3. Continue Learning – Many aspects of construction are changing faster than ever. The old tools are getting smarter, and the new tools arrive at the job requiring new skills from the users. Construction is in a race to not just upskill its workforce but also to reskill it; the industry can thus reap the productivity gains promised by technology.
Contents
How to get more construction projects?
1. Double-Dipping Method – If you’re a General Contractor, you really should also be pursuing jobs as a Subcontractor. The best part about being a GC/Subcontractor is that you have a long list of Subcontractors to perform the work for you. You can hire these guys at a discounted rate, labor only, and just manage materials and overall management of projects.
- I recommend you pursue each project as a GC, find out who is bidding, and then use the Architect as a resource to find out who your competition is.
- You won’t always get an opportunity as a GC though, and thats why your backup plan is to bid that same job as a Subcontractor to the bidding GCs.
- If you spend the time to prepare your quantity takeoffs for a project, you can take advantage of the opportunity and bid as a GC and Sub.
It’s a great strategy to complement your current income, but if you want to have more steady work, this is definitely the way to go. Create a separate business entity with a different name and also bid as a Subcontractor. You can pick a few specialties you know well and stick with those.
How can I get a construction job quickly?
It is quite possible to acquire work quickly in some facet of construction work, though if you intend on building a career in construction work, some steps will be to your long-term benefit. Here are the basic steps you can take to get a construction job: Finish your basic education. Attend trade school. Apply for an apprenticeship.
How to improve work quality in construction?
How to Improve Construction Project Quality – Some starting contractors may not be confident enough that they can deliver quality work within schedule given the labor shortage that’s wrapping the construction industry. But by hiring subcontractors, using modular construction, and implementing technology like project management software and construction crew management software, processes at the site can be streamlined while work quality is ensured.
Understanding Project Specifications
Before writing the project plan, the contractor should fully understand the standards and specifications set by the client and his team. These standards should reflect on the results of the plan you make so study them well and brainstorm with your stakeholders on how each standard and specification can be met.
Discuss Quality Requirements with the Team
After understanding the quality requirements of the project, you should also discuss them with your crew members so they’ll know why their schedule and set of tasks are designed that way. You can do this orientation before the team starts working on the project.
Hire the Right People
We know that this can be difficult at this time now that the industry is facing a higher rate of labor shortage. You can probably hire newbies in the field but at least make sure that the person you are hiring is enthusiastic and willing to prosper in the work he is trying to acquire.
Never Settle for Poor Quality Work
Time always seems to be the enemy of quality work. There are contractors who still accept tight schedules even if they aren’t sure that they can deliver a good quality project on time. They do so to catch up with their target annual profit. That said, some contractors tend to condone low quality.
Daily Project Progress Monitoring
It’s easy to miss out on instruction when working at the site, most especially when the team is placed under pressure because of the deadline. But make it a rule to have your crew members report any errors committed at the site. When they look away and ignore these mistakes, all other processes that come next will lead to bigger mistakes.
Carry Out Testing
Schedule testing from time to time. Make it a regular part of your quality control. You can carry them out after each milestone to see whether the structure is in compliance with your client’s standards and specifications. When tests fail, track where errors began and implement rework right away.
Check Raw Materials Before Starting the Project
The quality of the project is dependent on several factors and one of them is the material that you use. No matter how skillful the project team is when the materials used are of low quality, the end result still won’t be as good. That said be sure to use reputable suppliers who can deliver quality materials for your project.
Protect Completed Work
Your project will be made up of phases. For every phase finished, be sure to protect them to prevent rework caused by damages inflicted by careless people at the site. If it’s timber, cardboard, or any other sensitive materials, have them covered with plastic wraps.
Carry Out Repairs Correctly
Mistakes can be avoided through proper planning, efficient construction crew management, and regular progress tracking. However, and like we mentioned before, there will issues that can arise because of unexpected situations at the site. For instance, weather disturbances make it difficult to predict the right drying condition and time of concrete.
