3 (Not-So-Simple) Things You Need for Every Construction Project

As the “earned” progress for the engineering and procurement components of a construction project climb, it can be tempting to “do some construction” yourself and drive to mobilize.

Be very careful. If you start before you’re ready, you may wind up in a world of pain. There are so many things that can cause delays. Optimism can sour quickly. Lost momentum is hard to recover. And the problem is magnified in remote locations.

There are some great construction readiness checklists and assessment systems available; they’re very useful if applied well. I often recall that one of my mentors used to say, “Construction is a very simple business. In order to build something, you really just need three things: people, materials and a plan.” (He’d say this while counting on three of his fingers.)

Of course, it’s never quite that simple once you start to peel the onion, but I have found this mental framework to be very useful. The three main requirements should be top of mind the day before an activity, in the weeks leading up to an activity—and also in the overall project planning.

1. Labor

There is a lead-time for getting people. It’s vital to have a solid forecast and a realistic understanding of how long it takes to get people. If the forecast is not perfect (chances are it won’t be), have in place the ability to swing people in and out as required. Consider particularly the market for supervision, leadership, specialists and support staff; there will be some roles that prove hard to staff.

Have a human resources plan. If you are in a situation where collective bargaining is a given, ensure you have professional experts, and build a proactive labor relations plan. Consider agreement durations, responsibilities, risks, mitigators, training, support, dispute resolution mechanisms, and what-if scenarios.

Be clear in your relations with operating groups. Wherever possible, be the master of your own destiny and minimize sharing or reliance on non-project personnel. Consider how brownfield work permits, tie-ins, handovers, startup and acceptance will work. Clarify potential grey areas such as community interfaces, common contractors and decision-making.

The amenities should include change rooms, ablutions, a dining area, perhaps food preparation and service, and definitely cleaning. These things must be done right. If the project includes camp accommodations, other aspects like laundry, check-in, health and recreation come into play.

Have a solid system for project inductions. The benefits include safety, grounding in rules and expectations, a strong team identity and a shared sense of purpose.

2. Materials

Materials should be labeled, tracked and (wherever practical) identified to the work package. Assigned people on site need to be capable of receiving, offloading, lifting and storing materials. Outdoor laydown areas should be suitably sized and set out for the planned project items. There should also be suitable undercover and special storage locations, as well as the ability to keep consumables warehoused. In all this, consider traffic flows and pedestrian safety.

Transport of project items—including special road transport plans—should be defined in the engineering requisition phase. Pay attention to security for valuable items, liquid fuel storage and copper cables. Authorized construction personnel should have the ability to simply procure minor items. Consider also waste disposal and collection.

3. A Plan

Consider work planning in a hierarchy from big picture down to daily plans. One of the benefits of early construction involvement in the project office is to set the work plan up so that engineering and procurement may be delivered well in time for construction. The structuring and sequencing of work plans should account for the eventual migration of work management from construction logic (build from the ground up) to startup logic (commission by system).

Set the project up for concise, easy-to-follow work instructions. There is no point in a craftsman dragging binders full of risk assessments, data sheets and internet printouts into the field. It might give somebody in the office a sense that they have covered themself, but it’s sure to make things confusing.

Consider all the elements of construction support as part of the planning:

• How will the quality management function support construction activities?
• How are tools and equipment set up and looked after?
• How do the health, safety, security and environment functions support the team?
• What about engineering support to queries, or changes?
• How does the community interface work?

Conclusion

Yes, it does take just three things. But when you delve into the details of labor, materials and planning, there can be a lot to it. Achieving a satisfactory level of readiness prior to mobilizing will defuse risk. Get ready for it. Use your construction readiness assessment framework early—and start planning and building readiness early.