Published July 5, 2023
It’s probably safe to say that nobody goes into the trades because they enjoy project pre-planning. Mapping so many details for an extended period of work – knowing that many of them will change – is as tedious as it is intimidating.
But construction planning is where profitability is gained and lost.
The benefits of pre-planning include:
- Reduced likelihood of conflicts with project stakeholders.
- Early identification of possible supply chain shortages, scheduling conflicts and other disruptions that can stop progress cold.
- Uncovering hidden opportunities for savings and efficiency.
- Better allocation of equipment, materials and labor for improved cost control.
- Clearer understanding of when supplies are needed to support just-in-time delivery—which in turn helps to improve safety and reduce theft or damage of supplies.
Here are some of the big opportunities for improvement in the construction planning process:
- Mind the distinction between project planning and construction planning. Both are vitally important and equally demanding. And for smaller building companies, both may be handled by the same person. But they aren’t the same. Project planning is about managing client expectations and maintaining their confidence in your management. Construction planning is about the day-to-day details of the people, materials and processes to get the project done. Put another way, project planning is about telling (or selling) the truth to the people who hold the purse strings. Construction planning is about discovering the truth at the earliest possible moment.
- Be the first communicator. Your communications drive the pace and intensity of planning as well as actual construction. Earlier and more frequent communication with suppliers and subcontractors helps to avoid misunderstandings, assure timely delivery of materials, identify budget issues as they arise and adjust schedules as needed.
- Find suppliers who will work closely with you throughout the duration and trust their expertise. Bring them in early, share the big picture and empower them to help create and maintain a delivery schedule that will serve you throughout the entire project. The right supplier is your best tool to ensure you always have the materials you need without having too much inventory sitting around.
- Plan for time lost to regulatory processes—from permitting and approvals to site inspections and safety audits.
- Consider the condition of equipment you own, and identify multiple sources for equipment you’ll need to rent or lease to avoid costly breakdowns and work stoppages.
- Manage what you can control. Equipment failures, safety lapses, scheduling errors and running out of materials are all causes of costly work stoppages that could be prevented through careful, consistent management and communication.
- Plan for what you can’t control by prioritizing the “critical path.” You never know when a major change order is going to come your way—much less a tornado or a global pandemic. But you can build flexibility into a construction plan by identifying the critical path—the sequence of jobs that must be completed in a specific order to meet the project deadline. Framing must come before insulation, which must come before drywall; these are parts of the critical path. When plans start to change, focus on keeping the critical path on schedule and shuffle with everything else.
- Revisit the plan often. The real value of planning comes from having such a firm grasp of the details that you begin to sense issues before they arise. To others, this ability may seem like magic—but it’s really just a combination of hard-won experience and working the plan every day.
Our Reputation Is In Our First Name
With more than 40 years of experience and knowledge, Best Supply has proudly served as supply partner in some of the most substantial commercial and residential building areas of the United States. Let us quote your next job, and see how we can help you bring it in on time.