Project deliverables in construction

What are the main types of project deliveries in construction?

In the construction industry, project delivery encompasses a variety of crucial aspects that determine the success and efficiency of a project. From engineering reports to design review, each step plays a significant role in the lifecycle of a project. These deliverables not only ensure accurate and effective completion of tasks, but also act as essential reference points to ensure the quality of the final product.

Let's explore in more detail the main types of project deliverables in construction and their importance in the context of the successful execution and completion of construction projects.

Each element listed plays a specific and crucial role in the life cycle of a construction project. Here's a breakdown of each:

1. Engineering Reports: These reports provide detailed technical analysis on various aspects of the project, from soil assessments and feasibility studies to structural and systems analyses. They serve as the basis for decision making and project planning.
2. Product Quality Improvement: This aspect involves implementing practices and processes that aim to ensure that the products and services delivered meet or exceed customer expectations in terms of quality, durability and performance.
3. Proposals: Proposals are formal documents that describe project details, including scope, schedule, budget, and contractual conditions. They are submitted to clients or contracting bodies as part of the bidding or contract negotiation process.
4. Design Drawings: These are graphic documents that illustrate the technical and aesthetic specifications of the project, including floor plans, sections, elevations and construction details. Design drawings serve as a reference for builders during the construction phase.
5. Project Documents: These are detailed documents that describe the technical and administrative requirements of the project, including material specifications, construction methods, work schedules, and contractual responsibilities.
6. Completed Product: Refers to the final result of the project, which may include buildings, structures, infrastructure systems, or other elements constructed according to project specifications.
7. Site Investigation Report: This report describes project site conditions, including soil characteristics, topography, accessibility, and environmental or regulatory restrictions. It provides essential information for project planning and execution.
8. Any Design Review: Design reviews are changes or updates to design documents or design drawings that may arise during the construction process due to changes in scope, client requirements, or site conditions. These reviews ensure that the final design meets quality standards and customer requirements.

The output completed during a construction project is considered a project deliverable. It is the project manager's job to define, track, and manage all project deliverables for each job for which he or she is responsible.

There are a few different criteria that must be met for an outcome to be defined as a project deliverable. Each project deliverable must meet specific criteria to be considered complete and satisfactory. Here is a more detailed explanation of each criteria:

1. Within the Project Scope: This means that the final delivery must be aligned with what was defined in the initial project scope. All activities carried out and results produced must be in accordance with the goals, requirements and limits established in the scope.
2. Stakeholder Agreement: It is essential that all parties involved in the project, both internal (such as team, managers, etc.) and external (clients, suppliers, stakeholders), agree to the delivery. This ensures that everyone's expectations are aligned and that the end result is accepted by everyone involved.
3. Result of Deliberate Work: Project delivery should not be just an accident or the result of random actions. It must be the product of an effort planned and executed deliberately by the project team, following established methodologies, processes and practices.
4. Definitive Role in Meeting Project Objective: Delivery must play a crucial role in meeting project objectives and requirements. It must contribute significantly to achieving the desired results, adding value and driving progress towards the overall project objectives.

Despite these criteria, basically everything can be a project delivery for a project. All project deliverables can be completed alone or can be grouped with numerous smaller deliverables within a larger deliverable. Some project deliverables may depend on previous project deliverables, meaning they cannot be completed until previous ones are completed.

Project Delivery Management: Ensuring deadlines are met

To ensure the success of a project and its completion within the established deadline, it is crucial to effectively manage all of its deliverables. These deliverables represent the tangible results or final products that are developed throughout the project. Therefore, defining, managing and monitoring each deliverable becomes a priority for project managers.

Distinction between Internal and External Deliveries

A common approach to this management involves distinguishing between internal and external project deliverables. Internal deliveries refer to products or results that do not directly impact customers or end consumers. On the other hand, external deliveries are those that aim to satisfy customers and potential bidders, directly influencing the company's reputation and future success.

Deliveries Definition Criteria

To facilitate the differentiation between internal and external deliveries, it is useful to consider whether or not the project delivery leaves the company. If it is an external delivery, it is intended for the customer or the external market. However, it is important to note that these deliverables differ from project milestones. While milestones represent important checkpoints throughout the project, deliverables are specific end products or results that contribute to achieving the project's objectives.

