It is early morning on the project site, but even before the coffee is ready, the manager is busy with problems causing downtime and delays to the project.
Every project is hit by many of the same issues from misplaced assets to theft and breakdowns, and every project needs an effective manager to fix these issues.
Minimize downtime and steer clear of the most common of challenges by avoiding these 5 typical sources of delays.
1. Machines or special tools are misplaced – time spent looking is wasted
Much time can be wasted searching for missing machinery and tools on a large project site.
It only takes 15 minutes for four men to search for that one machine or that special power-tool before you have lost an entire working hour on your project.
An effective first step to minimize downtime is to make it your priority to stay in control of your key machinery and equipment. In this way, you can help your teams start on time.
2. You are not using all the machines and tools at your disposal
It is obvious that waiting around for machines to become available is completely unnecessary, when other machines are idle elsewhere on your site.
But we are creatures of habit, and the same machines are often being used while others never leave the container or garage.
Minimize downtime by making sure all your key machinery or equipment is in regular use.
In this way, you make sure that you work at maximum capacity and avoid overuse and breakdowns to machinery that is always used.
3. Theft of machines, tools or materials halts projects and increases costs
Few things are as frustrating as starting off your morning to find that materials, equipment or even machines have gone missing overnight.
Lost materials and equipment will halt an entire team from working to their maximum capacity, not to mention the paperwork and increased insurance costs.
There are many ways to protect your construction site: security companies, guard dogs, fences, floodlights, or tracking devices and data loggers attached to your key assets.
Some are cheaper than others, but to minimize downtime, you should protect yourself in the best way possible according to your budget – in the end, this is often the cheapest option.
4. Breakdowns to key machinery due to missed service intervals or bad maintenance
You have done your job: Your machinery is in its right place, all of it is in use and it is protected by anti-theft measures. But by midday, it breaks down.
Sometimes everyday things on the agenda such as maintenance and service slip out of mind. But in order to minimize downtime, you should make it your ambition to check the running hours of your machines and equipment to secure regular service intervals.
In this way, you can perform predictive maintenance to ensure that these breakdowns do not happen.
5. Teams are delayed waiting for your next move
A successful project needs a project manager who is available to tackle any issue that comes in.
Your teams need you to focus on the progress of the project and direct them towards the next step in order to stay effective.
This is not possible if you are always tackling everyday issues around the site, or in your site office on the phone with other managers about missing machines, or explaining rising costs or delays to the project owner.
To minimize downtime it is also important to be available and helpful while managing your project. Prioritize time to walk around your site to signal your presence for your teams.
Are delays impossible to avoid? Here is how to minimize downtime effectively.
Delays are not impossible to avoid. It is possible to put in place realistic plans and timetables to minimize downtime and avoid the most typical reasons for delays.
A modern solution that is developed with real-life challenges in mind is installing IoT data loggers and tracking devices on your key machinery and equipment.
Developed for the harsh conditions of construction, demolition, and mining in mind, these robust, hard-to-kill IoT data loggers can be used to:
- Secure overview of your key machinery and equipment, so they are never lost
- Make sure all machines are in use based on movement and vibration sensors
- Recover stolen items quickly with GPS, triangulation, and radio technology
- Avoid breakdowns with predictive maintenance and regular service intervals based on actual usage and precise running hours
- Stay in control as a project manager with the best tools available to lead your project to successful delivery to a satisfied project owner.
Read more about data loggers, the IoT technology that drives them, and how they can help solve everyday, real-life challenges in the construction industry. Download the guide "Digitalize your construction business" by clicking below.
