Early in my career I was working on a large expansion to the FedEx sorting facility in Indianapolis. I was talking to one of the Superintendents on the project and he told me:
“If we start right we can stay right”
Clem Cook – at least that is who I heard it from!
This simple quote stuck with me. Every project I have been part of or adjacent to has one telling sign of success or trouble and it all starts at the beginning. A project that is diligently planned has a greater chance of a successful finish.
Have you been on a project with a rough start …or were you thrown into someone else’s project that was not planned well? You spend an exorbitant amount of time making up for that lack of planning and may feel like you will never catch up. It often takes more resources than planned to right the ship if you can even do it.
What does it mean to start right? It’s a big question with a bigger response that I will digest with you over multiple blogs …it’s really that big of a topic. It also depends on the stage of the project. Is it a lump sum hard bid that is fully designed or were you selected as the design-builder based on a napkin sketch. Some of the topics will apply across any project type, but most will apply for a GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) negotiated project as a Construction Manager or Design-Builder in both public and private work.
Properly planning a project takes a significant amount of time and effort. Ideally, it is done with the same team that will build the job. A Project Manager that develops the bid package in coordination with the superintendent has a much better understanding of the project and a higher chance of success than a project that is handed off at the start of construction. This can’t always happen, but it is magical when it all comes together.
Here is my attempt at summarizing tasks associated with starting right. As I develop more content for this series the organization of the information in my head will come together. All of these topics will be expanded in future posts and the list will grow as I write more.
- Understand
- Your Client
- The constraints (financial, schedule, physical)
- Your partners (designers, consultants, investors, trade partners, others)
- The RFP and the response by your company (if not part of the process)
- The contract and/or preconstruction agreement
- The big picture (timeline, deliverables, etc)
- The AHJ’s (Authorities Having Jurisdiction)
- Organize
- Everything! …from the very beginning
- The loose ends (what is no one else working on)
- BlueBeam studio session drawing reviews (if not by designer)
- Develop/Create
- Project execution plan (schedule, logistics, workflow, quality, safety)
- modular/prefabrication plan
- Permitting plan
- Bidding plans for the design team (if part of your scope)
- Bidding plans for trade contractors
- Comprehensive bid package(s)
- Early procurement package(s)
- Comprehensive budget packages
- Design strategies to coincide with your construction plan
- Engage
- Attend every project meeting you can (soak up the information)
- Don’t plan alone …bring on your superintendent early
- Trade partners for design-assist or Preconstruction services
- Review drawings and provide comments
- Industry experts (manufacturers, vendors, etc)
- Walk the site
- Review lessons learned
- Others …Fresh Eyes Meetings
I would be happy to take your comments and add them to the list!
douglas adams 