Like many other industries, projects become more complex as technology improves and construction demand grows. When this occurs, it’s a good idea to try and bring other people into the fold, especially in construction. In one study, 91% of contractors and owners agreed that increased collaboration reduces risk on construction projects.
Benefits of Construction Collaboration
Effective collaboration is like a well-built house, with all the pieces coming together to create something that is both functional and long-lasting.
Here’s a brief list of some of the benefits that apply to both you and the clients that you choose to work with:
- Innovation
- Time savings
- Cost savings
- Added value for your client
- Reduced errors
- Lower chance of unnecessary rework
In many cases, this may lead to other benefits as well, albeit ones that aren’t as tangible. For example, after doing a larger job, it can lead to more prominence for you and your partners. Whether you work together again or not, generally everyone comes out better from collaboration in the construction business.
How to Successfully Collaborate On Your Next Project
You may hear a lot of talk about networking when running your own business, and collaboration is one of the biggest reasons. In many cases, a larger project can put you over the top in many ways, but you need more manpower and assets than you have alone to do it. Many construction businesses wait until the moment arrives and then scramble around to try and find potential project partners. This isn’t necessarily doomed to fail, but wouldn’t you rather be proactive? Taking time beforehand to look at potential collaborators and make some inroads means that you already know who is best to work with when the time comes.
When it comes to being successful, you’re going to hear a lot of different points that have to be made, from communication to timing. All of these are true, but all of these also stem from base issues. By addressing them, you lower your chances of the little things causing a hitch later.
The first issue is ensuring that combined, your team is qualified to take on the job. Manpower isn’t the only hurdle that requires collaboration. One person from one company may have expertise that the other company doesn’t, but you need to make sure that they can apply it and that it is truly necessary.
The second is making sure everyone has the same fiscal mindset in mind. A poorly conceived budget will sink any collaboration.
The final piece is having a shared vision. You and your partners need to know their place in the collaboration and the goals. When this is garbled, it can lead to miscommunication and other issues.
Naturally, when you put this together, it can be challenging from a logistical perspective. How do you make sure everyone is reporting where they should? How about managing your equipment? This can be a lot to manage, especially if the leadership hierarchy of the collaboration isn’t clear. Technology can help boost communication to improve productivity, especially in managing crews at different job sites. Make this easier by using time tracking app busybusy. Be able to track your project and handle other important facets like equipment usage and payroll remotely across multiple jobsites. Download our free app and schedule a demo today!
