On-Site Construction: How to Deliver on Time and Budget

What is onsite construction?

On-site construction covers a wide spectrum of work in the field. As a rule, it is at the center of every project and refers to all activities that must be completed on the construction site, such as on-site construction, maintenance and property management.

But working on a construction project is never easy. A large number of stakeholders and project agents are involved to complete all necessary tasks on time and within budget.

Depending on their role in the project and their specialization, they are responsible for different types of work with different deadlines and obligations. Typically, the progress of these tasks is closely linked to the completion of other activities on site.

In other words, the on-site construction process is a chain of different tasks and responsibilities that must be followed with great precision so that the project is delivered according to plan.

For this to happen, it is essential that there is a strong connection between the workplace and the office. In any other case, the planning and development of external and internal construction will eventually collapse.

With this in mind, it quickly becomes understandable that, from the client to the subcontractor, the various stakeholders need a standardized approach that ensures a faster communication process and increases trust between the different parties in order to manage site activities. more efficiently.

Furthermore, scientific data capture and analysis, in a standardized way, will allow companies to learn from their mistakes and predict problems in advance.

On-Site Construction Services

Before we go into more detail about the changes that digital technologies have brought - or are about to bring - to the construction process, let's take a quick look at the most important on-site construction services:

Firstly, the actual construction process on site. It includes a series of different tasks that are linked to both the design phase and the construction phase. The selection and acquisition (or rental) of equipment is also an essential part of this process.

In a sentence, everything in this phase focuses on the successful delivery of the project and in conjunction with the client's objectives in terms of quality, deadline, cost and safety.

Property management

On-site property management can be extremely critical for clients, especially in cases where they need to monitor the development of the on-site construction process across multiple properties and projects.

Without adequate monitoring, operational costs can increase exponentially, while serious delays can arise as a result of poor communication and lack of collaboration between the various project actors.

Maintenance

Once the constructed structure is completed, another cycle of on-site construction services is about to begin. Property maintenance is extremely important to improve and increase the long-term life cycle of a building.

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Furthermore, it can also have a positive effect on the quality of life of those who live or work in the building.
It goes without saying that maintenance is also a very demanding on-site construction activity that requires good coordination, continuous collaboration and careful planning.

On-site construction management: then vs. now

The construction industry is currently undergoing a significant paradigm shift as it strives to move away from pen and paper and adopt a more digital and data-driven approach. However, there is still a long way to go as some components of the industry remain resistant to change.

Of course, this is also reflected in the construction industry, where the efficiency of on-site construction management can often be a burning issue.

Traditional construction on site

Starting from traditional on-site construction, it doesn't take much to understand that due to the complexity of a construction project things can go wrong very quickly. In this case, traditional on-site processes are carried out with pen and paper, which often makes collaboration extremely difficult and has a serious impact on the reporting process.

More analytically, project managers need to spend the majority of their day in the field as they are responsible for executing the planning for 3 to 6 weeks of project construction. The slightest error during this process can result in significant delays and budget overruns.

This is why project managers need to collect as much information as possible to hold subcontractors and their own teams accountable for the tasks they are assigned. This includes a multitude of on-site activities relating to planning, on-site monitoring and health and safety.

By now, it is clear that on-site construction management is an extremely demanding process. This entails a huge mental and administrative burden and can eventually lead a project to failure if those responsible prove ineffective in the operational execution of the 3 to 6 week plan.

Best Practices for On-Site Construction

This is where a more digital approach to on-site construction management could play a decisive role. Otherwise, keeping up with all your day-to-day activities without becoming overwhelmed is virtually impossible.

Digitizing traditional pen and paper processes could help local staff centralize their data and keep everyone on the same page.

In short, digital on-site construction management could benefit a project in the following ways:

• Everyone involved is duly informed so that the 3 to 6 week planning progresses as initially agreed.
• There is a single source of truth to track all tasks and resolve disputes.
• Bridge the gap between the office and the field.

This way, project managers and on-site staff can better control the construction process and deliver their tasks within the agreed deadline and budget.

This is extremely important if we take into account that planning is always at the heart of a construction project. Even a two-day delay on one project can lead to a 4-week delay on a different project, resulting in substantial financial and time losses.

