Construction Law
How to Promote Transparency on Construction Projects Part 1
All projects require a high level of communication and accountability to ensure work is completed and goals are met. This is especially true in the construction industry where on any given day contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and foremen come together with a myriad skill sets, work styles and motivations. Information can fall between the cracks. When this happens, decisions become reactive, planning goes out of the window, and mistakes are made. These mistakes cost contractors a great deal of money.
Transparency is not a word that’s batted around often in construction circles, but it’s critical to the success of any project. There are so many entities involved with any project, even small ones. If these entities aren’t on the same page, it will be difficult for a project to achieve success.
Our Birmingham contractor attorneys understand the vital importance transparency plays in projects and companies. That’s why we’ve put together a two-part guide to achieving it in your company. For more tips, skip to part two of this series.
Project Kickoff Meeting
Project kickoff meetings are not only for dispensing pertinent information, they set the tone for how a project will be ran. Make sure that you use this time to establish a flow of information, including how decisions will be made. Build a collaborative atmosphere during these meetings. All parties must understand how their interactions are connected and how this can lead to a successful project.
Hold Everyone Accountable
A large part of transparency is owning your decisions and actions. This goes for everyone on the project, including you. Each member of the project needs to understand their role and the expectations per that role. Once everyone knows their roles and expectations, it needs to be understood that they will held accountable. When everyone knows the expectations, it’s hard for items to fall between the cracks.
Follow-up on Everything
In keeping with the concept of accountability, you must follow-up on all items. One of the primary methods for accomplishing this is to make a habit of producing daily reports. These reports should list the work that was completed on site, any issues that arose, goals met, and decisions that were made. Using a software solution to do daily reports can enhance the information that you are providing with pictures and videos and allow you to send it to all parties easily. Daily report data can also be compared to product timelines to track progress and identify potential issues.
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Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.