Unfortunately, we often see that many construction projects and their project management are plagued by errors that frequently arise during the execution phase, when the requirements and quality standards specified in the contract are not met and deadlines are not adhered to.
Our experience shows that parties who fail to honor the terms of the contract are rarely penalized sufficiently in relation to the terms of the agreement. Although we do not wish to engage in a witch hunt within the industry, we believe it is important to insist that agreements be honored. If the client repeatedly relaxes the requirements for the contractor, this indirectly contributes to a decline in quality standards.
As an industry, we should have the courage to hold each other accountable and, at the same time, make use of our legal tools when agreements are not honored.
The consequences could be serious
The consequences of failing to ensure the appropriate quality standards in construction can be serious. Examples include a lack of attention to detail that affects the overall picture and perspective, insufficient clarification regarding materials, misaligned expectations regarding services, poor scheduling, and limited supervision by the consultant.
When these elements are missing, the project gets off to a bad start. Deadlines are missed, the budget is negatively affected, and the client and project owner become frustrated by the lack of progress and rising costs.
Unfortunately, this often leads to conflicts between the parties—conflicts that take a heavy toll on cooperation, finances, and trust in the project. Perhaps the following happens:
- The client may become frustrated with the contractor's lack of progress
- The contractor might be wondering why the projects are always so poorly planned.
- And the consultant might think that the contractor could be more cooperative, and so on and so forth.
If we’ve already reached that point, it doesn’t bode well for the project. That’s why it’s important for the project manager to be able to keep this in mind and have the skills and experience to navigate the situation appropriately.
We consider it a major and important part of project management to establish clear requirements and expectations regarding quality standards early on, in order to prevent conflicts from escalating.
Because when that happens, it can often lead to arbitration or litigation if no steps are taken to resolve the situation.
So what is our proposed solution to the above issue for the client?
There is no doubt that sound guidance from an experienced project manager can alleviate much of this.
An experienced project manager who is able to collaborate with many different parties, possesses broad professional expertise, and understands disciplinary boundaries, supplier options, and more, will be able to anticipate challenges and limitations before they arise. This can be very helpful, reduce frustration, and make the work process with many stakeholders easier.
The challenge is to avoid legal action while still maintaining a strong legal foundation, so that the client does not forfeit significant rights to compensation in the pursuit of a good working relationship with the contractor and the consultant.
If the developer selects the right person and company for the project, they can rest assured that the entire process—from concept to operation to execution—will be carried out to a high standard, with proper documentation and due attention to agreements and contractual matters.
Next week, we’ll be sharing more details on our LinkedIn page about how we approach project management at Brade Consulting.
Thanks for reading 😊