3 Communication Factors That Contribute to Project Failure
Poor communication in the construction industry is a major contributor to project delays, disputes, and even accidents that lead to serious injury or death. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), poor communication is the primary reason why projects fail one-third of the time. For the construction projects that are eventually completed, only 37% of the projects were completed on time, only 48% were completed within budget and just 52% met their objectives. No project is absolutely perfect; but how does this compare to construction projects with highly effectively communication? Well for one, 71% were completed on time instead of 37%, 76% were completed within budget and 80% of them met their objectives.
Whether you’re involved in commercial or residential contracts, private or public, we hope you take this information and assess your communication readiness. To help, we’ve outlined 3 major factors of miscommunication that have detrimental impact on construction projects.
Bad Data
Working with flawed data inevitably leads to poor communication and decision-making. You can’t expect to relay accurate information when the source of that intel is incomplete, incorrect, or outdated. Adopting a cloud-based construction management platform is the best way to avoid bad data. It’s easier to stay on the same page when stakeholders have access to a solution that houses all project information. Users can find the necessary data in one place, which leaves little room for errors and miscommunication. Plus, cloud-based platforms keep data updated in real-time so teams can view the latest information from anywhere.
Isolated Processes
Construction projects go through several phases, and each stage has its own sets of workflows and procedures. Communication issues often arise when these processes are disjointed and inefficient. When colleagues collaborate and managers listen, the company is presented with the opportunity for improvement that can greatly impact successful completion of upcoming construction projects across the board.
Insufficient Software & Tools
Sometimes it’s not always about what you do, but how you do it. The fact remains that in many cases how you do something is an essential role in what is done. You can set up processes and strategies with potential but without the proper tools to optimize those processes, those strategies set forth will never truly have great impact on the success of your construction project. For instance, problems with disconnected workflows often arise when using multiple applications that don’t “talk” to each other. When your systems aren’t integrated, folks resort to manual data entry, ultimately opening up room for mistakes.
Summary:
If one still believes communication doesn’t impact a construction project he or she is poorly mistaken. Certain misunderstandings can result in huge losses so prevention is vital. Whether you’re involved in commercial or residential contracts, private or public, we hope you take this information and assess your communication readiness in preparation for commencing your next construction project.
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