Reducing Uncertainty in Construction Business

Uncertainty is an interesting concept, and one that is integral to construction companies North Wales. Every single project in construction and civil engineering is subject to uncertainty, whether it’s a simple matter of uncertainty in estimation (which of course can be problematic in more complex programmes) and it is a generally considered fact that even the most experienced construction project managers do indeed have some difficulty handling uncertainty in matters of construction and civil engineering.

Uncertainty is not insurmountable. Decision milestones can often help with anticipation of outcomes, and good risk management structures can prevent disasters and of course help ensure that all are on board, and all units of construction are making the desired product. However, decision milestones are not exactly a failsafe in order to make sure that a project has absolutely no uncertainty – especially in unforeseen site conditions, as well as the very real possibility of design errors and omissions complicating a project.

While indeed decision milestones do help, they are not a comprehensive removal of all uncertainty, especially when things go wrong.

It is all well and good being idealistic over a project, but the most seasoned of project managers and civil engineers in North Wales and beyond will likely be able to count on one hand the amount of projects which have gone exactly to plan. The beauty of this industry is that no two projects are the same, and a more comprehensive and robust model of reducing uncertainty is needed.

And how exactly can this be done? Starting early, integrating quickly and working together as a whole can work wonders. On projects of high complexity, it is not enough to only know the project cost. It has been very well documented as of late how the public sector is held to far greater standards of accountability with public sector money, and effort needs to be spent mitigating risk with certain top drivers which cause uncertainty in projects.

Clearer direction from owners, more active leadership, greater interaction behind design and build parties during the design and construction phases, as well as clearer definitions of deliverables between parties during the design process can truly work wonders on most projects, as well as adherence to BIM and construction and project management systems can work wonders for reducing uncertainty, as well as preventing overspending and projects running over allotted timeframes.