We’ve all been there: a project gets the green light, we have all of the main players in line, the contractors are raring to go, yet somehow something falls through the cracks. Construction is an industry in which a lot of the big wigs are old school. They like paper and face to face communication. Who doesn’t? But in the expanding world of business, one doesn’t have to limit themselves to the brick and mortar of yesteryear. Technology in big machinery and logistics is rapidly changing. Why not communication channels and organization within the company? Project management has always been about commitment, milestones, and sound relationships with contractors. Instead of outsourcing or consulting with someone outside the preferred circle, it seems like a logical choice to create structures and set-ups to maximize who and what you already have. But first, we have to establish what it is that falls through the wayside more often than not during construction projects.

Through The Cracks

First and foremost, a project needs commitment. You need commitment from both the leadership and employees. There are so many instances in which the far string down the chain of command loses its tension in between, and the people at ground zero can’t decipher what the “C” level and project managers want. On top of that, keeping track of all the permits and laws can be a pricey consultation endeavor. It’s an unending game of telephone and, as experience can tell you, not everybody speaks the same language up and down that call chain. This is why there’s a need for a central command center. Email can only work so well on the field. It also depends on your location. If you’re neck deep in the Philippine forests and you need to check orders, how quickly can one download a string of lengthy emails with details pertaining to the project? This calls for a technological centerpoint where people can, in real time, know exactly what is needed at exactly what time, therefore nobody can claim they were in the dark about a certain detail of a project.

A Milestone A Minute

Milestones are the foundation of any construction project. They’re a coordinated effort between all parties present to deliver on a subset of goals in order to achieve the end. But can a series of time-consuming meetings really present the metrics necessary to establish realistic percentages of completion and equate it to a given milestone? Even more cumbersome, how can remote managers seriously check on the progress made before the meetings themselves? Hugh Hoffmeister, Co-Founder and CEO of  The Envision App, found at https://envisionapp.com/, had the right idea when he put in Progress Claim Verification and Progress Measurement into his system. That way, everybody has access, in real time, to the pertinent information needed to create a new milestone. Stuffed files full of pictures and endless paperclips are rapidly becoming outdated in comparison to the new communication technology being put out at this very moment.

Constructing A New Path

So we all know the pitfalls and the potential solutions of the construction business. We’ve hit them time and time again. Every so often we have to reconvene and reassess what it is exactly that the company needs to do to move forward. Companies can no longer assume that everybody is on the same page with periodic reports and episodic solutions proposal. With the global market expanding, one needs to go beyond the language barrier and subcontractor sleuths and get to the base need for a coordinated effort: seamless communication channels. That is the key. Timesheets and present responsibilities fall in line when people know when, how, and why they are doing something. Profiles and access to each individual involved make for a database that any CEO or field manager can check at any time. That is how you improve the performance of a construction project. Nobody left out. Nobody in the dark. Let’s get to work.