How to Mitigate Project Delay on Job Sites

Delays on a job site are not only annoying but can be very costly! Often, there are strategies you can put in place to ensure you maximise productivity during those annoying delays.

Before discussing strategies, though, it's important to note that there are two common types of delays in the construction industry:

• A construction delay - caused by something not going to plan such as a sick contractor; and
• A blocking delay - a delay that prevents anything else from occurring.

While you can't plan for construction delays, a good project manager will be aware of potential blocking delays on a project and have a workaround in place.

Weather Conditions

It is inevitable that at some point during the year, the weather will play an enormous role in delays to your worksite.

So while you can't control the weather, you can plan to put procedures and equipment in place to ensure the delays don't become too costly.

Firstly, ensure your contract has an allowance for natural disasters so that you are not paying liquidated damages due to a storm. Seek legal advice on the correct wording.

Plan ahead. If you're working locally, you generally know when the colder periods will hit. Even though you can't predict rain, you will have a fair idea when to expect delays.

Check the weather forecast and where possible reschedule work as soon as possible.

During winter, hire a water pump if possible to drain away water that accumulates.

Budget issues

Running out of money mid-project can be the end of many construction companies and often leads to business owners digging into their cash savings to complete a job.

Your project manager should have access to job costing utilities and real-time updates on the company's financial health. They can then ensure that projects don't eat up the budget.

Invest in software that can provide this information, many packages these days come with an app for your phone, so you always have real-time information at your fingertips.

Plan to have strategies in place, such as bank loans, if funds start running low on a project.

Unavailability of contractors or overbooked employees

Many construction companies are tempted to book in as many jobs as possible. However, this can leave you with delays in finding contractors or high levels of absentees or staff turnover due to overbooked employees.

When booking a job, always check what other construction jobs you have booked. Make sure you can hire contractors on the days you need them and that your employees are not pushed to breaking point by tight turn-around times. There are software packages that can handle staff availability for you.

Booking too many jobs can also leave you with unreliable contractors. If regular contractors are not available, you will be forced to hire contractors you haven't worked with before. These contractors may not be as reliable or professional as your regular crew.

Always have a back-up crew and plan to know when you will need to call on them.

One thing you will have picked up on by now is that planning is the key. While you can't help delays, having plans in place should they occur will have those delays cleared and you back on track in no time.

Learn more about How to Improve Your Building Company’s Efficiency
here.