So the CIOB has just released figures showing that two-thirds of the more complicated building projects the industry takes on are completed late.

Not that I want to blow my own trumpet, but I think I could have made a pretty good guess at that myself.

In the construction industry we’re not that good at change – what we are pretty good at, though, is doing what we’ve done before. So give us a simple low-rise without any complex services to build and we might even finish it early for you. But design a complicated building that requires tight programme management and throw in a couple of days of rain at just the wrong moment and you have yourself a delayed project.

So what’s the answer? As the new president says, education and training has a big part to play. And not just for the guys in suits. If we are really going to get this industry to tackle its timing properly you need to make sure that everybody on site knows what the programme is – and what to do if it looks like it’s sliding. Sounds simple, but that also requires a no-blame culture in which people aren’t scared to raise these issues – whether with their boss, the client or a subcontractor.

Once we get this right the rest will follow. Yes, new technology that can tell you the exact knock-on effect of a half-hour hail storm has its role to play, but first of all you need to get the workers on board. Then you might be surprised just how punctual we can be.

Source

Construction Manager