What is Construction Planning?
As the outcomes of construction projects can be affected by complex variables related to resource availability, location, weather, economic conditions and more, ongoing and effective construction planning gives the project team the fundamental management tools to manage the risk of uncertainty.
Construction ‘planning’ is the overall approach to predicting a future course of action, whereas ‘programming’ is the name given to the task of identifying activities, establishing relationships, and developing logical sequences among such activities that would depict their order of execution over time.
What does good Construction Planning look like?
A construction project is a unique form of organisation with a limited lifespan. It exists for a finite period only. When its objectives have been achieved, it comes to an end. Between their beginning and their ending, construction projects typically pass through a series of stages commonly known as the ‘project lifecycle’, through which a project is conceived, designed, constructed and commissioned.
Good construction planning starts with aligning the construction project objectives with those of the project proponents’ (typically developer and contractor) at each project lifecycle stage. After objectives are aligned, the planning team assesses the future and makes provision for it by gathering facts and opinions in order to formulate an appropriate course of action.
Of particular importance is effective planning in the first concept and design phases, because the capacity to control project objectives effectively diminishes as the project progresses through its lifecycle. For example, if the client alters the scope of the project at the conceptual stage, the impact on the overall project cost/time is likely to be relatively small since no design or construction have yet begun. But if the changes to the scope occur in the construction stage, the cost/time impact will be considerably greater.
How Does it add value?
Good construction Planning will ultimately help you get clarity over a project's outcomes, timeframes and to help you manage risk. How? (1) it will assist with decision making at all life cycle stages and help identify (and address) any potential issues arising and inevitable deviations from the prior project lifecycle stage. (2) it will provide the opportunity to monitor, assess and report timings and options that enable a construction team to apply the correct methodology to be adopted to match the desired project aspirations i.e. design approach, procurement approach and construction methodology and sequencing (3) avoid wasted time reacting to and replanning to resolve project delays.
Key Ingredients
The best project planning requires construction planners experienced in best practice design and construction practices supported by current industry productivity and benchmark data. An experienced construction planner has the ability to communicate effectively with the whole project team to ensure that all planning decisions at each project Lifecyle stage are aligned with the project objectives.
To find out more, or discuss your project, talk to the friendly Zancon team.