Experience and quality in action
The Recession has an impact on all our lives. But now it’s easing, and the economy is slowly bouncing back. Though we still have a long way to go, the good news is that several industries have already reached pre-crash levels.
Construction is one of the industries that have recently picked up speed in the UK. But as this sector continues to grow, the chronic shortage of skilled labour is expected to become more severe. The most worrying aspect is that an unwanted pause in recruitment may hamper the ability of contractors to complete projects on time.
If you are a contractor operating within the high-end construction market, meeting deadlines is very important to build a great reputation. Reputation aside, completing luxury construction projects on time will allow you to avoid negative financial impacts.
Project delays are sometimes unavoidable, but so are their consequences. To begin with, a project that falls behind the schedule will require you to source more labour on short notice, which is almost impossible given the current staff shortages. Consequently, you will need to opt for an accelerated and therefore more stressful work pace, require your staff to work longer hours, pull resources from other projects, which will lead to a more crowded construction site, and obtain the materials and equipment you need with very little lead time.
Multiple teams on site, project sequencing needs to be discussed.
All these will have a domino effect, potentially leading to further delays, errors and rework, with a negative impact on project deliverables and costs. Since you will also have to cover the value of continuing superintendence, temporary facilities (e.g. site office and support services), scaffolding, etc., your operating expenses will be a lot higher than expected. A very important aspect that should not be overlooked is that the financial losses incurred by the client as a result of project delays and cost overruns will eventually be passed on to you in the form of penalties.
Working with the right contractors will ensure your projects are properly resourced
As a builder, you can avoid all these by:
Extending project timescales
But extending a project deadline beyond the initial completion date is a double-edged sword. On one hand, considering that your staff is already working on the project and that there is a serious shortage of skilled workers, you may be unable to take on new projects. On the other hand, if the start dates of the projects undertaken previously remain unchanged, you may need to work on multiple projects simultaneously or extend the timescales of all the projects. Though the financial implications of these scenarios are not easily quantifiable, they do exist. The combined effects of project delays, ranging from an accelerated work pace along with possible errors and rework resulting in customer dissatisfaction to events that may impact your ability to undertake new projects, will lead to lower productivity and higher costs, with a negative impact on your bottom line.
Investing in the relationship with your subcontractors
For a construction project to be successful, collaboration with great subcontractors is imperative. For instance, working closely with a knowledgeable, skilled, experienced and reliable screeding contractor will allow you to get a high-quality sub-floor for your project and avoid the need to extend project timescales and accelerate work. While enlisting the services of the best screeding specialists may not be cheap, only they have the capital and human resources to work efficiently and complete projects to the highest standards of quality, on time and within budgets. Hiring such subcontractors and forming a great relationship with them will save you a lot of money in the long run and help you build an enviable reputation.
Partnership: Client, in orange, works with us to allow for a clear run, all in the name of productivity
At CSC Screeding, our highly trained, experienced and dedicated professionals can manage all the aspects of a screeding project, regardless of how small or large it is. To find out what we can do for you or to learn more about the screeding solutions we provide, give us a call today at 0845-500-4055.