Even if you ask the most prominent construction planning and scheduling firm in the world, they would tell you that construction project delays are an unavoidable part of a construction project.

Construction projects just have way too many moving parts, that no matter how well your planning and scheduling plan is, there will still be times where a project delay will show its ugly head and disrupt the construction process.

As a firm that has handled numerous high profile construction projects within and outside Malaysia, delays are something that we meticulously anticipate and prepare for. So that if and when they do pop up, we already know how to react and address the problem.

In this article, we will take you on a deep dive into how we minimise and prevent delays and overall project risks.

The information we will be imparting to you stems from over ten years of experience working in the construction scheduling and planning industry.

So, shall we begin?

To fully understand how to prevent construction project delays, you first need to understand the factors that cause said delays.

Below are some of the most common factors that contribute to the delay of a construction project.

A construction project with an inaccurate budget could interfere with the project’s workflow for weeks, months, and in some cases, even result in abandoning the project itself.

Having an accurate budget estimate ensures that there is always a big project budget for wages and materials.

To address the issue, your managers need to use cloud-based project management software to simplify financial planning (estimates and bids) – ensuring that the budget for your budget is as accurate as possible.

We specified using a “cloud-based” construction management tool to ensure that managers, contractors, sub-contractors, and workers can access real-time data on how a specific task is progressing – in comparison to the cost of said task.

Even up to now, some managers still use non-integrated platforms. In today’s interconnected world, the use of said tools can be deemed obsolete – as data gathered from said platforms are sometimes hours or weeks old. This delay in data transmission and analysis affects productivity and limits managers’ ability to react in real-time to construction risks – before they become actual delays.

Our suggestion: We strongly advise that your managers use modern, cloud-based construction management software like Primavera or MS Project.

One of the biggest causes of a construction delay stems from the workforce itself.

Labour issues can be a tricky talking point as it can go beyond the issue of wage and touch on the subject of personalities and work environment.

Aside from that, most labour issues stem from managers not assigning and or monitoring tasks correctly. Not doing so can lead to less than satisfactory output – triggering a re-do of what was supposed to be an already completed task. This does not only affect the completion timeline of a project but increases its cost as well.

There is also the issue of having a workforce with less than average skill and experience or both. This, again, can trigger the re-working of tasks.

Our suggestion: Make sure that managers hire experienced individuals and assign work teams efficiently. Having more highly skilled workers within a team – and if managed correctly – can hit completion targets much faster without sacrificing quality.

Also, having an efficient planning and scheduling system helps keep tasks in the correct order.

Project managers are required to make crucial decisions. Sometimes, they make decisions on the fly – and any hesitation could keep the project from moving forward.

They need to take action and approve things quickly for the rest of the construction team to go on with their work.

From what we gathered, indecision from project managers, or senior project stakeholders, stems from not having a concrete action plan that guides them in creating important project-related decisions.

For example, if you don’t have a project scheduling system in place, there would be no way for a project manager to know which task needs completion first – and when must it be completed?

What might happen is that said project manager would sequence tasks based on what he/she believes needs prioritisation rather than based on a strategically based work sequence.

Our suggestion: Make sure that you have a detailed project management planning and scheduling system in place created by credible and capable individuals.

Your scheduling and planning system should preferably be cloud-based platforms so that information can be quickly passed and accessed by key decisions makers – allowing them to come up with informed decisions based on real-time data.

Whenever a large team of people has to work on a project together, everyone must be on the same page and clearly understand their respective roles and responsibilities.

Again, this is where the use of a strategic construction plan comes into play.

When we say “ineffective communication”, we’re not referring to handheld radios or mobile phones. It’s about having a standardised plan that everyone can check, consult, and track their responsibilities and progress.

Having a scheduling and planning system in place makes it easy for teams to collaborate and talk to one another about concerns and ask for assistance.

Our suggestion: Define the roles of each person involved in the project from the get-go, and have a scheduling and planning system that everyone can refer to.

Weather is a factor beyond the control of even the most experienced construction scheduling and planning firm.

A sudden storm will not only cause damage to the construction site but also affect the delivery of resources from suppliers.

However, seasoned project managers and planners factor in the time of year when implementing a project. His or her planning analysis will potentially include the probability of storms and how this can effectively disrupt a workforce’s ability to work on a task.

Said planning and scheduling analysis could also include acquiring rain gear and other tools to assist the workforce in continuing their task.

Our suggestion is to hire a local construction project planning and scheduling firm, or one with previous experience working within the region and understanding the seasonal weather patterns.

It is easy to resolve minor delays. But major ones can have a considerable impact not just on completing your project but also on your wallet.

Below are a few examples of what happens when a project is late.

Time overrun refers to the situation where a project becomes delayed, and the completion goes beyond its initial agreed time frame. When this happens, the project owner needs to spend more than what was stated in the initial budget to complete the construction project.

A cost overrun is the sum of unpredicted expenses that exceed initial budget estimates at any point throughout the course of project realisation.

These are additional unforeseen and unplanned expenses, forcing the project owner to spend additional funds beyond the initially stated budget for the project.