Onsite Construction Software: What to Keep in Mind

Construction software has already begun to transform the way the industry operates, communicates and collects data. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement, as many people, both inside and outside the field, seem to maintain their old habits, failing to realize the enormous potential that digital tools have for the sector.

This typically occurs because project teams have not understood the true value behind adopting on-site construction software. In a nutshell, here are some of the key benefits that implementing digital solutions can bring to the on-site construction process:

• Creation of intuitive dashboards and automatic daily reports on on-site activities.
• Reducing, or even eliminating, administrative burden by using a tool to streamline all key processes, gaining valuable time for the tasks that really matter.
• Effortlessly communicate and collaborate on the latest documents, activities, and tasks.
• Blocking excel, pen and paper from the on-site construction process. This would make it easier for field staff to capture nonconformities, share real-time updates, and exchange critical documents.
• Increasing efficiency and productivity through visual representation of a project's status.
• Capture and monitor the QHSE process, planning issues and tasks for execution on site.

Leveraging digitalization to improve local processes appears to be the only way forward for the industry. The first and biggest obstacle to success on your digital journey has to do with convincing your team to change their daily work routine and adopt a more transparent, data-driven way of working.

On-site construction software could act as a bridge between the field and the boardroom and help people in the field work smarter and more effectively.

Onsite Construction Versus Offsite Construction

On-site construction software isn't the only force transforming the construction industry right now. External construction is another area that has gained great momentum in recent years.

The need for greater precision in terms of deadlines and budget has led construction stakeholders to shift their attention to prefabrication and offsite construction.

The ability to design, plan, and manufacture large portions of your built structure in a factory or warehouse gives you the ability to plan ahead and add more precision to the construction process.

Offsite construction also involves transporting and assembling construction elements in the field in a much faster and safer way than traditional onsite construction. This construction approach can potentially be a solution to supply chain fragmentation, as there will be more clearly defined tasks and timetables for everyone involved.

If we also add to the mix the serious lack of qualified labor in the sector, it quickly becomes evident that external construction could become a priority for the sector in the coming years. This can also be proven by the fact that many global players decide to invest in offsite construction and prefabrication. Amazon is an excellent example in this direction.

In summary, some of the biggest advantages of offsite construction compared to onsite construction can be summarized as the following:

• Shorter construction circles: all tasks will be developed and completed faster and in a pre-defined context. Unpredictable parameters such as weather conditions will not be a problem most of the time.
• Greater predictability in terms of costs will ultimately result in reduced resource and budget consumption.
• Reducing material and labor requirements would lead to a substantial reduction in waste.
• Less CO2 emissions, as transport needs arising from construction on site will be considerably reduced.
• Less on-site disruption and a smoother on-site construction process.
• Greater safety for field workers and safer storage conditions for the equipment used.

Standardizing the on-site construction process

Regardless of whether we are referring to onsite or offsite construction, one thing is certain. Standardizing the construction process will have a positive impact on the industry in the long term.

Even before a company starts implementing digital technology, the need for standardization already exists. Otherwise, the digital tools you choose won’t make much of a difference. On the contrary, they will only add more chaos to the on-site construction process.

This is why implementing a digital tool at an early stage is always highly recommended. This way, you can ensure that your team will make the most of its use and that all essential information will be collected and properly analyzed.

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Another element you need to keep in mind is that on-site construction software doesn't have to do everything, but it should be able to interact. Only then can there be a strong connection between the office and the location, helping all team members see the complete picture and adjust the 3-6 week planning accordingly.

In a nutshell, these are the four crucial steps to a standardized process in both site construction and engineering:

1. Start small: Make sure you carefully define your systems and processes from the beginning (even before implementing any digital solutions). Start small and expand as your workflow improves.
2. Continuously monitor: After putting all the processes into practice and your project begins to develop, it is essential that you closely monitor everything that happens in the field and make the necessary changes.
3. Transparent reporting: Clear communication is essential for a project to go according to plan and to avoid serious errors.
4. Agility is essential: the more agile your team is, the easier it will be to deal with project bottlenecks and make quick, effective decisions.

'People on the ground want clarity, they want these processes to be defined! They are tired of working from one project to another and having to start all over again, always defining new processes.”

Back for you

What are your experiences in construction and engineering on site? What digital solutions have you chosen to streamline your processes inside and outside the company and what have been your results so far?