A construction project may look like a simple first do this, and then that process for the average person. And though there is some truth to that, it is but a simplistic understanding of a highly complex undertaking – which could eventually lead to delays, complaints, and additional cost.

The truth of the matter is, construction projects are very complicated undertakings filled with numerous moving parts – each needing to complement and depend on the other for everything to go smoothly and efficiently.

So with that said, there needs to be a detailed plan of approach from start to finish.

And this is where construction project managers come in and what makes them an invaluable part of the construction process.

In this article, we will explain to you the ins and outs of what a construction planner does and how huge an impact their actions and decisions have on your construction project.

Creating a project management plan for a construction project allows project managers to quickly break down larger and complex projects into small and manageable tasks.

An experienced project manager is equipped with project management knowledge and experience and knows what critical steps are needed to complete a project efficiently and effectively.

Professional project managers can quickly identify and chart specific individual tasks to assess what resources are needed to complete each of them. The length of each task and its sequence are, among others, the things to consider.

In establishing a sound project plan, the project management team will set the budget for each task and the timeframe for its completion. Said plan must be highly accurate from the get-go, or else the budget and timeline for the project would not be efficient.

And though one can argue that no construction project is free from delays, a competent project planner will include said incidents into the actual plan. The project owner will then better understand how quickly the entire project will be completed – from the design phase to the completion phase.

From your end, implementing a proper project management system gives you a better ballpark figure of how much your project will cost (as well as a breakdown for each task). It can also minimise any misunderstanding that might arise between you and your construction team.

Although you need not worry about this if you hire a competent construction project planner, it is still a good idea for you to learn how professionals devise highly effective construction project management plans.

The first thing a construction project planner does is to identify the goals of a project and how to achieve them.

As mentioned earlier, construction projects can be quite complicated due to the number of resources and individuals involved.

Aside from making sure that materials are of the right amount and quality, a project is also dependent on the capabilities of its engineering and design teams, general and subcontractors, and the coordination between equipment suppliers and vendors – not to mention the workforce tasked to work on the project itself.

Construction planners need to be great at project management and should be able to define the scope of the tasks for each of those parties – like when is the deadline for a said task – and then arrange them to improve the efficiency of the project as a whole.

Also, since construction projects are temporary, a construction planner must consider whether some of those parties may not have worked together before. His or her project management role should factor in the chance that personalities may clash, methodologies may differ, and communication between parties may not be that efficient.

A construction manager and planner with an effective construction planning system should also factor in the linearity of construction projects – which means that a task needs completing first before going to the next one.

This talking point alone shines a light on the need to develop a strategic plan that precisely details how to complete a project and when as well.

There is also the issue of resource management and the effective use of project management software. Because as the project grows, so will the number of resources, vendors, contractors and sub-contractors – increasing the complexity of the overall planning process.

Here’s a rough breakdown of the different factors a construction project planner needs to analyse to create a proper construction scheduling and activity plan.

In this case, the scope entails all work based tasks.

A construction planner will first have to establish general tasks and break them down into smaller sub-tasks. These sub-tasks can become more granular depending on work timetables and completion dates.

Work tasks can include any work assigned to the project workforce, engineering and design teams, as well as general and subcontractors.

As the name implies, this ‌is the process of deciding the order or sequence of ‌tasks‌ ‌involved‌ ‌in‌ ‌a ‌construction‌ ‌project.

The incorrect sequencing of tasks can result in project delays, wasted labour hours, and cost overruns.

Defining a task’s duration entails securing the timeframe necessary to complete the task.

The importance of determining the duration of a task directly impacts the project budget – aside from making sure that the sequencing of tasks makes sense.

A well experienced and capable project planner and construction project manager can improve the entire project’s overall efficiency by creating an accurate duration analysis – minimising or eradicating schedule constraints by creating a concrete and doable project timeline.

Basically, it pertains to assessing all resources needed to complete a project – which impacts the overall budget of the entire project.

