No matter what size crew you have, construction projects timelines can be won or lost based on how well you stick to the schedule. In the Northwest Arkansas area, weather can play a huge role in timing and delays.
You may not be able to control the rain, but there are some aspects that you can manage to stay on track. This involves more than simply printing out a timeline and taping it to the wall. Communication is important right from the beginning.
If the project has a pre-set schedule, we recommend reviewing the project with the project manager and as many other trades as possible to anticipate any obstacles. This sets the expectation for everyone involved, while helping eliminate any surprises when it comes to hitting project milestones.
Preparing For Challenges Upfront
At Prime Power, we’ve found that if the project simply has an end-date, then we create our schedule working backward from the committed date and factor in a few buffer weeks.
These “buffer weeks” are time which management is allowing for slippage in the schedule. without communicating it to the team. This way when delays come up, regardless if it weather related or delays from other trades, we have already planned for them.
This means that the end-date stays the same for the client, while at the same time giving us the flexibility we need to tackle challenges along the way. Over the years, this has served us well and allowed our team to deliver a wide range of electrical projects on time.
On a positive side, if project delays are minimizes, having these buffer weeks in place allows you to complete your tasks well before the documented timeline.
Proper Planning Is More Important Than Ever
This type of planning is helpful for both the developer and other trades that could be impacted by both the rough and finish electrical stages. With so much growth in Northwest Arkansas, any and all strategies to streamline construction projects can have a serious positive impact.
Sharing your timeline expectations with all trades can ensure everyone is on the same page. This also allows other crews to call out issues and problems they know may have a bigger impact on the project as a whole.
Next time you’re project team is going over new or existing project schedules, hopefully these tips will help you streamline the project timeline and help your company deliver its projects on time.