The value of communication and documentation in a construction project is quite significant.

Communication can improve the working skills of your team, lead to positive collaboration, and result in a more positive experience for everyone involved in the construction project – especially the project owner.

If done correctly, communication becomes a two-way street. Still, the most important thing to remember about communication in construction or anywhere else is that it needs to be clear, concise and timely.

To elaborate, clear means no jargon, concise refers to using short sentences with simple language, and timely means keeping your team up-to-date on project happenings as they unfold.

Aside from effective communication, construction projects also benefit from documentation

Documentation provides everyone involved with a clear picture of a project’s progress and the next steps that need to be accomplished.

For example, paperwork should contain enough information so that anyone who reads it will know what’s going on with the project without asking questions. Through this article, we will provide a comprehensive rationale for the importance of communication and documentation to a construction project.

Additionally, we will talk about talking points that explain the key benefits of information sharing and documentation – and how it impacts project collaboration and construction management as a whole.

The construction industry offers a perfect example of an environment in which communication plays a significant role and is even considered an invaluable requirement. It allows construction managers and the project workforce to function efficiently.

The key reason why communication is pivotal to a construction project is that it facilitates construction management. Effective communication allows individuals involved in the project (suppliers, contractors and clients) to access up-to-date information about the status of projects they’re involved in. Furthermore, effective communication helps them make informed decisions regarding their daily tasks – ensuring better productivity across the board.

Inefficiency or lack of communication can lead to delays, unnecessary rework and even errors.

It doesn’t matter if it’s within an office environment or outdoors at a construction site; clear communication between various teams will make sure everyone knows what they’re doing at any given time.

Communication does not only entail relaying information from one party to another. It also requires that all parties involved communicating in a manner that leads to a clear understanding of what must occur. Such is what separates communication from effective communication. For example, team leads can simply relay information, but if that information is given in a way that leaves too much room for interpretation, misunderstanding will occur.

To avoid this, there are five primary forms of communication that prove effective in making sure there is precise delivery in terms of tone and intent.

Persuasive communication is a process where people attempt to influence the thoughts or actions of other people.

In a construction setting, persuasive communication involves key stakeholders like the project owner, project manager, project analyst, design team and leads – since each one has the power to influence the opinion of others.

To make people feel optimistic about the project, stakeholders should persuasively communicate with others to promote their ideas.Persuasive communication could occur during meetings or when going over project updates from different areas of the construction site.

Persuasive communication can also expose problems that exist on the job site before they get out of hand.

For example, an inspector may quickly notice there are not enough screws being used in specific areas because he/she has seen this problem occur elsewhere. And rather than wait, he/she works to resolve the issue immediately – and then justify his/her actions to other stakeholders on a report.

Ritualistic communication is the process of using social interaction to improve the efficiency of a workforce. Ritualistic communication is vital in the construction setting as it addresses sociological issues pertaining to the lack of effective communication.

For example, a couple of individuals who don’t like each other can significantly affect their team’s productivity. In turn, it affects the team’s overall performance, thus affecting how that team performs in the broader scheme of things. Ritualistic communication is by no means a form of control. Instead, it is about building rapport.

Emotional communication is the process through which people express their feelings about things, themselves, and others. Affective communication also contributes to self-esteem and a person’s social competence.

Affective communication is often misinterpreted as purely emotional or irrational – however, this only part of the equation. The other side of affective communication is intellectual comprehension – which is the “why” behind emotions that drive reactions and behaviours.

Such a topic is seldom discussed but plays a crucial role in defining effective communication and how project leads should approach it. Effective project communications management fall under three different talking points:

Project communications management is about designing a plan that determines what stakeholders need to know and how best to communicate said information.

The project communication management plan has information about the project’s exact requirements and a list of key stakeholders who need to receive communication regarding the project. It also includes what type of information should go to whom.

The first phase of this process is the communication requirements analysis which includes analysing and categorising the communication needs of all stakeholders. Analysts will try to determine how many stakeholders need a similar kind of information and group them accordingly. It is also sensible to establish a detailed communication chain of command during this phase.

The next phase is about deciding what communication platform to use. These days, email is the most widely used form of communication. But in some cases, especially when it comes to real-time updates, internet-based communication apps are the better option.

