Construction Planning

Planning is critical to the success of any construction project. Common practice involves paying great attention to detail and developing and maintaining a strong relationship with your subcontractors and owners. A very helpful tool for any construction project is a scheduling program. This program should allow you to detail out specific milestones, and a critical path. Utilizing a scheduling tool is one method of planning for a construction project. Another useful tool for planning a construction project is maintaining open channels of communication. Staying in touch with your end user (or end user representative) and subcontractors will enable any construction/project manager to predict future outcomes.

A common misconception that is seen a lot in the construction industry is the lack of attention to detail. There are project managers out there that believe their job stops once the turnover package is placed in the superintendents hands. This is incorrect. The project manager must actively be engaged in all facets of the project in order to insure a timely and well put together end product. Therefore, staying in constant communication with all parties (downstream and upstream) will allow for a successful project.

To briefly summarize the project manager should use the following tools to develop a sound plan for any construction project:

1. Utilize a scheduling software 2. Utilize Open Communication Methods 3. Actively think critically about the project.