How to Manage Multiple Construction Projects Simultaneously

Managing a construction project can be overwhelming. It even gets more challenging as you juggle more than one construction project. For this reason, you need the right strategies to constantly adapt to changing conditions, communicate with the project stakeholders, and deliver your end of the bargain. So, how can you ideally manage multiple construction projects simultaneously? Read on to find out!

1. Take Advantage of Technology

Gone are the days when you had to manually handle everything in the construction field. With technological advancements, you can almost find a tool or software to help you boost the project’s efficiency.

One such tool is CoralTree’s Basil for Construction. This is a cloud collaboration software that aims to help you share construction drawings and mark-ups with your contractors, architects, and building owners. All those involved can conveniently view all the drawings and project details on their mobile devices. 

Besides the drawings, you can manage your construction projects efficiently with the ‘Projects and Workflows’ feature. It allows you to create projects and tasks as well as assign them to your team. With Basil’s AI assistant known as Cora Assistant, you don’t have to constantly follow up on incomplete tasks. It does it all for you! Schedule your Basil demo session today to see how it works for your project and get a 30-day free trial!

2. Manage Compliance and Safety Concerns

A study by the National Safety Council shows that construction is one of the most dangerous industries. The industry records the highest number of workplace deaths and injuries. As such, a construction manager handling simultaneous projects has a higher risk and must manage safety and compliance concerns. 

Ensure that all employees have the right gear for their health and safety. They must fill out all the forms, checklists, and compliance reports as required by law. Streamline compliance to minimize the risk in case of any incidence. You can do this by getting real-time safety information regarding each of the projects. 

Since you may not be able to physically visit every construction project for this assessment, work hand in hand with the subcontractors. They will give you all the required information beginning from the inspections, to the incident reports. 

As the project manager, you can then share this information with your team members to allow them to monitor the progress and any changes. Upload it on your Basil workflow platform and collaborate more effectively on your projects.

3. Prioritize Projects Based on Value

While there are different ways to prioritize things, the construction industry bases this on value. If you have three projects, you should first pay attention to the larger projects bearing huge investments. For instance, if you are working on a residential project that relies on rent to bring money, you need to work with general contractors (GCs) and get more skilled professionals. With more work onsite, you can quickly complete the project and minimize the financial bleed out for the property’s owner. 

On the other hand, if you have a high and low-volume project, prioritize the high-volume project so you can get a turnover as soon as possible. A large-scale residential development that involves the remodeling or renovation of hundreds of units may need closer monitoring than a single unit. Others may compromise essential services such as heating and water thus the need for speed. You will need to ensure all the safety requirements are met and residents are safeguarded within the project. Assess every project on your list and determine how valuable it is. 

4. Set Clear Communication Guidelines

Staying organized and coordinating the processes is vital for any construction project. It becomes even more important when dealing with simultaneous construction projects. For you to stay organized, you need to have clear communication with the customers, the subcontractors, and all stakeholders involved.

As you begin the project, ensure clear communication channels and guidelines are in place. Everyone should know how to communicate, to whom, and when. For this, you can use email chains and set weekly or biweekly meetings. To improve efficiency, consider using construction project management software such as Basil to facilitate communication. With this system, all those involved can communicate with each other regarding the project’s milestones, challenges, and ultimate progress. 

For large projects, you must establish clear contact points within the construction team’s hierarchy. This means that everyone knows who they can take their queries to. Besides streamlining communication, it also prevents miscommunications and ensures problems are addressed as soon as they happen. 

5. Get the Right Team on Board

No project will take off without the right team. A construction project manager on a simultaneous task must put together the perfect team. Every team member should be qualified and know what task they are responsible for. 

Besides the academic qualifications, the team must have energetic and ready-to-learn attitudes. This is because the projects involve challenges and some may need them to float potential solutions. Let everyone see the bigger picture and contribute to the project in their capacity.

Once you have the team together, use a workflow management tool like Basil and allow them to collaborate. The system enables you to create projects and tasks as well as assign them to the team members. Apart from the assignment, Basil has a billing feature that includes the work done by all the contractors and members. It is all you need to manage your construction projects. 

6. Delegate as Much As You Can

Handling simultaneous construction projects is no child’s play. You will need all the help you can find to ensure that the projects progress as efficiently as required without getting overwhelmed. It minimizes the overload on yourself. 

One way to ensure you have enough time to concentrate on the core management is delegating tasks. This ensures you stick to important deadlines and avoid neglecting financial details. In the end, you do not overrun the projects at hand.

7. Track Your Progress and Performance

How do you know that you are on the right track? Whether working on simultaneous projects in one location or multiple locations, it can be tough to stay atop all the objectives and goals in person. To accurately report to the stakeholders, you need to monitor the progress and get the metrics for your projects. 

Track the key performance indicators (KPIs) and distinguish the swift-moving projects from those that might need more time. Request your team to make daily logs on the actual delivery so you can evaluate how close you are to completion. 

FAQ’s

1. How to manage construction projects?

Successful management of construction projects involves numerous steps and processes. As seen above, there are several things you can do to seamlessly manage the projects and deliver as per the customer’s requests. Use technology as much as you can and ensure safety and compliance as required by your jurisdiction’s construction laws. With the right team and resources for the jobs, you enjoy improved productivity and efficiency across all your projects. Don’t forget to delegate as much as possible so you have enough time to concentrate on the core task. 

2. What is project management in the construction industry?

Project management in construction refers to the coordination of all the facets of a construction project. It starts at the pre-construction stage to the completion of the structure. The goal of construction project management is to ensure the satisfaction of the customer’s demand and viability for the project.

3. Why do we need to manage construction projects?

Everything in construction project management comes down to efficiency and productivity. A good and well-structured construction project management program will help you organize the work and meet the set deadlines and budgets. With the management, everyone knows what they need to work on and the time they have for the particular task. 

4. How to organize construction projects?

It is very easy to get overwhelmed when working on simultaneous projects. To eliminate such cases, streamline everything at the construction site and organize the work environment for those involved. Begin by ensuring all your documentation and project papers are accessible and everyone knows what is required for the job. By doing this, you streamline the construction projects and focus on delivering ultimate quality.