- Since it’s almost unavoidable, what you can do is to carry out repairs correctly.
- As we mentioned, never ignore mistakes and act on them immediately so that you can go on with other parts of the building correctly too.
- Do not wait until the building is done and your client’s inspector be the one to point out your mistakes This can be very costly on your part.
Don’t wait to be called back too after 5 years to work on damages that have already caused bigger problems.
Document Everything!
Documenting everything about your project can be a pain, most especially in a construction site where too many things can happen in a day. Fortunately, documentation at the site can now be automatic. To make work easier, prepare checklists containing things that need to be accomplished in a day, the resources to be used, and possible issues encountered that foremen can simply tick.
It’s even more convenient now that you can send the checklist through your project management software. It’s also beneficial that project management software is now available to use in mobile phones. This made it easier for crew members and foremen to record every activity at the site and report them back to the project manager who’s at the office.
Finally, documentation is very important for a construction company trying to expand its business. Previous project data can be helpful in writing better plans on the next job order as well in strategizing for more workable schedules and estimates. All these lead to the better work quality of the construction team.
What is the best way to get clients for construction projects?
2. Sign up for Commercial Lead Generation Services – If you’re in commercial construction as a general contractor or subcontractor, commercial lead generation services are the best way to start and get connected with clients who need contractors, and projects who are currently out for bid. Check out:
- The Blue Book – thebluebook.com
- iSqFt – isqft.com
- Building Connected – buildingconnected.com
If you’re on a budget, building connected is free, and the other two have a free trial you can sign up for. They’ll send you a few leads per week for free. I suggest you eventually pay for the service and get a really good amount of leads through it. They are only about $75-150/mo.
How to improve work quality in construction?
How to Improve Construction Project Quality – Some starting contractors may not be confident enough that they can deliver quality work within schedule given the labor shortage that’s wrapping the construction industry. But by hiring subcontractors, using modular construction, and implementing technology like project management software and construction crew management software, processes at the site can be streamlined while work quality is ensured.
Understanding Project Specifications
Before writing the project plan, the contractor should fully understand the standards and specifications set by the client and his team. These standards should reflect on the results of the plan you make so study them well and brainstorm with your stakeholders on how each standard and specification can be met.
Discuss Quality Requirements with the Team
After understanding the quality requirements of the project, you should also discuss them with your crew members so they’ll know why their schedule and set of tasks are designed that way. You can do this orientation before the team starts working on the project.
Hire the Right People
We know that this can be difficult at this time now that the industry is facing a higher rate of labor shortage. You can probably hire newbies in the field but at least make sure that the person you are hiring is enthusiastic and willing to prosper in the work he is trying to acquire.
Never Settle for Poor Quality Work
Time always seems to be the enemy of quality work. There are contractors who still accept tight schedules even if they aren’t sure that they can deliver a good quality project on time. They do so to catch up with their target annual profit. That said, some contractors tend to condone low quality.
Daily Project Progress Monitoring
It’s easy to miss out on instruction when working at the site, most especially when the team is placed under pressure because of the deadline. But make it a rule to have your crew members report any errors committed at the site. When they look away and ignore these mistakes, all other processes that come next will lead to bigger mistakes.
Carry Out Testing
Schedule testing from time to time. Make it a regular part of your quality control. You can carry them out after each milestone to see whether the structure is in compliance with your client’s standards and specifications. When tests fail, track where errors began and implement rework right away.
Check Raw Materials Before Starting the Project
The quality of the project is dependent on several factors and one of them is the material that you use. No matter how skillful the project team is when the materials used are of low quality, the end result still won’t be as good. That said be sure to use reputable suppliers who can deliver quality materials for your project.
Protect Completed Work
Your project will be made up of phases. For every phase finished, be sure to protect them to prevent rework caused by damages inflicted by careless people at the site. If it’s timber, cardboard, or any other sensitive materials, have them covered with plastic wraps.
