Construction management: 4 steps for an effective workflow

A construction management workflow is a process that describes the actions needed to complete a construction project. Here are 4 steps to do it effectively!

Workflows are essential to the successful completion of any project. They allow you to organize people, tools, resources and activities to effectively achieve design goals.

Lets Discover in this article which are the steps to create a truly efficient construction management workflow starting to use immediately a software solution for construction management in order to automate all your workflows making them even smarter and more productive.

What is a Construction Workflow

The expression construction workflow indicates the sequence of activities (called tasks) to be complete in order to achieve a certain objective during the process of designing and implementing a work.

These are carefully planned and coordinated sequential actions which help professionals and companies in the construction sector to standardize all processes operating more efficiently and productively.

Each construction project can include many specific workflows. Their purpose is to describe in detail what activities to undertake in order to correctly complete the phases of the construction process. Thus identifying the subjects and tools necessary for their execution.

Creating a construction workflow

5 Examples of Construction Management Workflows

Among the construction management workflows that make it possible to greatly improve the management of a project we find, for example:

1. BIM Workflow: is a workflow that involves the application of BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology to the design processes of construction and infrastructure works. Encourages collaboration between stakeholders, supporting the creation of intelligent data. This can be used at every stage of the project lifecycle, from planning to completion;
2. pre-construction: is the preliminary planning phase that serves to outline the scope of the project and to define the program for the construction team. The success of the entire project’s accuracy depends on the execution of the workflow. In fact, it provides for the definition of the budget, the identification of risks, the obtaining of permits and authorizations, the scheduling of works, the procurement of resources, and so on;
3. RFIs: in the construction field, RFIs (Request for information) are formal processes in which the parties involved, such as the designer or the contractor, clarify any information gaps present in the construction documents (such as plans, drawings, specifications and agreements). RFIs are usually issued at the initial stage of the project. If the inconsistencies are addressed before the start of the works, it will be possible to avoid problems, errors and delays during the construction phase;
4. change orders: Changes are quite frequent in a construction project. It may involve the introduction of additional work to those agreed in the contract or, on the contrary, the removal of a part of the scheduled work. A change order management workflow will help stakeholders deal more efficiently with design changes, seamlessly recording all changes made to the original construction contract;
5. site management: site workflows are essential to optimize and standardize all repeatedly performing operations . Organizing the work in a more structured way is possible thanks to the help flowcharts. Making the different activities simpler and more understandable for all workers.

5 Essential Construction Workflows

4 Steps to implement an Effective Construction Management Workflow

Having good workflows allows you to break down complex projects into simpler steps. Thus allowing parties involved to successfully complete their tasks.

To build a construction management workflow that is truly effective, it is important to follow some fundamental steps:

1. identify the construction’s activities: precisely listing activities is always a first step, regardless of the complexity of the project. It is necessary, then, to organize these activities according to a logical-temporal sequence. It is important not to leave anything out, laying all steps and including all actions that must be achieve before and after a main activity. Such as, for example, obtaining the approval of the interested parties or performing all the final checks required;
2. find the necessary tools: the second step is to identify the necessary tools to complete each operation. It is advisable to focus on the resources that are currently unavailable (such as software, templates, files, etc.) creating an adequate procurement plan;
3. assign roles and responsibilities: this is the step that involves assigning tasks to the various departments and/or subjects involved. For each role, you can define key responsibilities that fit your specific position. Each team member should be aware of their role and only be responsible for the activities that fall within their duties. Properly assigning tasks and responsibilities avoids counterproductive overlaps and ensures enormous advantages in terms of efficiency and productivity;
4. improve workflow over time: Implementing a construction workflow will most likely not be perfect the first time. However, through the monitoring of appropriate performance indicators, it will be possible to test and refine all activities over time making any changes and improvements required.

What are the advantages of a construction management workflow?

You may apply workflows to any performing task in a construction project hence providing a number of benefits, such as:

• ensures carrying out all operations correctly: workflows provide the subjects involved in the construction process with clear guidelines on how to perform their different activities. They allow you to plan in advance the constructions’ operations. All this ensures that the work is completed consistently and correctly. Therefore keeping delays and errors of all kinds to a minimum;
• save time and money: a workflow that is really efficient, allows you to speed up all operations. Therefore saving and assigning valuable time to other important aspects of the project. With the use of systems software for construction management it is also possible to program the different activities. This simplifies the roles’ assignments and keeps progress’ track seamsly. Hence solving problems that arise during the course of design. All this translates into an improvement in efficiency and a consequent reduction in costs;
• allowing processes to be standards: workflows have the ability to transform a mixture of individual activities (unrelated to each other). Turning them into a perfectly organized and standardized process. They define by whom, when and how individual operations must be performed to complete a job. This avoids costly delays and reduces problems and unexpected events;
• improves efficiency and productivity: Standardizing workflows minimize the need to reshape steps for future projects. They also ensure that all activities are carried out on time, greatly improving efficiency and productivity;
• reduces errors and rework: proper work planning allows you to identify and solve potential problems in advance. Well-organized workflows therefore reduce design errors and the need for costly variants in the pipeline.

Try a construction management software right away if you want to create efficient and innovative construction workflows. It will optimize your construction processes. With this system you can assign, start, track and manage any activity that concerns your projects. The problems that usually arise during the course of the design will no longer be a problem! You can turn them into simple tasks to solve and monitor the resolution process from start to finish.