Cost overrun can stem from underestimation by a contractor, planning consultants, inadequate supervision or monitoring of projects by consultants, sudden variations initiated by the client, poorly defined project timeline, scope, unrealistic completion dates, and financial problems.

Construction disputes can lead to massive cost overruns and impact the quality and scope of project tasks. This creates misunderstandings and unwanted tension between project owners, your contractor and project team members. In some cases, this can lead to arbitration of litigation.

Said disputes arise due to misunderstandings between parties involved in the construction project.

It can stem from the failure of one party to deliver on its contract commitments, failure to fully understand what he/she or his/her organisation agreed to, and incomplete or unsubstantiated claims made by a party.

Arbitration is a process that allows parties to resolve their disputes privately. Arbitration requires parties to agree on a court ruling based on the evidence presented during private hearings.

Since arbitration is a legal proceeding, it can eat up a lot of time and money for the parties involved.

Litigation is a public legal proceeding where parties involved seek the court’s guidance to resolve a dispute.

Again, this costs time and money and, in some cases, damage or destroy a specific party’s reputation.

As the name suggests, this is putting a complete stop to a project before its completion date.

Contributing factors like unsatisfactory management methods, poor communication between stakeholders and team members, inaccurate – or lack of -,progress reports, productivity issues, and forcefully ignoring construction red flags are just some of the factors associated with project abandonment.

And now we come to the meat of the article.

If you want to minimise construction delays, avoid disputes, and keep costs within budget, these tips below are things you should note.

Scope creeps refers to the increase in the requirements of a project as it progresses. Examples are an increase in materials, manpower, and the time needed to complete a project. So if the initial plan was to have 20 people working on a task, the manager then asked for an additional five workers days or weeks after the job starts.

To avoid scope creep, establish a strategic construction planning and scheduling system from the get-go.

Said system should factor in requests for resources like additional manpower, materials, and time into its design.

And if an unavoidable risk does occur, your manager should update the planning and scheduling system accordingly, brief all stakeholders about it, have them agree to the solution, and then take note of everything for documentation purposes.

The factors that cause excusable delays are usually beyond the control of parties involved in the construction process.

For example, a storm that destroys construction materials, leading to a delay, falls under excusable delay.

On the other hand, an inexcusable delay is a type of delay where contractors/subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors are clearly at fault.

The primary purpose of having said delays detailed in black in white before the construction process starts is because said parties are legally liable to pay damages – if proven in court.

Since legalities are at play, excusable and inexcusable delays must be clearly stated, explained, and agreed to by all parties involved before the first shovel hits the ground.

This is for your protection.

We can’t stress this enough, but having a detailed planning and scheduling system will save you time, money, and sleepless nights!

We’re not saying this because we specialise in creating said processes. Ask any reputable construction firm, and they will say that both approaches are vital components for a successful, stress-free, time and cost-efficient construction project.

We have written several articles about the specific benefits of having a planning and scheduling system on our blog.

Just like in any business, hiring competent and effective people results in better output.

For your construction project, having an experienced project manager allows for a smoother transition between tasks, increasing productivity and efficiency throughout the entire workforce.

They can assign and delegate tasks/jobs properly, monitor inventory effectively, manage and monitor task progression proactively, and relay significant project schedule adjustments to key decision-makers, like your project scheduler and planner, to lower the potential of delays.

The point is, hire competent, professional, and experienced personnel, and you won’t have to worry about not being satisfied with results.

The point is, hire competent, professional, and experienced personnel, and you won’t have to worry about not being satisfied with results.

We are now at an age where technology makes everything easy. With that said, there is no reason for you not to leverage said technology to plan and manage your construction projects.

You should consider what construction project management software to use and how competent the person using it is at using said platforms.

As a heads up, top management, scheduling and planning construction companies use Primavera and MS Project. There are other systems out there, but these two are the most widely used.

Why use project management systems, you ask?

Well, first, they serve as a guide for critical decision-makers for your project. It serves as a data sheet where all information relating to your project can be viewed, assessed, and tweaked if needed.

Also, modern project management systems are cloud-based. Meaning, information can be easily shared, viewed, and relayed to all parties involved in real-time.

In the old days, information can sometimes be days old before its intended person can view it. That already is a delay in itself.

These days, systems like Primavera and MS Project can be viewed even through smartphones, making the transfer of information almost instantaneous.

At RPMS have been using modern project management platforms to create highly detailed project scheduling and planning systems for our clients.

Our project scheduling and planning systems have been used on numerous high-profile construction projects within and out of Malaysia, ensuring each project’s overall efficiency and productivity.

With over ten years of working as a premier construction scheduling and planning firm, our systems have helped countless clients:

Achieve project milestones faster.

Keep project costs within budget.

Stay in the loop by writing reports that are factual and easy to understand.

Assist project managers in the efficient procurement of materials. Help with proper allocation of human resources.

Help our client rest easy knowing that their project is running according to plan.

If you have an upcoming construction project or just want to know more about our services, give us a call or email us.