It can also improve the efficiency and accuracy of inventory management.

Now that we have discussed how to create a construction project plan let’s now discuss its implementation.

Below are the five critical phases of a construction project plan.

From the perspective of your would-be project planner, this is the stage where he/she determines the feasibility of a project – business/opportunity wise.

All findings get included in a business case along with recommendations, solutions and options.

Afterwhich, the planner conducts a feasibility study to determine if said options, solutions, or recommendations align with the project’s objective.

The planner will then create a final recommendation/solution.

In a nutshell, this phase asks if a project planner can do the project – and if said planner “should” take up the project.

After establishing a solution, the project is then initiated along with the approved solutions.

A project manager is then assigned, workgroups and project team members get created and identifying key deliverables begin.

The project manager must approve the transition to the next phase.

This stage mainly revolves around additional study and development of construction project management processes to meet its objectives.

This is also the stage where the project manager comes up with cost estimates for labour, materials, and equipment needed.

A construction manager or planner usually does all of this using project management software like Primavera of MS Project. Both software allows managers to track and monitor each stage of the project as it moves towards completion. This action is referred to in the industry as scope management.

The last part of this phase requires creating a document that indicates the quality of the plan and targets, control measures and assurances, and an acceptable proposal that details all the criteria needed for their customer to greenlight the proposal.

This is the start of the implementation phase, and everything stated on the proposal is implemented on-site.

If there are any deviations to the project plan, it should immediately revert to its original form and implement corrective measures.

If this is not possible, or if a deviation is necessary, the team must record said deviations and indicate what the team needs to do to address the issue.

Informing stakeholders of the said deviation is necessary – along with a status report.

In terms of status reports, these should always include endpoints about project quality, schedule, deliverables and cost.

A competent project planner/manager would always make it a habit to check deliverables for quality based on agreed acceptance criteria.

Once all project deliverables are met and the client has agreed to a final solution, the project is now ready to label as ready for closure.

The performance and monitoring phase happens alongside the execution phase.

Now that you are more familiar with creating project plans and their different implementation phases, the next step for you would be to understand your construction project planner’s responsibilities.

A highly experienced and competent construction project planner will be able to:

Of course, project planners answer to you – the project owner – and oversee everyone else involved in the construction project.

These project participants range from contractors, vendors, engineers, architects, electricians, construction expeditors, supervisors, construction foreman, down to all the construction workers.

In short, everything that has to do with the life cycle of your construction project as a whole.

Keep in mind that a project planner is responsible for creating construction project plans – including a work breakdown structure.

Therefore, in order to maintain efficient communication between on-site team vendors and contractors, his or her plan will also involve inventory management, as it entails resource procurement and allotment.

So even though most people look at engineers, architects and site managers as the ones responsible for all the hard work – the truth of the matter is that your project planner is responsible for how the project outcome of your construction goes.

Yes, it is a challenging and demanding job.

Of course, we would have to say absolutely!

But we say that not because we love to blow our own horn, but because we know that we will be able to provide you with a project planning service that is second to none.

As a construction scheduling and planning firm, we at RPMS can provide you with a comprehensive construction project planning checklist based on our deep knowledge and experience in contract law, delay analysis, resource management and construction project management.

With years of experience in the industry, we have handled numerous construction projects ranging from residential to high-profile commercial builds.

We have successfully created construction project plans for resorts, stadiums, and high-rise towers in Malaysia.

We also have a team of highly dedicated, experienced and professional project scheduling and planning individuals who are experts in using construction management software like Primavera of MS Project.

At RPMS, we stand by our company mantra Good Planning = Planning + Risk Management.

With all things said, we invite you to schedule a call with us and explain how we can help improve the efficiency of your construction project.

Get in touch with us through our phone number +60 (3) 2181 5254 or our email enquiry@rpmschedulers.com.my and ask us how we can help.