Site Experience, Human Expertise Will Always Be Golden

By MELISSA ARAQUE

Predicting potential risks across these many pieces has always been a tough task.

To step up to the challenge, project managers are leveraging smart construction tools in practical, simple ways to improve efficiency, reduce risk and deliver better outcomes.

However, even in the age of smart construction when more stakeholders than ever can operate within a shared digital experience, expert project managers are proving the need for site experience and human expertise.

While digital solutions have made some areas of project management faster and clearer, they’ve also introduced new complexity. Savvy project managers are learning to serve as an interface between project stakeholders and technology solutions, verifying accuracy and ensuring efficiency at every project phase.

Smart Construction Tools Add Speed and Complexity

Construction projects are inarguably becoming more complex. Multi-billion dollar mega projects are more common in a number of industries, with some expected to span decades of coordination. Rising construction costs are giving way to new financing strategies, bringing in a broader range of project stakeholders. Rapidly evolving technology is being integrated into every aspect of new projects, putting a stronger emphasis on delivering flexibility and futureproofing. Through all these changes, project management has had to evolve to streamline even the most complex projects.

Project stakeholders have long relied on integrated software solutions to improve communication across teams. Sophisticated software platforms may host all project-related information, from drawings to requests for supplemental information or changes to warranty requests, so that every team member can see changes made in real time. Communication is typically stored, making it easy to add comments or review notes as projects progress.

However, the sheer volume of communication can quickly become overwhelming. A typical construction project may have as many as 42 external stakeholders on a project from architectural design through handoff. On a large-scale project, project stakeholders might exchange hundreds of emails on any given day. Prioritizing action from within the flow of communication becomes a monumental task.

AI’s Information-to-Action Gap

In recent years, digital solutions have become more sophisticated. A number of building information modeling platforms, for example, have integrated artificial intelligence into their workflows to support project management. AI integrations are automating some routine workflows.

Real-time communication tools fill a critical need in ensuring that the right people have visibility into project areas that need their attention. Ultimately, however, this flow of communication must still drive action. Knowing which prompt to act on is becoming more complicated.

The downside of today’s smart construction solutions is that having more trades feed data into the system in real time adds to the complexity of project prioritization. While AI integrations can recommend priorities to address or prompt project stakeholders to reply to a request for information, the process still relies on a human response. That’s why professional oversight remains an essential element of modern project management. An experienced project management professional is the driver that ensures every change is addressed and every new submittal receives a response.

Smart Solutions Deliver Progress, not Site Visibility

BIM software is among those solutions that offer a powerful advantage in bringing teams together for project planning. But when it comes to the messy work of construction, in-person oversight remains essential.

For example, when the City of Phoenix decided to renovate a former Wells Fargo tower to house its police headquarters and 911 call center, the design and construction team went into the project knowing that the existing tower housed a number of unknowns, including the layout hiding within the plenum of floors 23, 24 and 25, the new home for the Communications Bureau. Detailed models couldn’t fully document existing conditions, leaving design and construction teams to develop creative solutions onsite.

Outdated life safety systems needed to be brought up to compliance. The additions of a technology-driven real-time crime center and state-of-the-art 911/dispatch communications hub, as well as updated audio/visual (AV), security and access control solutions, demanded updated infrastructure as well. To maximize the project’s $136 million budget, the design team aimed to reuse as much material as possible. Yet when it came time to renovate the three-floor communications bureau, teams couldn’t fully identify what could be reused and where new systems could run until the plenum had been exposed. New components had to fit within the existing beams and ductwork, but teams had limited insight into existing conditions until demolition began.

Coordination across trades became intense. The project management team worked with the general contractor and design team to coordinate weekly calls to ensure alignment with the structural engineers, HVAC contractor, electrical contractor, fire alarm contractors, and other trades. During these discussions, project stakeholders provided status updates, shared challenges and brainstormed solutions for moving forward. As construction began, team members moved from video calls to onsite coordination meetings, bringing inspection officials into the discussion. The project management team streamlined communication across all parties, ensuring a creative, effective and compliant solution.

Construction Technology: One Element of Effective Project Management

Digital solutions play an instrumental role in simplifying communication across complex construction projects. Still, at this point, no technology can replace the judgment of an experienced project management professional. The real-world nuances that shape construction sites, from site constraints to environmental factors, cannot be fully predicted or optimized by smart construction tools.

An experienced project management professional plays a pivotal role setting clear expectations and driving action forward. This includes guidance around:

• Timing. Information may be visible and up to date on the digital dashboard, but project stakeholders may still need a nudge to take action. Your project manager will ensure materials are reviewed and responses delivered within a specific timeframe.
• Communication. Clarity in communication is essential for driving progress swiftly forward. That includes clarity in requests for information. For example, if a designer has a question about an existing condition, a project manager can ensure that the response includes necessary details, potential solutions and the cost or schedule impact of those solutions. Providing clear, actionable insight in every communication can speed problem-solving.
• Collaboration. The project manager serves as an advocate for the project and for all parties working on it. They ensure stakeholders’ needs are being met to keep the project moving forward smoothly. By rallying stakeholders around a shared vision of success, the project manager keeps teams aligned and on track for success.
• Mindset. The project manager is responsible for proactively identifying risks and potential solutions. This focus on solution-building often carries over into how they lead teams through challenges to creative problem-solving.

Tech Tools Shape Better Decisions, While Project Managers Drive Smarter Action

In construction, as in virtually every aspect of life, the digital age has created a surplus of information that can swiftly overwhelm one through sheer volume. That’s why it’s essential to remember that smart construction isn’t about more data; instead, it’s about better decision-making based on the right data. While emerging AI tools are helping proactively identify risks and project bottlenecks, project progress is still dependent upon the guidance of a professional with adequate project oversight.

The right project management partner can distill the vast array of project information into what matters to you. Rather than wading into deep digital waters, your project management professional can sift through data to deliver the level of information you need when you need it or need to act on it. With the right information, made available by the right partner, even the largest projects can more readily navigate challenges to arrive at handoff on time.

Melissa Araque is a project manager at Rider Levett Bucknall.