How to Keep a Check on Your Ongoing Construction: An In Depth Guide for Complete Control

Construction projects need to have hands on management instead of hands off management to make sure the civil work is completed on time and on budget through each phase of the project. You do not just build a building; you manage the labor that goes into the building, the material used in the building, the time it takes to build the building, the cost of constructing the building, the quality of the finished building, and the safety of all workers who are working on the construction site.

Bad management will delay or waste time, resources and money, create poor quality buildings, and create disputes between the parties.

By using efficient site management, planning, and effective use of technology, project managers will find ways to manage their civil work effectively so that they remain clear, accountable, and at ease. Resources like this one will keep you connected throughout the entire process to avoid costly mistakes in your work.

Introduction: Why Monitoring Your Construction Is Important

The majority of property owners believe once a contractor has been contracted there is no longer any need for them to monitor the work. This misunderstanding is a common cause for issues during the implementation phase. By not having proper supervision, small problems such as bad workmanship, subpar quality materials, safety issues, or slower than intended work can develop into large scale problems.

Ongoing monitoring of building work ensures that the work will be completed as indicated in the approved drawings, specifications and schedules. Construction monitoring also serves to ensure that quality levels are maintained, the contractor is not making unauthorized modifications, and that the material being utilized on site conforms to what was previously agreed upon in the contract. Effective construction management guarantees that there are no delays incurred as a result of insufficient coordination, re-work, or lack of planning.

In addition to the quality and timing of a project, monitoring also plays an important role in assisting in controlling costs associated with civil work. Therefore, when a property owner monitors their project for both timing and costs, they are able to isolate areas of excessive expenditures, material wastage, and/or excessive billing from their contractors. Adequate management of a site assures that the work done is within budget for each phase and that payments made are for work that has been completed.

Know Your Construction Plan Before Work Starts

Before starting a civil work, it is important to fully understand the plans. In order to effectively control any development, the first and most important step is to have a clear understanding of the plans prior to starting work. You need to understand the Architect's drawings, Structural Layout drawings, Electrical drawings, and Plumbing drawings, Elevations, and Finish details within the plans. When you have a clear understanding of the construction plans, you can visualize what the completed project will look like; and you will know how each step in the construction process contributes toward the final product." By having a thorough understanding of the plans you will not be "flying blind" as to where the project is located within its timeline; you will be able to monitor the progress.

Finally, with an understanding of the plans, you will be able to determine if civil work is occurring as planned. Changes to the dimensions of the project or to aspects of its configuration are many times required during the process; and even the smallest deviations from the approved plans can have long-term impacts with respect to functionality, safety, and costs. Having a complete knowledge of the plans will allow the user to determine any deviations from the plans and to be proactive in addressing these deviations prior to the implementation of costly corrective actions or structural issues.

In addition, if you are familiar with your building plan, you will make more informed decisions as the project progresses. There will be times that recommend changes to the project from observations taken at the location, availability of materials, and/or limitations of the project costs. Knowing the original plan will enable you to determine if the proposed changes are acceptable, safe, or required. This will allow you to know that the changes made during the project will not compromise quality or affect performance in the future. An essential part of proper site management is making decisions based on information rather than decisions made habitually at the last possible moment.

Why Breaking Up Construction Will Help You Keep Control

Managing development work can become challenging when viewed as a single entity. Projects can be broken down further by stages such as excavation, foundation, frame, masonry, service installations and finish stage. These stages will help to create a more manageable system for managing the entire project.

Each phase should have specific deliverables and due dates to allow you to objectively measure your progress. This will also allow you to properly plan your payment schedule, your inspection scheduling and when to procure, purchase, material. A project divided into stages will help with the effective management of the site.

Why You Need Good Documentation in Your Construction Project

One of the most important parts of effective management for civil work is documentation. There are many types of documentation that are produced during the process, such as contracts, drawings, payroll, invoices and payment receipts. If your documentation is not properly organized, it can lead to a great deal of confusion and disputes.

Good documentation allows you to track your progress, verify completed work, and verify all payments. Documentation also provides a useful record of the history of your project, which may be helpful when it comes time to audit, maintain or renovate the building in the future. Maintaining good documentation will also help to effectively manage the project site and allow you to have long term control of the process.

