Having the ability to mitigate the impact of delays is a valuable skill set for any PM or owner, but developing the systems and skills to get ahead of the problems and prevent delays from occurring in the first place, is priceless.

In my last post, we talked about how to mitigate the impact of delays that have already occurred in construction. In case you missed it, check it out here!

A quick refresher on some examples of the types of delays in construction is included below for reference:

Common Causes for Delays:

• Bad weather
• Soil contamination
• Equipment malfunction
• Labour shortages
• Construction mistakes
• Missing or incorrect data
• Funding delays
• Budget Inaccuracies
• Poor Scheduling
• Discovery of Hazardous Material
• Poor Communication of Critical Information

As mentioned before, construction schedule delays are one of the most costly and dreadful problems faced by stakeholders. Although some delays are inevitable, they are typically caused by incidents that were preventable if the proper systems and methods had been followed from the beginning.

Below, you’ll find some of the steps you can take to avoid delays altogether, and how you can use tools such as OnTraccr to help automate some of the tedious workflows that are required to maintain a healthy and reliable communication pipeline for the project.

1. Be realistic with your goals and milestones

Typically in construction we are always looking to serve our clients. Whether you’re a General Contractor, Sub-Contractor, or Supplier, you all have clients that you want to please and retain. Therefore it is extremely important to set realistic goals with your clients, ensuring they are based on the plan/bid that you have submitted. This way you can ensure they are never caught off guard and dissatisfied as a result of your broken promises.

If you ever find yourself doubting your estimate for deliverability, referring to similar previous projects as a guide can be an extremely useful way to back check your current estimates. Ultimately, this allows you to come up with more accurate and realistic targets for both quotes and timelines.

For more useful tips on building successful estimates, check out our article here.

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