When we think about a successful project, we think about a project that meets the given standards, is finished in time and within the budget. These goals are indeed needed to be reached for a project to succeed in the eyes of all stakeholders. Although projects must meet their cost, time and quality targets, broader success criteria need to relate to the project’s primary objectives – those aspects of the scheme’s delivery that will provide the anticipated benefit.
Why do so many projects fail? Contractors often focus their attention on a project’s start but fail to emphasize the importance of finishing. Fast forward to a 90-percent complete project typically results in lower energy and strained relationships due to poor designs, disputes, change orders, etc. Project teams often begin projects with such good drive that they abandon pre-job planning to demonstrate activity on a project. If only this same level of passion would exist until the conclusion of the project. What is more, customers rarely reflect on how well a contractor starts, but they always remember how it ends.
So, what is success and how to reach it? Considering how buildings deliver business benefit to their owners over their lifespan is the essential starting point for the assessment of project success. Doing so, consideration of the creation of value relating to both the operation of the building and its effect on third parties helps to ensure that proper consideration is made of the full impact of the project. Factors such as efficiency of the building, location and the quality of the space all affect the financial value of the project. In a longer run sustainable dimensions, such as lifetime carbon emissions, define the success of a building.
Successful project creates intangible benefits as well. A grand investment has a broad impact upon its surroundings and community. Particular projects can have a positive effect of the development of the surroundings through design quality, or the enhancement of an address. Operating as a stepping stone, big projects create thousands of jobs and improve the infrastructure for further development.
Success never comes by itself – it needs the right conditions to develop in. Firstly, it’s important to get everyone involved and working towards the same goal. Hesitations and doubts should be eliminated by proving that aiming towards success is everyone’s objective. Secondly, invest on project management. It’s evident that the health of the project is constantly reviewed and refined to ensure that it meets the end needs and expectations. Things should be done on time and focus should be kept whole-life. Just use BulldozAIR to reduce anxiety that the endless piles of documents create and to keep everybody focused on the project! And finally, communication. Exploit knowledge gained from previous projects, both in the office and in the field. Try to get to know the team working on the project and get them to share problems that they have faced on the site – field workers are the first ones to spot issues so by doing this you could save the project days or even weeks.
