Thorough preparation across all project phases is crucial for navigating challenges and ensuring construction project success.

There are never really dull days when it comes to managing construction projects. The early mornings, heavy machinery, piles of soil and materials, and people moving around the jobsite performing different tasks make for a fast-paced environment that does not slow down before the job is done.

I have been in this industry for well over 15 years now, starting out as a laboratory technician for a geotechnical and materials testing firm, to where I am now with MKN & Associates’ construction management division. I would not say that I have seen it all, but within my years of experience, I have seen a lot! From unforeseen soil conditions and mysterious sinkholes, to having to coordinate inspections in Asia during a global pandemic. One thing I have learned over my years is that the way you prepare will make (or break) your project.

Typically, the way I like to prepare for my projects is in three phases. Each phase, if prepared for appropriately, will help with the next phase. The phases include the:

Pre-construction phase. This phase of the project, in my opinion, is probably the most important of any project. Many times, this phase gets overlooked and team members want to just start moving. However, I would argue that if we are not appropriately prepared during the pre-construction phase, we could be setting ourselves up for issues later.
When we are awarded a new project and are doing a thorough review of all the available documents, I like to take extensive notes and look for anything that really sticks out to me. For instance, if your project requires excavation of up to 30 feet below ground surface, and the geotechnical report shows that groundwater is 10 feet below ground surface, you should take note of that. Another situation that the industry has had to deal with over the last five years is the availability of materials. If there are materials known to be heavily impacted by supply chain issues, a simple call to the suppliers to get lead times can go a long way. Items such as these should be included in your pre-construction meeting agenda for further discussion with the project team.
Preparing for situations, such as the ones I have outlined, and considering potential solutions early in the project will set a favorable tone and could end up saving you and your client a lot of time, money, and headaches during the construction phase.
Construction phase. As I mentioned, construction projects are a fast-paced environment. Our pre-construction preparations have put us in a position to tackle most issues that may arise during our project. Construction phase preparations are performed on a regular basis, whether daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on what is happening onsite. When the contractor submits their lookahead schedules, I will typically consider what will happen onsite during that period. Is the contractor receiving a delivery of materials? Are there going to be any large concrete pours? Are there going to be any major excavations? Based on what is planned by the contractor, preparations can be made for the type of work that they will be performing, the appropriate personnel can be notified that they will need to be onsite soon, and procedures for the work can be discussed.
During the construction phase, it is usually best to keep everything in writing. The days of a handshake agreement are long in the past. Therefore, one thing I like to do is prepare my internal document control system to keep topics in separate folders. This makes it easier to reference conversations that took place and direction that has been conveyed to the contractor. This system has saved me a lot of time and has helped me provide backup to clients very quickly. When time is of the essence, you don’t want to spend a lot of it searching for an email from 13 months ago.
Finally, during the construction phase, I prepare myself to make decisions. Not all decisions can be made in the field, however; there are many that can be made quickly by simply understanding the contract documents. By reviewing the contract documents in the pre-construction phase, preparing extensive notes, and reviewing the contractor’s lookahead schedule, the appropriate decision can be made within a short timeframe and the associated backup to that decision can be presented to the contractor and client.
Closeout phase. The best time to begin the closeout phase of any project is at the beginning. In each project, the contract documents outline closeout procedures such as final inspections, delivery of closeout documents, and start up and commissioning. These items should be discussed with the project team during the pre-construction phase. However, as things get busy onsite, it is easy for them to not be top of mind. Therefore, what I end up doing is preparing myself a timeline based on the construction schedule provided by the contractor. Many times, I simply prepare notifications to myself at key moments of the project so I can remind the contractor of procedures that need to be followed for closeout.
When it comes to closeout documents, I do not like to wait until the project is complete to begin compiling the project documents. Many times, there is a way that the client wants project documents to be delivered to them for their records. The best way to get these documents to them in a timely manner upon project completion is to have already begun preparing them in that format at the beginning of the project.

When managing construction projects, it is important to consider an array of situations that may arise and to adequately prepare yourself, the project team, and the client accordingly. Knowing how to prepare and what to prepare for comes with experience. I am sure that I have not seen it all and one day there will be an unfamiliar situation that I find myself in. However, because I understand the importance of early preparation and have developed a system that I can (mostly) adhere to, I just might be able to meet it head on!

Jeremiah Harrington is an assistant resident engineer at MKN. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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