How To Effectively Relay Construction Project Information
In this post, we will explain to you how you can successfully communicate construction project information with your peers and teams so that each one of them knows their responsibilities.
07/07/2021
The construction industry has its unique set
of challenges when it comes to the effective
transmission of information with workers and
everyone involved in the project. Because the
employees often work remotely, far away from the
corporate headquarters, on the front-line,
successful communication has always been an
issue that has sabotaged construction projects
over the years. In order to successfully manage
a construction project, a project manager must
go to extra lengths in setting up effective
communication lines between all the entities
involved in the project. There are multiple
shifts, teams working on different aspects of
the project, inventory and resources to manage,
and a lot more. So, it can be extremely
difficult to keep everyone on the same page.
This is why it is important to find ways to
effectively relay construction project
information to each and everyone involved with
the project. Doing this not only ensures the
successful completion of the construction
project but also tells a lot about you as a
project manager or contractor.
With that
said, in this post, we will explain to you how
you can successfully communicate construction
project information with your peers and teams so
that each one of them knows their
responsibilities.
Let’s find out.
Why is Communication Important in Construction?
When effective communication is compromised
in the construction industry, it can result in
several problems and delays on the project,
including:
● Increased risks
● Decreased profitability and productivity
● Workers not meeting expectations because
they don’t know what they are or what they are
supposed to do
● Employees not understanding
the company and project goals
● Potential
for legal issues to arise
● A lack of
clarity around issues on construction sites
● More workplace injuries
● High staff
turnover
● High levels of absenteeism
●
Low morale
● Job dissatisfaction when
employees are disengaged
Most
importantly, miscommunication in construction is
costly. A
study conducted by FMI Corp in 2018
found that the construction industry shells out
$177 billion in labour costs annually, out of
which $31 billion are due to miscommunication
and inaccurate and inaccessible information.
Thus, working on these issues and
constraints can be challenging. Nevertheless,
proactively addressing these constraints can
have substantial benefits for your construction
company. Companies like
GoBridgit offer robust
construction RFI (request for information)
solutions that build stronger communication
channels that help in highlighting potential
issues with the project.
What are the Major Communication Challenges in Construction?
As a construction project manager, it is
common to face a range of communication
challenges that if not handled properly, can
jeopardize the whole project. Please note that
better communication will lead to better
construction project management, which will
ultimately result in successful project
completion. Irrespective of the scale of the
project, whether residential or commercial, it
is vital that everyone included in the project
is on the same page. The following are some of
the most common communication challenges faced
by the construction industry:
1. The
most common communication challenge in
construction is a difficult-to-reach workforce.
Even a small housing project can have 100 people
working at any time, across a range of skills.
Now, if it is a big project, you can only
imagine the number of people getting involved.
Some of them may be contractors, some may be
project managers, and some may be
subcontractors. Given the nature of this type of
work, information silos can develop. In some
cases, silos can develop within silos. The
chances of having mixed outcomes are always high
when communication with the workforce falls to
project managers on site. Communication is a
totally different skill. You may be an excellent
engineer, but if your communication is poor, how
are you going to complete the project
successfully and on time? Thus, it is important
that everyone present on the site should be
informed about the priorities and issues.
2. Another big challenge that many project
managers face is trying to keep up with the
health and safety standards at the construction
site. Construction sites are extremely dangerous
places. There are heavy machines, dangerous
tools, situations where workers have to work on
excessive heights, and more. When it comes to
workplace accidents, the construction industry
tops the list with a disproportionately higher
rate. In the United States,
one in five
fatalities in the workplace occurs in the
construction industry. Communication is the most
critical element involved in ensuring the safety
of the workforce.
3. It has also been
found that information shared with the workers
and teams by its very nature is highly complex
and technical. In some cases, the language used
is full of misused terms and jargon. Diagrams
and plans need to be made in a clear and
accurate manner. And labelling should be done
correctly. Good communication should be concise,
clear, and easy to understand. Therefore,
finding ways to communicate the information in a
clear and succinct way is important.
Strategies to Effectively Relay Construction Project Information
Communication comes in many different forms,
including text, email, phone calls, in-person
meetings, intercoms, radios, and instant
messaging. And because we are talking about the
construction industry, drawings and hand signals
cannot be exempted. The following are some
effective ways to foster strong communication
among your team members on any construction
site:
● First and foremost, you need to
form a formal communication chain for each
project. It is only about getting the key
information to the key people and that too at
the right time. Before the start of the project,
teams should be briefed about the project. And
every day before the day’s work starts, teams
present at the site should be briefed about what
they will be doing on that particular day. This
ensures transparency.
● Moreover, ensure that everyone is on the
same page. Make your messages clear, concise,
and timely. Always speak and write in layman’s
terms because the workers may not have the
specific knowledge you have in both technical
and non-technical areas.
● One of the
most important things to keep in mind is to
choose the right platform for conveying all your
messages. This is where you have to embrace
technology. Make phone calls whenever necessary
and don’t rely too much on text messages because
they can always be missed. Use a dedicated
construction project management tool or software
that gives you real-time dashboards, where you
can assign tasks, keep notes, and change
schedules accordingly.
These are some of
the ways using which you can establish safe and
effective communication between your team
members.