Both newbies and experienced project managers may be tempted to take over multiple construction projects at some point. The prime challenge that all project managers face is managing, strategizing, and effectively tracking them.
Merely getting away with all the construction projects is insufficient; you must ensure perfection. In this blog, we will discuss how you, as project managers, can efficiently juggle multiple construction projects and exceed your client's expectations.
Give precedence to projects
Prioritize the construction projects based on the budget. Larger projects require a more significant investment, so you should work with general contractors who have highly qualified laborers to avoid rework. Having skilled laborers on site will also slash the labor cost. Prioritize large-scale residential projects that need more attention and increased safety requirements. Lay a solid foundation for your project from day 1 with InnPMIS by creating detailed Work Breakdown Structures (WBS).
Provide clear instructions
Avoid communication barriers with your stakeholders, including general contractors. Setting clear communication channels for transferring information will foster harmony.
Here is how you can do so -
- To streamline the process, use different communication channels, such as email access, project management software tools, and weekly meetings.
- Record everything in emails and maintain a good relationship with your higher officials to discuss the project's progress.
- Understand the cultural differences in your team and collaborate effectively.
Ensure you have a view of all work being done with InnSite. Project managers can accurately capture daily on-site activities, labor hours, and equipment usage.
Assemble the right team
Each team member should know their responsibility for completing the project. Hire proactive staff with excellent qualifications. An effective team member will provide potential solutions to problems and fix them readily. Ensure everyone understands the project outcome and their role's benefit. Leverage InnSite to boost accountability by allocating field teams to specific work packages.
Streamline project documentation and reports
Reporting and keeping track of different construction projects at once may get overwhelming. InPMIS will come to your rescue here, as it is built for how project managers work. Having a centralized repository eases the responsibility of project managers. If you track all the records accurately, then providing updates and reviews of the project would be effortless.
Stay prepared to manage risks
Construction projects involve a mix of risks and profits. For effective project management, you must stay ahead of the risks. Overcome challenges with new ideas and confidence while staying connected with other team members. InnPMIS comes with mobile access, which means your field teams can upload real-time data, allowing you to monitor progress and spot bottlenecks early.
Manage connections
As project managers, you must maintain relationships with your partners, general contractors, and stakeholders. Any loopholes may significantly impact your project. For example, on a construction site, a project manager must ensure the construction project's noise does not affect any other neighboring residents. You also need to ensure the current work on the construction site does not affect the nearby buildings' structural integrity. The construction area should be free of hazards, and workers should respect the community. Otherwise, the local community may raise legal action against the construction project. Ensure every detail is noticed with InnSite's custom inspection forms designed to match your project's specific quality and safety requirements.
Speed up project delivery
Accelerating project completion may reduce the owner's additional charges, as labor and material costs add up quickly. With an effective planning strategy, project managers may reduce unwanted costs that may burden the project owner. Dodge unnecessary delays by automating routine tasks while minimizing manual errors with InnSite.
Oversee resources
Collaborate with general contractors and other site supervisors to position laborers and material resources on the construction site. Usually, these general contractors contact the local procurement companies for resources to assist the construction project.
Supervise materials
Standardizing the usage of materials may ensure clarity over materials for different construction projects. For easy availability tracking, you can fix particular brands for small materials like switches, door holders, etc. You may need help storing massive amounts of materials in a single storage place. So, connect with local suppliers for storage facilities. Assess contractor performance with InnPMIS's built-in evaluation tools, ensuring smooth coordination.
Direct finances
The finance team is the backbone of any construction project. Regular contact with stakeholders and the finance team will ease the fund management policy. Steer away from ambiguity with automated invoice management and easy tracking of payment statuses, cash flow and outstanding balance provided by InnPMIS.
Track progress and outcomes
Key performance indicators reflect deadlines and more detailed information about the progress. Visit the construction projects in person to oversee any delays. InnPMIS enhances your construction site's transparency by capturing daily progress digitally and generating real-time reports through mobile access.
Remain agile and tackle difficulties
While working with a vast portfolio, you must understand that you may not give 100 per cent attention to all construction projects. So, you must trust your employees to finish the project on time and tackle even more prominent issues that arise on the job site effectively. The attitude of the entire project team should be aligned in a single frame to ensure better outcomes.
The final words
The best way to manage multiple construction projects is to strategize, organize, and trust your team members to do the task. Timely completion while maintaining good relationships with the project owners and stakeholders, such as general contractors, may provide future opportunities and secure trust.
Inncircles offers a suite of products, including InnSite and InnPMIS, built by the construction industry for the construction industry. Schedule a demo today to see how our products can bolster your team's productivity.