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Mastering Construction Planning for Successful Projects
Every construction project must begin with a plan, which will shape the direction of the job as it progresses.
This means the process of construction planning is an indispensable best practice at contractor firms of all sizes and specialties, as well as a potential differentiator.
When construction project stakeholders intelligently and accurately set the parameters of their work in advance — including proposed budget, project schedule, construction logistics, project scope and more — they’re well-positioned to run an efficient jobsite. A combination of best practices and technology tools can help companies reach this elevated level of performance.
The technology side of the equation deserves a special level of focus, as advancements in capabilities can deliver real advantages to employees facing complex tasks and tight budgets. The new efficiency provided by automation and collaboration tools helps contractors and their collaborators thrive within the constraints they face.
Why Is Construction Planning So Important?
Construction planning is such an impactful process in part because it reaches every part of a project. Each internal stakeholder and external collaborator can grasp their own role in a job more effectively when there’s a centralized design to work from. Furthermore, having a construction project plan allows teams to measure their progress in real-time, comparing their efforts to benchmarks and making adjustments.
The importance of planning begins when a project is in its earliest stages. As NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association explained in its research magazine, advance planning is a common factor across all types of construction strategies, helping contractors maintain their timelines, budgets and commitments to build quality.
Some of those essential pre-planning considerations include creating a strong budget, setting a realistic project schedule and drawing up plans that contractors will be able to execute without logistical challenges.
Settling these matters in advance requires an investment of time and money, but their importance will become clear as the project proceeds.
A strong budget acts as a defense against unexpected cost overruns once the job begins, while an achievable construction schedule helps all parties align on their own roles without creating delays and a logistically sound itinerary for the job prevents conflicts and complications once work begins.
Contractors who take the time to include all these elements in their plans will enter a job with a clear vision of their potential profit as they pursue project objectives. They’ll also have a strong basis for communication and collaboration with the project owner and their network of subcontractors. These advantages are worth the early investment in construction project planning.
Discover the value of the preconstruction phase in planning a job.
What’s the Impact of Construction Planning on the Project Lifecycle?
While planning in the initial stages of a construction project is an important consideration, that’s not the only phase of the job where a strong, well-considered plan will have an impact. In fact, contractors will feel the effects of their planning investments through every step of a complex, evolving job, up through project completion.
A construction plan’s role as an organizing document for a whole project means it provides a consistent source of truth for stakeholders to refer back to, adding on as the job progresses. Important landmarks t