation and the livability, quality, and efficiency of the sustainable homes it builds, Isola was still relying on outdated productivity software. For example, project data was created and stored in hundreds of spreadsheets, making collaboration difficult and preventing the ability to quickly see project status and other key information. Workers were never quite sure if they were making decisions based on current information.
With 40 employees managing the resources, materials and deadlines of 130 residential building projects per year, Isola Homes needed a better way to collaborate and share information.
The CEO decided to replace spreadsheets with a centralized work management platform that allows employees to share project information with the assurance it was accurate. Taking a methodical approach to shifting employees onto the new platform, Isola started by populating it with inventory information. Within a few minutes, employees could add additional data fields and expand the information to include other project data.
This included specialty contractor contracts, cost tracking, supplier information and client-specific requirements.
Being able to get up and run without extensive training on the work management platform eliminated the need for Isola to overburden their IT pro or hire more IT staff to manage and update the platform. By centralizing project information, they can shorten the bidding process and present more accurate estimates.
Managing all construction-related data from a centralized source enables Isola Homes to keep projects on time and on budget, driving value to all of Isola’s vendors, subcontractors, employees and customers.
Where AI Fits into Project Management
When everybody assigned to a project has a single source of accurate information, they can more easily control project needs and identify and address potential issues earlier. Centralizing information also makes it easier to introduce more advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).
Many construction pros believe that AI, especially on the jobsite, holds great promise, but feels like a futuristic endeavor. While curiosity levels are high, with 92% of survey participants agreeing in the potential of AI-powered tools to enhance productivity and work efficiency, only 10% are extremely confident in the accuracy of their key project information. Without accurate underlying data, AI cannot deliver on its promise of eliminating redundant, time consuming tasks and related gray work.
Still, AI is starting to make its way into construction apps today. Pre-built apps based on a construction company’s existing data can automate routine processes without requiring specialized skills. For example, some pre-built applications are used in straightforward ways to prompt a worker to build a form, or to complete a safety inspection based on AI’s collection and analysis of related documents.
As construction work management platforms become the standard, and AI-driven apps accelerate jobsite productivity, project managers will be able to achieve faster completion of projects without compromising quality craftsmanship.
Every contractor has established the best practices and workarounds for unexpected project delays. Understanding how others approach similar obstacles creates an opportunity to refine your own processes and improve profitability. The key is in managing what you can control through earlier detection of upcoming issues from workers, suppliers and clients. Part of managing those potential issues is to centralize information, automate, eliminate gray work and take advantage of advances in newer technologies, including AI. CD
Bob Salaj is the director of the Customer Advisory Team at Quickbase.
