As a structure manager, you've got to be a master at construction project planning to be successful on a project. Only what exactly is construction planning, and what does a successful planning process look like?

With an assist from the latest construction software and a five-step procedure, you tin help your project team consistently cease projects on time and on budget.

In this commodity, we've taken the well-known five phases of project management—concept and initiation, planning, execution, performance/monitoring, and project close—and adjusted them to fit you as a construction projection manager. We'll also explain how software can assist at each step.

Let's get started with the basics.

What is construction planning?

Structure planning is the specific process a construction manager uses to lay out how they volition manage and execute a structure project, from blueprint to edifice completion. In the planning stage, you'll identify all construction activities, design the construction schedule, and plan out your team structure (such as if you will employ a contractor or subcontractors). The construction plan lists the activities required and the schedule for each part in the structure procedure.

Now, on to the steps for a perfect structure planning process.

five steps to the perfect construction planning process

For each footstep beneath, nosotros'll requite you the quick version and so follow with all the details, the full breakdown of each step of the process. We'll also explain how software can aid for each section.

And equally a little bonus, we've created a downloadable process guide with the highlights so you can continue it handy when you lot start planning your next structure project.

Step 1: Create the projection

The quick version:

Create a Project Initiation Certificate that spells out the people, resources, and budget for the project.

All the details:

Every construction projection, no matter how big or pocket-size, needs to start with a concern case that lays out the feasibility of the project and what it's going to have to get the task washed.

Showtime by creating a Project Initiation Document (PID), which describes the post-obit in general, not technical, terms (the technical part comes after):

  • People: Number of workers needed including subcontractors, such as plumbers and electricians.
  • Resources: Necessary materials for the design and edifice plans.
  • Budget: Total price estimate of the project including labor, materials, equipment, fees, and permits.

The purpose of this document is to outline the resources you'll need to consummate the projection, both for your stakeholders and your crew. Check out this article for more than standard project direction terms.

Construction software features that tin can help with this:

Near options in Software Advice'south construction software directory offer basic project management tools that should allow you lot to build a work breakup structure with all the work activities listed out in the plan. The software tin create the Gantt chart and manage the disquisitional path of tasks for you.

Step 2: Typhoon an initial plan

The quick version:

Use the S.M.A.R.T. and C.L.E.A.R. processes to set concrete, specific goals for your project.

All the details:

At present comes the point where you need to turn the PID into a more concrete plan by setting goals that are Due south.M.A.R.T. and C.L.E.A.R. Y'all'll accept the specific resources you listed in the previous step and use that to inform a broader strategy that will guide how you actually execute the projection.

Let'southward start with the definition of S.M.A.R.T. goals:

  • Specific: Set specific goals for your project such equally deadlines for primal milestones.
  • Measurable: Agree on how you volition measure success for goals. For example, is it good enough that y'all take started laying concrete past the deadline you set, or should it be completely set past that appointment?
  • Attainable: Y'all need to have a plan in place for how you're going to achieve these goals. For instance, does your project depend on a specific material that might non be bachelor at the quantity you demand when you need it? If so, you lot need to make adjustments.
  • Realistic: Your goals need to be within your abilities equally a construction manager. For example, if your project includes plans to get the electric work done within three months when you've never done information technology in less than six months for a project of this size, you're setting yourself upwardly for failure.
  • Timely: Lay out a specific time frame in which you can realistically expect that you tin can attain these goals.

Now allow'southward take a look at C.50.E.A.R. goals, which is a slight variation on this strategy.

  • Collaborative: Get everyone on board. Hold a meeting before the project begins with the entire team to lay out what is expected and have them aid you identify whatsoever possible obstacles.
  • Limited: Limit these goals both in terms of scope and time frame to not get overwhelmed.
  • Emotional: Ensure that your goals will become your employees fired up and on board.
  • Appreciable: Suspension upwards big goals into achievable tasks and then you don't overwhelm your workers.
  • Refinable: Count on having to be flexible, because you tin can never predict what will happen on a job site.

Construction software features that tin can assistance with this:

Over again, you desire construction software with a expert project management focus, just in this case you need to get much more detailed with budgets and timelines, so you lot demand software that has project management as well as accounting, materials tracking, contractor management, and document management.