It is also important to note that project deliverables are not the same as process deliverables. A process deliverable is basically the path construction companies take to achieve completion of project deliverables.

Some process deliverables are the project scope statement, creation of the project plan, and development of the work breakdown structure. While all of these things make it easier to achieve project results, they are by no means necessary.

Here are 9 of the project's key deliverables that everyone will see in the construction industry:

1. Engineering Reports : Essential for providing technical analysis, structural calculations, material specifications and other critical information to guide the construction process and ensure its integrity and safety.
2. Product Quality Improvement : Aims to continually improve materials, construction methods and processes to ensure the quality and durability of structures, meeting customer expectations and safety standards.
3. Proposals : Formal documents that present offers to carry out a construction project, including scope, schedule, budget and other contractual conditions for the client's consideration.
4. Design Drawings : Detailed graphic representations that outline the specifications and dimensions of a structure or component, developed by architects and engineers to guide construction.
5. Project Documents : Encompass all technical, contractual and administrative documents necessary to plan, design and execute the project, including contracts, licenses, meeting records and regulatory approvals.
6. Completed Product : Refers to the physical delivery of the project, which can be a building, bridge, road or any other structure constructed according to the specifications and requirements agreed with the client.
7. Site Investigation Report : Document that describes the findings of a detailed analysis of the project site, addressing soil characteristics, topography, existing infrastructure and other factors relevant to the planning and execution of the work.
8. Any Design Review : Changes or updates to project drawings and specifications that arise during the construction process and require review and approval by stakeholders to ensure compliance and quality.
9. Progress Reports : Documents that track the progress of the project, providing information about adherence to the schedule, the use of resources, the progress of activities, and any problems or challenges faced during the execution of the project.

In order for a project manager to determine whether the project deliverables meet the necessary criteria, there are a few questions he or she may ask.

Here are the most commonly asked questions to determine whether criteria have been met for a project deliverable with an explanation of understanding, analyzing, and displaying a compelling response within the project.

1. What is the entire project trying to achieve?
   • This question seeks a comprehensive understanding of the general objectives of the project, identifying its purpose and the goals to be achieved.
2. What is the end result the client wants after the project is completed?
   • It aims to understand the client's expectations in relation to the project's final product and ensure that deliveries are aligned with their needs and requirements.
3. What are the constituent parts of the project objective?
   • It seeks to identify the elements or components that make up the overall objective of the project, dividing it into smaller, more manageable parts.
4. What is the function and form of these constituent parts?
   • This question aims to understand the specificities and usefulness of each component of the project, highlighting their essential functions and characteristics for the overall success of the project.
5. How important is this to the overall project?
   • Analyzes the impact and relevance of each constituent part to the success and effectiveness of the project as a whole, prioritizing those that contribute significantly to the global objectives.
6. How will the piece be acquired or created?
   • It focuses on the methods and processes necessary to obtain or develop each constituent part of the project, considering aspects such as purchasing materials, contracting services or internal development.
7. What is the cost to create or acquire the part in question?
   • Evaluates the costs associated with obtaining or creating each component of the project, including expenses for materials, labor, equipment, and other necessary resources.
8. How long will it take to create or acquire the piece in question?
   • Estimates the time needed to complete each constituent part of the project, taking into account deadlines, schedules and dependencies between different stages of the delivery process.

It is necessary that the project deliverables be defined before the work begins, as each new one will change not only the scope of the project, but also the cost. A lot of documentation is required for each project deliverable as requirements need to be provided and explained in detail. There is a website with technology news called Tecnologica.onlin with this indication that shows content as we are talking about here.

The project plan must contain a complete list of project deliverables, as well as their deadlines and the team responsible for each of them. Creating milestones and linking them to project deliverables is an easier way to track some of them. The rest should be monitored using project management software, as it is less time consuming than keeping track of everything on paper.

The software can be adjusted to meet the needs of the project manager tracking project deliverables, but it must be used to its full potential to ensure that the smallest detail is not overlooked.

Every construction company has project deliverables to track and must stay on top of them all if they want to be successful, not just in their current work, but in future ones as well.