The most important words in great construction delivery don’t start with A,B,C…

Late last year I found a useful website when I was googling the correct expansion of a construction acronym. I made a note of it for future reference after having a quick look at its dictionary of construction terms and common construction slang. A thought stuck me that if these lists were ordered in importance to the delivery of a great construction project they wouldn’t be listed alphabetically. I’m not talking about the initial concept design or input of the architects. I am talking about getting the basics right so that when the construction work starts it has every chance proceeding safely, quickly and to a high standard.

In the countdown to that first day on site it is the quality of the logistics and organisational pre-planning that makes sure people, equipment and materials can move in a controlled manner onto the site and the right time, to the right work face for assembly and construction. This attention to organisation is the most important fundamentals of consistently great construction delivery. Pre- planning the site construction logistics can help ensure the right components are delivered from the storage areas at the right time. Coordination with the suppliers of materials that require assembly, for example steel, is critical to ensure the lay down the steel matches the assembly plan. This helps to drive productivity, reduce waste and manage work and traffic flows through the site.

Pre-Construction, if done well, can have a massive positive impact on delivery. This requires a system driven attention to detail that needs to be able to scale and increase as projects grow in size and complexity. The pre-construction planning phase is constantly looking at the constraints and reconfiguring the solution so that the execution appears to be seamless. At DDK we use the pre-construction phase to set up our Construction Management System (CMS) to guide the delivery of the project supply chains. This system is similar in complexity to a manufacturing business’s ERP system but is set up uniquely to deliver and coordinate a specific construction project.

Simplicity matters in delivering such a complex undertaking. The opportunity to set the site culture is taken from day one; it is flagged and constantly reinforced, from the initial induction, through daily meetings, regular audits and using strong visual cues that remind everyone of their obligations whilst on site. Setting up and organising the construction environment in this way helps to reduce risk and it these basic disciplines that enable contractors to work safely together.

If you want to find out more about how DDK approaches and manages construction projects please contact us for an introductory chat.