Step 3: Execute the plan

The quick version:

Call a coming together with your team, get on the same folio, set expectations, and assign projection managers to oversee progress.

All the details:

It's fourth dimension to execute your program. Offset past calling a team meeting to get over the project plan and structure schedule. This coming together is critical for your plan'due south success. Without purchase-in from your crew, y'all volition fail to achieve your objectives.

Talk with each person on your crew individually, if possible, to talk over expectations and give them an opportunity to ask questions near anything they're confused about. Is your backhoe operator supposed to exist in daily communication with your engineering team because they'll be working in the same area at similar times? They need to know that also every bit what the expectations are in regards to how they will communicate and when.

Yous might also need to assign a projection managing director(south) to oversee your teams. If y'all're a very small business concern, yous may exist the but project manager, but you demand to take a schedule fatigued upwardly of what you will be checking and when.

Construction software features that can help with this:

A team management characteristic will exist very helpful for this pace. This feature allows yous to monitor task status, piece of work activities, and track time.

Step four: Rail your performance

The quick version:

Gather data on fundamental functioning indicators (KPIs) such equally objectives, performance, and quality.

All the details:

It'due south essential that you accurately track the performance of your team on this construction project and ensure they are meeting the parameters you lot've ready. And in the event of an unsuccessful projection, it ensures y'all take data that you lot can dive into to effigy out why you failed and then information technology doesn't happen again.

Successful construction managers typically use key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the performance of a project.

Some typical KPIs yous can track include:

  • Projection objectives: Are you on schedule and on upkeep?
  • Project performance: Is the projection proceeding smoothly, or are you running into some obstacles you weren't expecting?
  • Quality: Certain, the coiffure is hit their milestones, just is the work upwards to the quality that you want at this stage?

Structure software features that tin can help with this:

Many construction software options offering tracking tools, such every bit materials direction or equipment tracking, not to mention the team-tracking options mentioned in a higher place. Utilize as many tracking tools as makes sense: More data is better than less.

Stride 5: Close out and evaluate the project

The quick version:

Using the data you gathered, evaluate your performance and talk with your team on how you lot could improve on the next project.

All the details:

Only because the building is over doesn't mean you're done with the planning process. The lessons learned and data gathered from this project help inform how y'all approach the adjacent project, so it's important to perform the close-out tasks. This work tin can besides serve as some of the pre-construction planning for your next project.

Thanks to the fact that y'all had a conspicuously-defined construction project plan and a manner to runway performance and obstacles, y'all're well-equipped to conduct an even more successful construction planning process the next time effectually. You'll know where the obstacles are and what mistakes were made, which volition and so inform how you can tweak the next plan in order to maximize success.

But this shouldn't be a process that takes place but in your ain head. Call a final coming together with your crew to hash out how you lot performed. Bear a brainstorming session to get ideas on what you could have done ameliorate, and take extensive notes. They're your eyes and ears, so don't lose the opportunity to collect their valuable insight.

To formally close this project out, create a last projection upkeep and dissimilarity it with the original budget, and and so draft a terminal projection report that you share with key stakeholders.

Construction software features that tin assist with this:

A good construction software solution should take custom reporting tools that allow you lot to procedure the data you have and create reports that you can examine after the projection to spot where you lot can brand improvements.

Hither'southward a visual representation of the planning process. Click here to download a copy.

5 steps in the construction planning process

Beginning working on your next construction project plan

Now'due south the time to gear up your construction planning process to go on your next project on time and on budget. And information technology's a lot easier to do than you think. Here are a few simple steps you lot can take tomorrow to improve how y'all run your construction projects:

  • Evaluate your current construction software. Does it offering the features discussed to a higher place? If not, it may be time to start examining options that do. Compare solutions and read user reviews here, or check out our construction software buyers guide for more help.
  • Create a mock Project Initiation Document, and inquire yourself some questions: Have I been going into this level of detail before a project? How could it help me? How could I incorporate this into my adjacent project?
  • Examine your current work schedule. Where tin you schedule time to conduct an extensive planning process that incorporates all of these steps? Be intentional and carve out some time to exercise it, because information technology's very easy to let your time to get swallowed up by day-to-24-hour interval emergencies.