The world is changing at a rapid pace, and productivity in project management in construction simply isn't keeping up. Boosting safety and improving project quality and productivity are some reasons why the construction industry must consider innovative tips and technologies. Let's then discuss the current stage of construction productivity, its key challenges and bottlenecks and how you can double it for your projects.
What is the current stage of productivity in project management in construction?
The construction industry needs to climb out of the productivity slump, and it hasn't yet. Construction productivity increased by 0.4% annually between 2000 and 2022, compared to a 2% improvement of the total economy and 3% for the manufacturing sector. In fact, the global construction industry productivity has even declined by 8% during the same period.
Several ways exist to measure value and efficiency, making it difficult to determine the productivity levels of construction companies. The main challenge arises because construction projects differ widely in characteristics and features.
However, the statistics are often seen in action and do not result from measurement error.
But despite the discouraging numbers, there is hope, as we will discuss later in this blog. First, let's discuss the challenges and bottlenecks to the industry's productivity crunch.
What are the key challenges to productivity in project management in construction?
It isn't enough to say that construction firms must be more productive. We need to understand where things might go wrong to fix them. Here are some challenges that construction projects have to manage, which ultimately impact productivity.
1. Supply chain management issues
Supply chain disruptions can make it seem impossible to obtain materials. When manufacturers struggle with the raw materials they need to produce their products, load them onto shipping vehicles, and get them placed on their dealers' shelves, contractors struggle, and productivity levels slump.
2. Management
Even when the management team is experienced, outdated technology and methods may make it difficult for them to relay the project needs to the rest of the team. There will be a glaring communication gap when everyone is not on the same page.
3. Safety and injuries
Construction is an inherently dangerous industry. Its fatal accident rate is four to five times that of the manufacturing sector. According to one survey, 165 out of 1000 workers get injured during construction activities. It is harder to get more work done by fewer people when employees get injured and the crew runs short.
4. Equipment downtime
Equipment breakdowns are disruptive and can lead to downtimes impacting entire workflows, especially if the equipment is critical to project stages such as concrete pouring or excavation. These unpredictable issues can stem from various factors, including improper maintenance, heavy usage, or environmental factors.
How can you increase productivity in construction management?
Here are some ways -
1. Using technological resources for construction management
Labour productivity is directly proportional to the efficient use of technological resources. Historically, construction companies spent an average of less than 1% of revenues on IT, less than a third of what is common, for example, in automotive and aerospace. Do you spot a correlation? If the sector wants to catch up to its close relatives regarding productivity, it must invest in technology.
Using software such as Inncircles for construction management, companies can track their work more quickly than ever. These software bring all construction documents, including RFIs, change orders, drawings and more, under one centralized platform. Employees can save time spent documenting work in different locations, or searching for the previous work they did. Project management software such as InnPMIS by Inncircles brings efficiency to these daily tasks and helps save your team's time and boost productivity.
2. Construction planning based on data
It can be challenging to stay organized as construction projects move quickly. However, the better your construction planning, the higher your team's productivity will be. One way to drive planning efforts is to utilize data-driven strategies.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) extracts the project data to create a 3d model of every structure before you start building. It knows how much building materials should cost and can predict job costs better than traditional methods. Plus, it gives a fairly good estimate of the project duration.
3. Improve communication
Creating a good construction plan doesn't mean solving the problem entirely. Like any other industry, poor communication in construction can tremendously negatively impact the project outcome. The availability of real-time updates from a jobsite for construction management can foster effective communication and help prevent mistakes and missed deadlines.
4. Prioritize safety in construction management
Appropriate measures to prevent worker injuries on the job site help keep productivity at the highest levels.
Employees can focus more on the work allotted to them when they feel safe on construction sites. It also reduces the risk of violations that can greatly impact the project schedule.
Investing in construction site safety will earn the trust of your employees, boost their confidence about the safety equipment they are using, and drive higher productivity levels. Low accident rates will also reduce delays and additional expenses incurred due to work injuries.
5. Follow best supply chain practices
Supply chain issues aren’t always under your control, but you can prepare for them by following best practices.
Become well-versed in common resource management challenges, such as inventory miscounts, and revise ways to work around them. Track material use closely, and if you think you may run out in the middle of an active project, place an order for new supplies well in advance.
Develop good relationships with your suppliers by planning ahead while scheduling tasks and avoiding delays.
Wrapping up
The only way to remain competent and profitable is to maintain higher productivity benchmarks in project management in construction than your competitors. Inncircles, a robust customizable construction software, helps you utilize technology and data analytics to identify potential bottlenecks before they become an issue. If your team is struggling with timely and cost-efficient project completion and you want to increase your value to bid more competitively, Inncircles is here to help.
Schedule a demo today to learn more.