HomePeoplePlanning in construction and its importance

Planning in construction and its importance

Planning in construction

A famous military adage from the British army goes; Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. Planning in construction is no exception.
Planning is one of those aspects that affects the outcome of so many different things in life.
By definition, planning is an orderly / step by step proposal on how an end product / goal will be achieved and when it comes to construction, this starts the day the idea to put up a structure is conceived.
Bearing in mind that there are so many different personnel (professionals) involved in the construction process, one has to ensure that each of these is duly included in the planning process. The planning in construction phase entails determining the resources required for the project and should not only focus financial planning but also time, materials, suppliers as well as human resource i.e. labour. The equipment needed for the project is also determined at this phase.
Whether documented (as should ideally be the case) or not, a project plan should address the following areas with regard to the project;
• The scope of the project i.e. time and cost – within what time do you want to complete your construction and working within what budget?
• Objectives of the project – what kind of structure are you setting up and what will be the necessary requirements needed to be put in place to ensure that the project meets its intended objectives? Is it a hospital, road, school, mall or home?
• Milestones – what activity or stage of the project will signify substantial progress?
• A work schedule and breakdown structure – given the different tasks that make up the construction process, it is important to clearly indicate when each of these tasks will be carried out and the systematic sequence that the different tasks will follow.
• Progress tracking – with respect to the schedule, one should be able to track the progress of the project based on actual output against planned output and determine whether the project is on course or lagging.
There are certain tasks and activities within the construction process that cannot be easily rushed for example certain procurement lead times, concrete curing times etc. and whoever is in charge of the project should ensure that while planning, these are well catered for and where need be, the processes be started early enough to ensure that they do not cause delays on the project. For instance if certain equipment to be installed on a structure is to be imported and (sometimes) quality tested first (say a standby generator), this is a process that can take almost 4-5 months sometimes depending on where it is coming from and the importation formalities involved. Putting the procurement process of this item on hold till the last minute would mean one of two things; either the overall project duration gets dragged by a period equivalent to that which the item takes in transit and testing; or, short cuts are taken to deliver it within time and most times this comes with a cost implication and sometimes a compromise on quality.
When it comes to the actual construction works on the project, failure to undertake planning in construction well results into tasks getting neglected or unsatisfactorily done because one is in a hurry to move on to the next task; and as a result the structure may not achieve the desired structural strength properties.
With planning comes deliverables and poor planning results in delayed project completion, cost overruns and poor quality work among other things. It is therefore important that the team in charge of the project accurately and appropriately plans prior to execution of activities to ensure smooth flow of works, value of money and timely completion.

Jemima Nalumansi
Post Graduate Diploma – Project Planning and Management; (Uganda Management Institute)
BSc. Construction Management (Hon.); (Makerere University, Kampala)

Must Read

Framed Allure at Billionaires’ Row in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, handed over

Framed Allure at Billionaires’ Row in Palm Jumeirah, has successfully been delivered by CK Architecture. This is one of the two signature villas CK...

Brightline West, Los Angeles to Vegas High-Speed Rail

After reaching an agreement with a group of significant labor unions, Brightline, the corporation behind the project, expects construction on the bullet trains to...

Construction of Mount Hermon Apartments in Florida begins

Mount Hermon Apartments, an affordable senior housing project is now underway in the Fort Lauderdale municipality of Broward county, Florida. Housing Trust Group (HTG)...

The Netherlands to build the world’s largest offshore hydrogen production plant

For the construction of the world’s largest offshore hydrogen production plant in the Netherlands, the Dutch government has selected an area. The area is...

Installation of 47 groundwater pumping stations in South Sudan in the pipeline

Plans are being laid for the establishment of 47 groundwater pumping stations in South Sudan. The venture was formally announced on March 3, 2023,...

US$ 131M loan secured for 23-10 42nd Road development in New York

A US$ 131M loan has been secured for the implementation of the 23-10 42nd Road development in New York. This was revealed by the...

1 COMMENT

  1. Excelente informacion, siempre es buen conocer los puntos de vista en otros paises. Saludos desde Saltillo, Mexico.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here