How do you know if your construction project has been a success?
Whether you are a skilled foreman or just starting out in the construction industry, completing a project successfully is absolutely crucial.
A successful construction company is the result of leaders being able to string together a series of successful projects. A successful project can help expand your business by bringing you business referrals. And an unsuccessful project can make it harder to find projects for your business.
Knowing how to determine if your construction project has been successful will help you plan the project and ensure a better chance of success.
Build Your Career as a Construction Foreman
This course is designed to help you build your abilities and improve your career as a construction – whether you are a seasoned leader or are just starting out in your career.
4 Key Aspects of a Successful Construction Project
Do you want to deliver successful construction projects? Focus on the 4 key aspects of a successful construction project by asking yourself these questions:
- Has your project been completed SAFELY?
- Did your project EXCEED the customer’s EXPECTATIONS?
- Was your project completed AHEAD of SCHEDULE?
- Was your project completed UNDER BUDGET?
Has your project been completed SAFELY?
How do you know if your project was completed safely? Ask yourself these questions:
- Were there any injuries or near misses on the project? All of your team members go home safely to their family.
- Were any damages done to the building? Successful projects mean that the building is left in better shape than how your crew found it upon arriving.
- Was the general public safe during the project? Companies have a responsibility to provide a safe work environment for not only their employees but also the general public.
So why exactly is a safe worksite so important to a successful project?
Well, let’s say that proper fall protection is not set up correctly on the jobsite. What are you risking by ignoring safety?
- The safety of your employees. All employees need to go home at the end of their workday.
- The reputation of your business. Customers want to work with safe companies.
- The financial security of your company. Injuries can lead to higher insurance premiums that can impact the financial performance of your business.
Level up your game and ensure that you are meeting the goal of delivering a safe project.
Did the project EXCEED the customer’s EXPECTATIONS?
When you perform a job in an average manner what you are really doing is delivering the project just like anyone else would. As a result, you are likely to be replaced by someone who performs better. And if you are average, they don’t need to be that much better in order to beat you out.
However, when you perform a job in a way that exceeds the customer’s expectations, you are creating a memorable experience for the customer. And you are making it harder for your competition to keep up.
Bottom line – STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE.
In an industry that is customer service driven it is so important to stand out and be MEMORABLE. Think about it from the customer’s point of view.
As an example, If you were paying a company who specialized in custom built cabinetry to install all new cabinetry in your kitchen and they completed the project in a way that made your kitchen look sloppy – did they make your experience with their company memorable? Yes, but in a negative way. In the future you would be more inclined to go with a different company that promises better quality of workmanship. What’s more – you would not want to give referrals.
What are ways that you can exceed customer expectations?
- Start by asking! Ask your customer what their expectations are for the project. Don’t guess!
- Clean up your site. There is no customer who enjoys a messy project site. Make sure you maintain your site in a clean and orderly fashion.
- Pay attention to the details! Don’t just complete the big task items. Make sure to complete the job to 100%.
The idea is to perform the best work possible and to exceed the customer’s expectations.. It will ultimately build the relationship between your business and the customer, as well as hopefully lead to referrals which is the lifeblood for a construction business.
Was your project completed AHEAD of SCHEDULE?
The third aspect of a successful project is making sure that it has been completed ahead of schedule. Have you heard this adage?
“If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.” – Vince Lombardi
The same is said for successful construction projects.
A single hour either ahead of or behind schedule may not appear to make much of a difference. However, these hours add up and can leave your project significantly ahead or behind.
There are benefits to being ahead of schedule for your construction projects:
- Improved cash flow. When you complete projects ahead of schedule you are able to invoice faster and collect your cash quicker.
- Pay your vendors quicker. When you collect your money faster you are able to pay your vendors quicker and improve your credit rating.
- You improve customer satisfaction. Projects that are completed faster and don’t linger make the customer happier with the overall construction project experience.
It is important to the financial success of your business to complete construction projects as quickly as possible without incurring unexpected costs. The quicker projects can be closed out, the faster money is collected and the sooner you can move onto the next profitable project.
Get Started Learning About Construction Estimating
Are you looking to start your career in construction estimating? The Construction Estimating 101 course provides a foundation for those interested in learning more about this important function.
Was your project completed UNDER BUDGET?
Every project has a budget. The project starts with an estimate which when awarded becomes the budget.
Do you want your project to be successful? Make sure your project is done under budget!
A successful project is completed under the approved budget, not over it. This is why it is so important to prepare a well thought out estimate sheet as it sets the financial bar for how the project must be completed. A good estimate sheet will include the following:
- Estimated Labors
- Material Estimate
- Equipment Allocation
- Profit and Overhead
- Taxes
- Other Costs
Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list. Every construction business will have a similar estimating structure. However, to have a financially successful project, a good estimate sheet must be built correctly.
Conclusion
In a nutshell – to successfully complete a construction project, you need to focus on these four main points:
- Has your project been completed SAFELY?
- Did your project EXCEED the customer’s EXPECTATIONS?
- Was your project completed AHEAD of SCHEDULE?
- Was your project completed UNDER BUDGET?
You will see that each aspect of a successful project supports the other aspects. When a project is completed ahead of schedule, you will exceed customer expectations. When a project is completed safely the team will work faster and be ahead of schedule.
The key to managing a successful construction project is to realize that all four aspects must be achieved.
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