Finding the word agile in front of the words construction management seems a little strange to many people, especially because the word agile in project management means frequently reevaluating and adapting plans as needed.
Although changes are always present in the world of construction, the adaptations that are made in this field are usually quite different. After all, no construction manager will wait until the project is nearly complete to make any changes that may be necessary. Therefore, agile construction management may take a person some time to get used to.
What is agile construction management
Here are the six basics of agile construction management:
- Align project deliverables to meet client requirements – this ensures the client is aware of what is being done, when and when each part of the project will be completed
- Set clear objectives for the project in question – these objectives will ensure that everyone involved in the project knows what the end result should be
- Break the project down into smaller tasks to complete with the highest priority ones listed first – these smaller tasks are much more manageable than the larger ones
- Continuously review progress and eventually improvements from those reviews once they are applied to the project – each review will ensure that the person responsible knows what has been completed and can allow them to make the necessary changes to get things back on track if necessary
- Clearly define when a task or activity has been completed
- Develop a team that has the intelligence and know-how to work together and collaborate in all parts of the project – everyone must always work as a team, as this is the only way any project can be successful
Benefits of agile construction management
There are many benefits to using agile construction management and these benefits are distributed across different parts of the project.
Here are the 4 benefits construction companies will see from agile construction management during the pre-design and design phases of a project:
- Increase a customer's involvement while encouraging them to participate in defining what the finished product will be
- Reduce the amount of project risk uncertainty and improve project management by breaking larger sections into smaller sections
- Increase cost estimation accuracy in construction while improving cost confidence
- Use more prefabricated assemblies to ensure weather or other factors are not attributed to delays
Here are the 3 benefits everyone will see when utilizing agile construction management during the execution phase of a project:
- Divide larger sections of the project into smaller sections, ensuring that unnecessary items are not reordered to complete the task at hand
- Full focus on time management and regular reviews that will be used to improve productivity, profitability and overall financial management of the project
- Continue to improve the work of employees by allowing them to work together and collaborate on how each job can be performed more efficiently and with better quality
The good news is that everyone who uses agile construction management in their projects will see better results in their work and in the delivery time. As the client provides feedback, construction companies can see what is working and what needs to be changed much more quickly than if they waited for feedback at the end, when the work was already completed.
At the same time, this method allows each employee to consider what the customer might want or need next. This can save everyone valuable time and money, which is definitely helpful in the long run.
Construction companies can then take this information from each job and use it for future jobs. While there is never a perfect job in construction, agile construction management can bring any job close enough to perfection.
After all, when any construction company can do the following, it's good for them and their customers.
- Improve work productivity and the amount of work completed in any given period of time
- Better purchasing management
- Use prefabrication measures when possible
- Better scheduling and work planning
- Determine the financial management of each project successfully
- Reduce labor costs by ensuring each employee works efficiently rather than wasting time waiting for materials or equipment
- Accurately estimate the pre-start of each part
Agile construction management is quite different from what many workers in the construction industry are accustomed to, but with a little patience, everyone will see how valuable this type of management is for them, their clients and their business.
