In the construction industry, time is money. Meeting deadlines is serious business as overruns inflate costs and delay openings. Efficiency and productivity are critical to hitting these goals. Inevitably there are cases of time-wasting. To ensure your construction business[1] remains on target, let’s break down some of the biggest jobsite time wasters and how to avoid them.
Jobsite Pre-Planning Gaps
Planning is everything in construction. You spend a substantial amount of time planning almost every aspect of a project. What many forget to plan is coordination on the jobsite. On any given day, your crew is unlikely to spend all of their time on construction tasks. They may spend a lot of time moving materials back and forth, cleaning up, looking for tools, and so on.
To curb this time-wasting, map out the dynamics of the jobsite. Determine how all the things outside of actual installation can be better organized. By being specific and thinking of everything that can go wrong, you will have a plan that will contribute to construction efficiency.
For example, if your workers need access to materials in a specific area, make sure they are accessible. If possible, place them near where the team is working. This proximity can save significant time of traveling back and forth.
Idleness on the Jobsite
Idle workers are a cost with no return. This is a common challenge on jobsites. Crews may be waiting for instructions, materials, or proper equipment. There are many reasons why they don’t start work immediately upon arrival.
The best thing you can do to avoid this is to use communication and staging. Holding daily meetings is a good idea, as this provides workers with information on priorities and possible roadblocks. Your team also needs access to resources. Make sure that they can contact key personnel should issues arise.
Staging is also a way to eliminate idleness. At the end of the day, your crew should spend time preparing for tomorrow. If they find there are issues like materials getting low, they can relay this to whoever is in charge. You can then resolve these challenges before the next day so that your crew can begin work on time.
Injury Prevention and Safety Measures
Preventing injuries on the job aligns with being safe first. Failure to prioritize safety puts workers in danger and delays projects. Investing in workplace safety is also good business; the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) correlates safety with increased operational efficiency[2]. To ensure that safety is top of mind and part of your plan to avoid wasting time, you should:
- Hold daily safety meetings to review any jobsite changes or other possible hazards.
- Reiterate safety best practices for using equipment.
- Put up signage[3] that reinforces safety messaging—this is especially important now with COVID-19 mandates around social distancing and mask-wearing.
- Remind workers to take necessary breaks to refuel, especially in areas of high heat.
Keep Your Jobsite Tidy
Even though you are in the middle of a construction zone, your jobsite can still have order. Leaving the jobsite in disarray results in tools going missing and refuse piling up. Such a scenario wastes time and can be a safety hazard.
By having rules in place to keep the jobsite as clean as possible, you can avoid the dilemmas. As a rule of thumb, you should:
- Return tools to their right place.
- Clear walk areas, stairways, and other high-traffic areas.
- Clean up spills and any wet floors.
- Remove anything from the site that’s no longer needed.
Provide the Right Access
Another jobsite time waster occurs when a crew doesn’t have the right access. Complex projects have multiple areas of work. Having the right people in the right spot ensures you can meet your timeframe. Often, through miscommunication, workers arrive and cannot enter spaces. Then they have to try to find someone to unlock a gate, which could take hours.
As a construction manager, keep accessibility in mind when assigning work and planning for the day ahead. Make sure that at least one worker has the right keys or access method for the team.
Overcome Jobsite Time Wasters
Staying on track ensures you meet budgets and deadlines. It makes your customers happy and builds your reputation. Remember these tips and implement them on your jobsite today.
[1] https://www.zoro.com/resourcehub/the-smart-contractors-guide-to-growing-a-construction-business/
[2] https://www.zoro.com/contractors/
[3] https://www.zoro.com/safety-security/c/z1/
[4] https://www.zoro.com/security-access-signs/c/18167/
[5] https://www.assp.org/advocacy/roi-of-safety
Product Compliance and Suitability
The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand and follow all manufacturer instructions.