Staying Within Your Construction Budget During Your Project

Cost overruns are a common problem for projects. Without any type of financial tracking system, costs may go on to exceed budgets by such things as; material losses due to accidents, changes made during work to adjust the contractor to a new specification, and poor workmanship created from inefficient contractors. To prevent this type of situation from occurring, each check awarded must be based on actual progress made at the work site.

By being able to track and compare budgeted versus actual project costs, it is possible that inappropriate costs will not be identified and approved for payment. Tracking variation work and ensuring proper consumption of materials can help in eliminating excessive costs from projects. Along with controlling cost, financial discipline will help ensure continued financial viability of projects during actual construction.

The Value of Ongoing Communication for Your Projects

Having good communication is very important for all aspects of construction project success. Doing so can be accomplished by having regular meetings with contractors, engineers, and site managers to ensure all parties understand their respective roles and responsibilities to accomplish the overall goal of having a successful project.

Good communication will also allow problems to be detected and resolved quickly thus keeping all working together in tandem and preventing delays in construction projects. Overall, good communication will improve overall site management and in the end improve site coordination.

Staying On Top of Your Project with Technology

Technology has improved the monitoring of construction projects. With construction monitoring technologies, an owner can track the status of their construction project without always being on the job site.

Using technology for construction project management reduces the need for manual updates on progress and increases the accuracy of monitoring the progress, productivity, and compliance of the construction project. This, in turn, allows for faster decision making for owners who manage their construction projects remotely or manage multiple construction sites simultaneously.

24/7 Site Cameras and CCTV Monitoring with Konnbot

To constantly oversee the progress of the project during its progression, one of the best methods is to monitor the building in real time; our innovative approach goes beyond site monitoring, and we put the cameras up in the work area to allow you to have the ability to continuously monitor your project over time.

By using site surveillance, you can do the following:

• Monitor the process from a remote location as it is occurring
• Check on your crew’s presence and how much work they are getting done
• Track the delivery of construction supplies to your site
• Ensure that the site is secure and safe.

24/7 CCTV Access

With 24/7 CCTV surveillance from KONNBOT, you can continuously observe the operation of your site regardless of where you are located at the time. Whether you're on a business trip, working on several sites simultaneously, or just plain busy at work, you can keep tabs on what's happening at your site via the live feed.

Benefits include:

• Being able to monitor a site remotely without having to go to the site daily to personally do so.
• Being able to monitor the security of the site against theft and unauthorized site entry by employees
• Being able to track progress to ensure completion of milestones.
• Providing visual proof to deter any quality or payment disputes that may arise during the civil work.

Conduct Quality Checks at Every Construction Stage

The process of quality assurance should be an ongoing effort throughout the entire work, as opposed to only at the end of the project's life cycle. Every step or phase must have a quality inspection performed on it to confirm it meets or exceeds the applicable approved plan and standards.

• Quality Control Evaluation Categories
• Materials (Quality of Material Used and Brand Standards)
• Structural Accuracy and Alignment
• Finished Product Quality and Detail Level.

To avoid expensive corrections after the fact and to provide a longer life for your building, quality is checked early in the process.

Ensure Safety Standards and Legal Compliance

Safety should be a top priority and workers need to wear the appropriate safety equipment and follow safety procedures on a regular basis. It is also important that compliance is checked against local codes, environmental regulations, labor laws, and safety regulations. By using strong safety practices, you demonstrate professionalism in the way you manage construction. This reduces the risk of operational and/or legal issues as well.

Properly managing your sites requires ongoing management through predetermined planning, continual involvement, and by using the right tools. By utilizing structured timeframes, regular visits to the site, properly documenting events, and employing monitoring software such as safety cameras, you will gain more confidence in managing your projects.

Conclusion

Using professional project management and strong site management practices enables you to build without stress and surprises while maintaining transparency, security, and on-time delivery. KONNBOT provides two primary construction management solutions: our 24/7 site monitoring camera system and you can get real time data and actionable information through KONNBOT app to make informed management decisions.