Before implementing this system, it is essential to discuss, plan and document the communications management platform to use before agreeing on it – as that will become the communications platform for the project.

Manage communication is a process that involves overseeing the creation, collection, distribution, storage and retrieval of information associated with a project.The communication planning process may miss specific talking points. And because of that, manage communications can be used to respond to an unexpected request for information as well.

Such a strategy can be a sort of Plan B if the agreed communication system cannot handle a specific information transfer task during the communication planning stage

The control communications process involves monitoring and controlling the effectiveness of communications tools used to transfer information and data between stakeholders.

It entails checking communication, documentation tools and project collaboration software solutions to satisfy all stakeholder needs and fix said network to meet communication condition standards.

To ensure that everything is in order, construction managers and analysts need to conduct several tests to check the efficacy and efficiency of the agreed project communication system.

Communication is nothing more than an exchange of information between two or more entities. Leads can also use it to describe how electronic devices and programs interact with one another.

For example, the interaction between how this article interacted with Google’s algorithm is communication.

The concept of shared understanding is at the heart of all human communication, even between humans and machines. And the use of specific symbols serves as control and facilitates an orderly exchange of information.

The same goes for a construction project. From the architect, engineer, general contractor, project manager to the one mixing cement, all of them commonly rely on the use of specific information to communicate with one another – and for them to do their jobs.

These reasons may not seem very exciting initially, but they’re integral in ensuring a successful project from start to finish. And without good documentation, keeping up on all these responsibilities would become problematic quickly.

This type of project documentation ensures that everyone understands their job responsibilities, leading to fewer mistakes on site.

It should also include references when appropriate and a table of contents for the reader’s convenience. The importance of having records signed and dated is all about legal protection. As mentioned earlier, the prospect of claims is always constant in construction.

A signed and dated document can be used to prove that a particular person was present, and as such, could be held responsible for any damages. A table of contents can also help the reader find what they are looking for quickly by categorising all relevant information into one page.

Since project documentation is both a project reference guide and a legal document, it needs to be accurate and up-to-date. It needs to be the most accurate description of what tasks are currently active, based on the accounts of individuals involved in the project.

With inaccurate or out-of-date documentation, you may find yourself accused of working on a different version than one approved by parties involved in the project. With that said, it’s essential always to keep track of any changes made during the construction project and record them accordingly – so they can be easily accessed when needed.

Again, it is crucial to present records in an orderly manner that is easy to understand. It should include an index of the most important sections, such as a glossary or table of contents. The document can also have links to other project documents that are related – so it’s easier for users to find what they’re looking for.

For example, if you had two sets of drawings in your project, but one was more detailed than the other, you could link them together so that someone only has to look at one set instead of searching through both when trying to locate specific information.

It is also helpful if there is a way for people reading your reports online (such as listing cited sources) to have their work saved automatically with all formatting intact.

Even with our projects within Malaysia, we document everything in English and only create a file in Malay if requested by our client. Speaking of jargon, we tend to keep that at a minimum and only use technical terms when needed or when using another terminology changes the context of the document.

The document should be clear about what is opinion or fact. It should also make it easy to tell which statement is based on facts (proof) or inductive reasoning (hypothesis). Doing so will help reviewers differentiate between facts and mere suggestions, saving time reviewing the content for accuracy.

It is common for project managers to have documentation in both physical and digital format.

While the digital format is easier to transfer and store, physical ones are still required and mainly used if litigation transpires.

With that said, we strongly advise that you keep physical records of your documentation in a safe, dry place. You can cover it with plastic for added protection against water damage.

Suppose there was ever a need for emergency evacuation or relocation during extreme weather conditions such as floods or fires. In that case, all paper documents should be packed up first before any other belongings – since these items would otherwise get ruined by water or heat exposure.

If you are new to construction or project management, it is common to feel overwhelmed with everything needed. And this becomes even more complicated with high profile projects.

We’re not saying that implementing proper documentation and communication techniques can’t be done by someone new to the industry. It’s just that more experienced individuals can implement both more efficiently.

So if you need help with project documentation or implementing effective communication methods, or even a scheduled audit, all you need to do is get in touch with us.