Carry Out Repairs Correctly
Mistakes can be avoided through proper planning, efficient construction crew management, and regular progress tracking. However, and like we mentioned before, there will issues that can arise because of unexpected situations at the site. For instance, weather disturbances make it difficult to predict the right drying condition and time of concrete.
Since it’s almost unavoidable, what you can do is to carry out repairs correctly. As we mentioned, never ignore mistakes and act on them immediately so that you can go on with other parts of the building correctly too. Do not wait until the building is done and your client’s inspector be the one to point out your mistakes This can be very costly on your part.
Don’t wait to be called back too after 5 years to work on damages that have already caused bigger problems.
Document Everything!
Documenting everything about your project can be a pain, most especially in a construction site where too many things can happen in a day. Fortunately, documentation at the site can now be automatic. To make work easier, prepare checklists containing things that need to be accomplished in a day, the resources to be used, and possible issues encountered that foremen can simply tick.
It’s even more convenient now that you can send the checklist through your project management software. It’s also beneficial that project management software is now available to use in mobile phones. This made it easier for crew members and foremen to record every activity at the site and report them back to the project manager who’s at the office.
Finally, documentation is very important for a construction company trying to expand its business. Previous project data can be helpful in writing better plans on the next job order as well in strategizing for more workable schedules and estimates. All these lead to the better work quality of the construction team.
How to increase productivity in the construction industry?
Construction is one of the largest industries in the world’s economy that generates trillions of dollars every year. However, the industry faces many challenges like tough competition, low profit margins, cost overruns, and tight project delivery deadlines.
- These challenges are some of the major concerns for contractors and construction businesses.
- Now, what shall be done to tackle these problems successfully? One way is to keep a check on your productivity.
- According to reports, the productivity in construction has grown by just 1% over the last 20 years.
This is not just alarming but the biggest cause of many problems and challenges facing the construction industry today. Even traditional industries like mining, warehousing, manufacturing, government, and oil have seen a considerable increase in productivity over this period of time.
But, the construction industry is still lagging behind the others and the reasons are many. For example, innovation is never a priority, lack of technical expertise, and a stagnant habit of using traditional processes. However, instead of finding excuses as to why the industry has always lagged in productivity, it would be nice if we consider moving forward and find ways to solve this problem.
An increase in productivity is possible in the construction industry if businesses make small optimizations in their processes wherever possible. Let’s take a look, how.
What is the construction industry looking for?
Improving Project Quality With Collaborative Software – The construction industry is aiming for high-quality project deliveries that are within the schedule and budget. But it has been challenging for many firms to achieve all three. Most of the time they need to choose between quality and speed.
- But times have changed.
- Technology is making it possible for construction projects to be completed on time while achieving quality.
- There’s BIM that helps improve wok quality and now there’s the construction project management software to ensure that quality is met at the site.
- In the past, project managers can only check on the situation at the site when he does site visits.
But with photo documentation and construction project management software, he can already find out what’s happening at the site no matter where he is. This helps him guide his team in taking the right action when mistakes happen, or instructing them in detail so errors can be avoided.
Is the construction industry not spending enough on technology?
Embrace Technology and Design Better Workflows – If used strategically, construction technologies can help you collect data to make wise business decisions and improve productivity, revenue, and safety. However, unfortunately, the construction sector is not spending enough on technology advancements.
- To improve productivity in the construction sector, businesses must embrace technology.
- Equipping construction workers with technology tools and software will help them build faster and better.
- For example, using technological solutions, businesses can get access to real-time data using which managers can make changes on job sites whenever something unpredictable happens.
An increase in productivity is the ultimate outcome of acting fast on situations and making informed business decisions. Similarly, by using project management software, construction businesses can track their work processes faster than ever. They can host important documents like change orders, plans, RFIs, work reports of workers in one centralized location.
