The industry sector is facing a shortage of skilled labour. Business organisations must maximize their resources and crews to compensate for the lack of employees. In an ideal world, equipment and employees will work efficiently to meet production deadlines and quotas.
However, in the real world, things may go wrong. Malfunctioning equipment and inefficient practices frustrate crews and hinder productivity. In addition, they cost the company money and negatively affect its reputation.
Effective and good decision-making is key to improving construction site productivity in the industry. For instance, you can contact leading suppliers, like Ablesales, for the right construction equipment.
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What Affects Construction Productivity?
Productivity refers to measuring the efficiency with which construction companies accomplish tasks. This usually includes output vs. input and efficiency.
The RICS report in 2024 shows that construction productivity digs deeper into how productivity can be measured across the industry, uncovering several ways to track productivity.
Unfortunately, some factors affect construction productivity. Some of the leading factors include the following:
- Site conditions: Safety and health continue to be among construction’s leading issues. Unsafe construction sites, where employees are prone to getting ill, or accidents occur, affect productivity.
- Poor planning: From inflexible schedules to inaccurate estimates, spending little time in planning stages decreases productivity because projects are impacted by delays and rework.
- Worker motivation: Your employees in a construction site may become unmotivated and unhappy, especially when working on poorly and unsafe managed sites.
- Communication: Rework and delays in the construction industry result from poor communication. For instance, a mishmash of phone calls, WhatsApp messages, and lost email threads may result in the loss of important information during a construction project.
Tips to Improve Construction Productivity with Equipment
Construction remains among the biggest sectors globally, generating trillions of dollars yearly. Unfortunately, the sector faces many challenges, such as cost overruns, tight deadlines, and low profit margins.
These challenges are among the main concerns for construction companies and contractors. But the question is, what is the solution to these issues?
One way is to track productivity. Reports show that construction productivity has only increased by 1%. This is alarming, and it is also the main cause of most challenges and issues facing the industry today.
Still, achieving productivity with construction equipment is possible. With the help of the following tips, we can improve this productivity:
1. Invest in Single-Branded Fleets
Sometimes, it is not easy for machine operators to switch from brand to brand throughout the day. Concentrating on different controls of every machine may compromise their productivity and safety.
By investing in a single brand of different units, machine operators will concentrate on the project at hand. In addition, you may equip construction equipment with advanced control systems/programs.
2. Rent/Buyer Certified Equipment
Buying a brand new machine is a great investment for our businesses. Unfortunately, it is not always simple, especially when we factor in the expenses linked with grade-A machines. Renting machines can be as effective when done properly.
When renting a machine, you will need to ensure your equipment supplier is authorised to do so and follows all the right maintenance protocols and procedures. Not everyone can repair and service complex and intricate equipment, and renting one that malfunctions or may break will have serious consequences.
3. Hire Trained and Skilled Operators/On-Site Supervisors
Working with well-trained on-site supervisors and skilled operators is a perfect way to improve construction equipment’s productivity. Qualified operators are familiar with operating machines efficiently with niche technology and unique control systems.
Active and attentive supervisors will also eliminate safety hazards, oversee other projects, and maintain employee attendance, ensuring your construction operations run smoothly,
Employee training will help teach your workers new rules and regulations and remind them of former expectations. Acknowledging good performance will create a culture where your employees feel productive, safe, and comfortable.
4. Ensure Maintenance
To increase productivity, ensure preventive and proper maintenance of all your machines. This needs to include regular repairs, inspections, and cleaning to ensure your machines are in pristine condition and operating smoothly.
Regular preventive maintenance extends equipment’s lifespan, thus minimising replacement and repair costs.
5. Manage Risks
Construction firms must evaluate all potential risks and devise effective strategies to achieve desired results. Common risks in building activities include labour shortages, material issues, weather constraints, and equipment failure.
Using a risk management plan, like developing contingency reserves, buying insurance, and assessing milestone risks, can help project construction projects from every uncontrollable threat. In addition, risk evaluation checks must support management plans to gain invaluable insights into the evolution and nature of risks, enabling adjustments that ensure project viability.
6. Concentrate on Flexibility
Construction site flexibility boosts productivity. Usually, construction projects are labour-intensive, so we must ensure employees rest adequately.
Workers with optimal mental and physical health are in good condition to operate tools and machines, which often profoundly affects productivity.
To have a good work-life balance, create a flexible work shift. This will attract more employees and reduce workplace pressure.
7. Improve Communication
Consistent and clear communication is important in finishing construction projects around the clock. Your construction team must always have an open communication line and the capability to reach others faster. You can improve communication through the following ways:
- Keep communication processes professional: When communicating with your team, stick to facts and keep the process free of office politics and emotions.
- Use new technology: Laptops, smartphones, and tablets will ensure your team gets the information they need. New and advanced software, like scheduling programs and cloud-based solutions, will help you manage your time more effectively and efficiently.
- Enforce concise and clear communications: Messages that are heavy on technicality and jargon are difficult to understand and hardly pass the command chain, so it’s important to enforce concise and clear language in communication. Teach your employees to keep the language accessible, short, and sweet.
The bottom line is that productivity must be your priority as a construction company owner or manager. Understanding key factors that affect productivity is important because it helps improve project management and planning. Concentrating on these important areas and supporting construction operations with the right tools will improve different processes in your projects, ultimately improving equipment productivity.
