Your Guide to Construction Resource Management

Resource management is planning how construction companies will use resources such as material, labor, and equipment to complete a construction project.

Without these resources, construction projects will be affected by delays. Sometimes, a lack of crucial machinery can stall the project altogether.

Tips For Creating A Construction Resource Management Plan

When creating a resource management plan, the first tip for contractors is to be patient. Creating a resource management plan takes time. In addition, you need to evaluate the plan to cater to unforeseen changes. Other ways of creating a resource management plan are:

Use Technology to your Advantage

Construction projects are naturally complicated because of the hundreds of moving parts that need to work together. The project becomes more complicated when it is a megaproject. Mega projects are big projects that require millions of dollars and hundreds of workers. The bigger a project, the more complex it is.

To deal with this problem, construction companies should use platforms such as https://www.alicetechnologies.com/resource-management. This resource management platform optimizes how project managers use resources to save on costs and reduce construction time. When used correctly, these platforms can significantly increase profit margins.

Avoid Strict Milestone Schedules

Milestone schedules are part of a construction schedule. They are timeframes that break down a project schedule into construction phases. One mistake made by schedulers is creating a strict milestone schedule without factoring in risks that can delay the project.

A good example of this is when a construction milestone requires specialized labor to implement. Due to the shortage of workers, there can be a delay of several weeks. If the scheduler does not factor in such risks, it becomes challenging to manage resources.

When the project stalls, laborers such as drivers and crane operators might be paid for work not done. To solve this problem, ensure that a risk analysis is done based on each milestone.

Identify and Plan Construction Resources

One mistake project managers make is failing to identify and track all resources. The contractor needs to plan for small resources such as nails and hammers. Without these nails, no construction project can take place.

To do this, use technology to your advantage. The technology used should be able to break down schedules based on milestones. Each milestone should be assigned a resource such as labor and material.

If there is a labor shortage for workers such as plumbers, the contractor must reach out to outsourcing companies. This way, they will have enough time to source for labor, preventing delays.

Avoid Under Or Over-Optimizing Labor

With labor, a construction project can break ground. Construction companies require workers to operate machinery, such as cranes and excavators. Laborers are also needed to ensure safety and erect pillars. Similarly, workers must not be under or over-optimized. Under-optimized labor is unproductive.

This means that you are paying them for work not done. On the other hand, over-optimized labor is unproductive because it is overworked, reducing productivity.

There are several things that you can do to ensure your workers are being productive. The first is to use time-tracking software. Time tracking software tracks the time that workers report and leave work. In addition, modern software platforms can track workers who are unproductive at work.

Review the Work Plan Regularly

Project managers should regularly review a good resource management plan. To do this, involve all stakeholders, such as subcontractors. This is because they better understand what it takes to implement a project. Examples of questions that you need to ask yourself are:

• What can be done differently to make the plan more accurate?
• Is the current resource management plan fulfilling the needs of the organization?
• Are people held accountable when there is a delay?

Organizations need to ensure they have streamlined resource management strategies. A good resource management plan helps reduce costs by eliminating wastage. In addition, it becomes easier for project managers to track and maintain equipment. This is important because the right equipment will be available at the right time.

Also, resource management helps improve productivity. It does this by ensuring that the right resources are allocated to the project. If a particular task is experiencing delay, managers can allocate additional resources to help increase the construction time.

Finally, a resource management plan makes it easier for the project manager to adapt to changes in the project scope. A change order can cause these changes. The project owner usually gives change orders because of either a limited budget or a change in design.

In conclusion, resource management is essential for every construction project. Failure to plan resources such as labor and equipment can result in delays and increased construction costs.

Types of Construction Resources

Resources in construction are components of a construction company required to implement a project successfully. A good example is labor. According to a 2022 report, there are fears that labor shortages in the country can derail construction projects. This is because, as of October 2022, there were more than 400,000 unfilled construction positions in America.

In 2021, the government signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure law. According to this law, more than $350 billion will be made available for highway projects. If the labor shortage is not solved, states might not complete highway projects on time.

Another vital construction resource is equipment. The type of equipment required will depend on the construction project. For example, the project manager must rent or buy bridge access machinery (such as aerial lifts and cranes) when building a bridge. The contractor will also require a hydro platform, vertical masts, and concrete saws.

Concrete saws are used to cut through different sizes of concrete slabs. Without this equipment, a bridge construction project can not break ground. Another vital resource is material.

Material is any substance used in the construction industry to complete a project. Examples of materials include cement, wood, steel, stone, and concrete. Other types of construction resources include:

• Facilities
• Finances
• Subcontractors
• Facilities