Delays in construction works are, to a large extent, the responsibility of the construction companies. Find out here what problems they face and why they can’t solve them.
We cannot give a single answer to this question, but we can affirm that in most cases, this is due to two main factors: resources and technology. There are some caveats, such as environmental factors, but that’s almost never the reason.
Now, why is the delay in the delivery of construction works so recurring? We decided to list some of the reasons why many construction companies do not respect delivery deadlines.
This material will help you identify when the construction company has full responsibility for the lack of the agreed commitment and what to do about it. Continue reading, because this topic is just beginning.
Environmental problems and unavoidable events
We decided to start with the environmental factor because it is something that gets completely out of hand.
Unforeseeable events related to nature or global problems of another nature are something that construction companies cannot control, however, other climatic factors, such as rainy seasons, can be analyzed in advance.
Within the previous analyzes, the climate of the city for certain times of the year must be considered, this helps to define if it is a good or bad decision to develop the work and if it is possible to deliver it within the agreed period.
Economic reasons
Like all industries, construction can also be affected by economic problems in the country. So if the nation suffers an economic collapse or the value of its currency has fallen, this will cause delays in the works, mainly because the budget will fall short for the period of time that had already been estimated.
If the contractor is not responsible and financially sound, it is very likely that she will go off schedule and postpone progress on the project.
Shortage of budget, resources and equipment
You might think that this problem is not that common, but we are sorry to say that it happens more often than expected.
Some construction companies run out of money during the project because they do not manage their resources well, they gave a bad budget or they do not have the necessary technology and machinery to continue with the schedule in a timely manner.
For example, if a large job requires drilling and they don’t have their own drill or huck trucks, they will have to rent it and it may not be available at the moment, which will certainly cause delays.
Gap between schedule and execution
Before the execution of a project, a complete administration team is needed that covers areas such as finance, purchasing, human resources, planning, project development, among others, in order to guarantee that the client’s work will be fully developed in all its phases.
Having a well-thought-out schedule helps manage optimal work schedules to execute the project within the required time frame, in addition, it helps the project team to see upcoming obstacles and manage to overcome them.
Developing a construction site without covering the aforementioned areas and without a time schedule will cause massive delays and new problems to be solved, resulting in really late deliveries and poor quality work.
Overworked Staff
Another cause of delays is the large amount of work spread across fewer people than the project requires. Commercial or industrial construction works require qualified personnel who can face the challenges in construction (such as the resident engineer, foreman, masons and labor personnel), the lack of it produces delays day after day.
Overcrowding the staff will only slow down the progress of the project, so find a responsible company that can supply all aspects, is transparent in hiring and guarantees safety and optimal efficiency for all processes and, yes, the human resources department is important.
Design issues and project changes
This factor not only causes delays, but also brings cost overruns for construction projects. The inaccuracy in the design of the work means that the result will be inefficient, trying to remedy it will take more time and resources.
In general, design problems are seen during the execution phase of the project and not during the design phase itself, that is why the engineering work is so important and must be developed by a trained and experienced professional team, this It allows the execution team to implement the project correctly and helps to find design problems in the early stages of development of the work so that they can be solved on time.
On the other hand, if the client requests any change, the construction company must respond in a timely manner indicating the implication of time, money and resources that it will take to carry out the client’s request.
Incorrect management of the finishing / completion phase
The finishing phase of a project is crucial, but for some companies this is not important. Being the last stage of the project life cycle, care must be taken so that a slow closure does not occur that causes delays in delivery and cost overruns.
The documentation must be up to date and all finishing details must be approved by the client, in the same way, all previous claims or requests must be resolved and answered by the construction company.
Conclusion
Although delays and cost overruns can occur in different constructions, these can be avoided if a responsible, solid company capable of developing an adequate planning and schedule is hired.