The management of construction projects just like any other business depends on the returns that the company is able to extract from its total investment into the business initiative.
This holds true to just about any business format in any industry, even industries that are as subjective as the construction industry.
A masonry construction project generally depends on a wide variety of factors that are stretched from what the clients want, what the project managers are capable of, what type of resources are available, the laws, the ground, and even the weather during the construction period.
Due to all these external and internal factors, projects should therefore be managed accordingly based on these external and internal factors if the project is to be listed as a successful project at the end of the year.
Internal Factors that Influence Projects
From an ‘internal perspective,’ the basic core of it is the ‘budget’ issues. This mainly revolves around the cost that will be incurred for executing the project.
The cost is usually represented by the workers, equipment, raw material, and time. Hence, each of these cost elements must be justified and maintained within a budget where alternatives could prove to be ‘cost strategic’.
For instance, instead of hiring a bunch of human labour, it could be more cost-effective to hire excavators that would be able to complete the same digging job faster and more effectively.
A mini excavator for example would only cost about $200 to $300 per day whereas a single labourer would cost about $100 per day at the most.
Now, here is where project managers need to decide if whether hiring 2 or 3 workers could get more things done than hiring a single mini excavator.
This also depends on the task at hand, for instance, if the job involves digging a 2 x 3 x 4-foot hole, maybe 2 workers could pull it off, but, what about clearing and whatever comes next?
If at all the task involves digging a 7 x 7 x 5-foot hole for a swimming pool, then an excavator hire would most certainly be the best way to go about it.
External Factors that Influence Projects
External factors that influence projects range from the weather to the project environment. For instance, if the project is surrounded by soft landscaped grounds, then the use of large excavators on hire or owned would not be a viable option.
On the other hand, it would be more feasible to use lighter mini excavators for hire that are readily available complete with hydraulic couplings that allow these machines to perform a wide range of tasks other than the standard digging and clearing tasks that they are normally used for.
The weather is also a factor that must be taken into consideration when scheduling projects; for example, a concrete foundation, as wet weather often impedes construction projects, and as such, project managers need to keep their ears open to what the weatherman has to say on a daily basis.
