Site planning: how do you manage your team?

Are you a project manager in the construction industry, or a site manager? Good management of your teams' site schedules is essential to the successful completion of your projects. It ensures that resources are optimally allocated, that deadlines are met, and that your company's productivity is enhanced. But in the construction sector, with its many specific difficulties, it's not always easy!

To help you, here are the 8 key steps to managing your field staff's schedule.

The complexity of projects in the construction industry makes planning a delicate, but above all essential, task. Here are the steps you need to take to manage your site team schedule.

1. Defining objectives: Deadlines to be met, specific constraints, deliverables expected by the customer, etc.: the clear definition of team objectives must be carried out scrupulously. The clear definition of team objectives must be scrupulously observed.

2. Task identification and sequencing: Each project is divided into several smaller, more manageable tasks. It's important that they all have an identifiable beginning and end, and that the interdependencies between them are taken into account. Once the tasks have been determined, they need to be organized. The idea is to define the optimum sequence of execution to ensure the efficiency of the work.

3. Estimating and allocating resources: It's essential to identify the resources needed for each task: suitable manpower, equipment, materials, etc., as well as the type of worker required, and their essential skills. Don't forget to mention the category of worker you're looking for, and the skills they'll need for each job.

4. Drawing up the site schedule: All the information gathered will enable you to draw up a detailed schedule for the site project. It will include start and finish dates for each task, and key events. It must be realistic and achievable. Dependencies between tasks must be taken into account.

5. Monitoring and updating the schedule: The progress of the project in relation to the initial schedule is constantly monitored. Completion dates are compared with those planned, and any delays should trigger action such as adjusting resources.

6. Team communication: Communication with your site teams is essential. The schedule is shared with them well in advance of the start of the project, so that they can get organized. Then, throughout the project, they are kept informed of progress, changes and any problems.

7. Risk management: It's important to leave room in your planning for unforeseen events, and to make appropriate plans should they arise.

8. Evaluation of your teams' planning management: Each completed project provides an opportunity to take stock, learn lessons about what worked well and what didn't, and what can be improved in the future.

Managing your teams' schedules is a delicate and time-consuming task. You can use various tools to help you, such as an Excel spreadsheet. But there are also more targeted solutions, specific softwareto help you save time!

Managing staff schedules is essential for companies in all sectors. In the construction industry, it is particularly complex. Why is this so?
Those in charge of construction projects can be faced with a number of difficulties, such as :

• Dependence on external factors : Weather conditions, as well as authorizations and regulatory approvals, can cause delays in site planning.
• The number and diversity of people involved in the field : In addition to managing the schedule of company employees, you need to take into account the presence of multiple subcontractors and suppliers. Coordinating all these stakeholders is a challenge. If one falls behind schedule, the whole project is affected.
• Project complexity : Construction projects are often highly complex, involving . interdependent tasks. They are also subject to change and unforeseen events.
• Difficult resource management : Materials, skilled labor, equipment, etc. Resource management is complex in the construction industry. And to make matters worse the shortage of many materialsthe source of delays on construction sites, as well as inflationare particularly problematic since the pandemic.
• Flexible working hours: Between on-call periods, overtime, rest periods and absence due to bad weather, the organization and management of working hours in the construction industry is a tricky business.
• Risk management : The construction industry presents inherent risks: accidents in the field, delays in the delivery of materials, and so on.
• Communication and collaboration: On a construction site, teams are numerous, varied and sometimes dispersed. Ensuring effective communication between them is no mean feat.
• Meeting deadlines: In a construction project, deadlines have to be met. The pressure is on, and unforeseen events can potentially disrupt the construction schedule.

Managing the schedules of construction site teams is complex and can become a real headache. You need to juggle numerous variables and take into account multiple interdependencies between tasks and resources. To simplify your work, planning tools are available. Some, like Techtime, have been designed specifically for managing field personnel in the construction industry.