Recently iSeekPlant wrote an article on 5 Reasons Construction Projects Fail
They list:
- Underestimating the project
- Scope creep
- Issues with Productivity
- Failure to adequately plan for contingencies
- Communication Breakdowns
We immediately saw how using Expert Estimation and Expert Project would help avoid these issues. For Issue No. 1 they talk about discipline, checking numbers and using standardised templates – all things that Expert Estimation either does automatically or makes easy to do.
A clearly laid out estimate will reduce the risk of a client misunderstanding the scope of the work to be supplied. If using Expert Project, the estimate will form the basis of your Budgeted Cost of Work Performed, so should the Actual Cost of Work Performed start to outstrip the budget, you can investigate whether it is due to scope creep (Issue No. 2) or lowered productivity (Issue. No 3).
Solid estimates will also mitigate Issue No. 4. Within Expert Estimation calculations for labour rate can include anticipation of time lost due to bad weather and other risks. When unexpected delays do occur, reporting from Expert Project will alert a project manager extremely quickly that they are over-budget, so they can take action.
Issue No. 5 is a human one, but can be supported via clear documentation and reporting. Getting users trained up on estimating and project management software goes a long way towards making sure people are on the same page and used to the terminology that goes with construction.
So if you want to optimise your success when it comes to your projects, and NOT end up on this list, consider using industry-leading software and take advantage of the training that goes with it. We love to see our clients succeed, and do everything we can to ensure that happens. It’s what makes our clients experts, after all!