Commercial roofing project management impacts crew performance, customer service, and profit margins. As with many essential undertakings, project management often grows complex. Creating an efficient system allows you to simplify the process and complete the project on time and on budget.
Looking for ways to improve the efficiency of your project and crews?
Here are six dynamite tips for managing a commercial roofing project for success:
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- Maintain the schedule in a single, accessible place
- Provide crews with checklists
- Make job information accessible from the field
- Translate instructions into the crew’s native language
- Maintain a record of all communications
- Automate schedule change notifications
Tip #1: Maintain the Schedule in a Single, Accessible Place
Keeping everyone moving in the same direction becomes challenging when managing many employees and multiple crews. Shared calendars keep workers and supervisors on the same page because they are readily accessible to all participants and can be updated from any location. In addition, they store information about crews, appointments, and deliveries in one place, track personnel availability, and prevent scheduling errors.
Tip #2: Provide Crews with Checklists
Keeping work on schedule and managing all the minute details may seem at cross purposes, but with an effective checklist, you can help crews complete tasks efficiently and avoid time-consuming and costly oversights. Crews can check off pieces of work while also double-checking for completeness and quality, allowing supervisors to move to the next step with confidence.
It helps to send crews the checklist before they visit the job site, so they know what to expect. Detailed checklists leave less to chance or misinterpretation. After crews leave for the day, project managers can review the checklists to ensure assignment completion and measure progress against scheduling goals.
Tip #3: Make Job Information Accessible from the Field
Roofing crews often hit snags when they lack information about how to proceed. This causes delays as they work out the problem or contact management for explanations. Falling behind schedule or expensive mistakes may result.
Project managers can prevent many problems by making job information available at the worksite, resulting in enhanced workmanship and superior customer service. For example, when building owners have specific requests, crews need those specifications at their fingertips.
When special requests are missed, projects suffer delays, and costly rework must be performed. Also, if an aspect of the project differs from the norm, crews may simply proceed as usual out of habit. Having instructions at the job site keeps them on track and focused on the goals specific to the job.
Tip #4: Provide Clear Instructions
Simplifying procedures, plans of action, and expectations prevents language barriers from becoming obstacles to a successful project.
Crew members may have many different native languages and it may not be possible to accommodate all languages, but whenever possible, give crews access to instructions in a native language spoken by a large number of members. Those able to understand directions provided in their native language can assist others.
Tip #5: Maintain a Record of all Communications
Communication between the office and the field can morph into a game of telephone. As a result, information passed through many sources usually gets distorted, sometimes in regretful ways. Often, this results in confusion about how to proceed.
This confusion can be minimized by keeping track of all communications. When a question arises, records of communication often provide a clear and quick answer. Also, you can test whether the crews are on the same page by referring to what has been communicated in the past. Also, checking progress against instructions and other communications provides a valuable yardstick for job efficiency.
Tip #6: Automate Schedule Change Notifications
Roofing schedules frequently change. Inclement weather, customer demands, and unexpected events often result in small and large schedule revisions. When they occur, these changes may catch crews off guard while imposing the burden of notifications on project managers.
Thankfully, we live in the age of automation. Now you can promptly inform all crewmembers of changes through automated communications, such as texts and emails, that sync with your electronic scheduling tools. When you make a change, your crews receive notice without further action on your part. Easy, and you never have to worry about a crew showing up at the wrong time or place (provided they check their cell phones).
Commercial roofing projects are profitable jobs, but inefficiencies, miscommunications, and rework can eat away at healthy profit margins. Project managers have the power to eliminate inefficiencies by following the above tips for making commercial roofing projects run like well-oiled machines.
MacDermott Roofing has an established 45-year reputation for successful commercial roofing projects. Direct owner contact, technical skill and product knowledge allows for improved response time during projects that ensures successful completion as well as meets and exceeds expectation.
We provide commercial roofing installation, replacement and repair throughout the Detroit area and are an authorized Elite Master Contractor for the Duro-Last Roof System. Call for a Free Estimate today!