Construction Failures

OBJECTIVES

As a person with knowledge of construction case studies, the author has always brought up to his superiors the viability of strategy formation regarding the analysis of these topics and at times fails to understand the reasons or logic behind certain strategic implementations imposed on it.

By delving into this project paper, the author intends to have better insights into how construction failures are thought up, formulated and then imparted down into the key stakeholders. The author hopes to have an in-depth understanding as to how the construction management policies enables construction companies to avoid failures and thus be able compete effectively and profitably in this era of internationalization where competition is extremely intense.

In order to reinforce the learning objectives, two key focal issues were focused upon, i.e. innovation and diversity. Innovation was discussed with regards to construction case studies where they were renowned for their developmental capabilities to constantly innovate. Diversity came under strategic thinking and formation as the author considered the diverse culture, political climate, economic surroundings, social environment, technological settings, government policies and legal systems in order to have a better understanding of the issues being discussed.

 

Is it true that most failures occur during construction?

Failures in the construction management process can occur from any part of the process. But more often than not, when there is a failure in the planning process of the construction, then most likely the construction process is also doomed.

In the aftermath of a construction failure, the value of the construction company will consequently fall to an alarming rate. However, in most cases, the construction management will be able to already start noticing specific signs proving that their construction plan is starting to lag behind and point to the wrong direction. And in most construction failure cases, rather than carefully assessing the situation, the construction management decides to pursue for a fast action to finish the construction process, and decides to launch and move on with the construction plans and neglecting the preliminary signs of failure. Because of the eagerness to accomplish the construction process, the construction management team will be able to predict that the construction process could possibly be finished at a certain period of time (1999).

What is worse in most construction failure cases is that the primary signs of downfall are being ignored, and the priority of the construction company in spite of the failure signs appears to have been to move on with the plans. The result, obviously, is not good at all. Aside from the safety concerns of the project teams involved in the construction process, the construction company will soon be bothered by an inventory consisting of both new and old construction material and parts, along the process experiencing a huge decline in their company’s integrity to finish construction projects. Worse, all resources invested into the construction project are put to waste. And for the construction company, revenue forecasts will be down compared to the expectations prior to starting the construction project.

Among the basic elements of the construction process, the ability to pinpoint risks and signs of failures with enough accuracy to verify the observations of the project teams is critically important. In most failure cases, the construction management certainly did not evaluate carefully all the risks of starting their construction project. Facing the same problems as a new construction firm would have, the construction management failed to immediately recognize its declining position as far as the timetable of the construction project is concerned. Worse, the construction management failed to properly understand the implications of the preliminary signs of construction failure ( 1981).

Preventing the Failures

A. Effective Construction Planning

Construction planning is a necessary function within the construction project. In most construction companies this process is often very difficult because of the fast rate of change and the occurrences of unplanned events. Most companies also use several methodologies depending on what the situation demands and the price of the construction materials. Nevertheless, the objectives of the construction planning do not change: efficiency, effectiveness and safety ( 1999).

Effective construction planning is being implemented in order for the project activities and resources to be coordinated over time. This enables the construction firm to achieve overall safety in all of its operations with minimal resource utilization. Construction planning also enables the construction firm to monitor the progress of their plans at regular intervals and maintain their control over operations. Construction planning involves four elements: scheduling, labor safety planning, equipment safety planning, and cost planning.

• Scheduling involves the specification of the beginning, the length or the duration, and end of the planned activities.


• Labor planning involves allocating the necessary personnel and delegation of responsibilities and resources.


• Equipment planning involves identifying the types and needs in terms of the equipments being used in the construction site.


• Cost planning involves determining the costs and the possibility of their occurrence.

Critical Construction Project Success Factors

For construction projects to become effective and successful, the following construction project success factors are critical:

·         Financial Stability

Financial stability is crucial especially in the pursuit of construction project management and development activities. In the construction industry, it is important to remain updated with the latest construction project management developments to be able to stay competitive in the market.

·         Construction Materials Performance and Price

The success of construction projects is dependent on well-funded construction project management and development activities. The success of the construction projects could also be linked to their cost-effectiveness. However, the construction firm has to be aware of the positioning in terms of process so as to maintain satisfactory profits margin and remain competitive in the market.

·         Construction Project Strategy and Implementation

The awareness of the successful construction project strategy within the construction project team will create the need for aggressive implementation of these policies, and access to strong distribution channels is critical for the introduction of new safety precautions.

 

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