Improving Efficiency for Construction Projects

In the construction industry, efficiency drives profitability. Whether you’re talking about a single contractor running a crew, a bulk fuel provider delivering fuel to multiple construction sites, or large machinery movers servicing customers all over the country. Without efficiency, profitability doesn’t exist. Read on to discover how to use construction management to keep your project moving ahead while increasing your bottom line.

Planning Ahead Increases Efficiency

Construction planning involves bringing together information, labor, suppliers, vendors, material, equipment, and scheduling everything on a timeline to completion. In addition to the project planning, it’s vital to consider the “what ifs.”

For example, what if there are

• Labor shortages
• Fuel shortages
• Natural disasters
• Lockdowns
• Supply chain disruptions
• Skyrocketing material costs

Welcome to the current state of the construction industry. Not only do you need the skills for your particular business, but you also need exceptional planning abilities.

Construction planning starts at the top and flows down through the administrative staff and field crew. Companies with solid leadership and good project managers know from experience how to save money, when to expand, how to keep their staff productive, and most importantly, how to bring the job in on time and within budget.

Careful planning on long-term projects means utilizing the latest technology. It also consists of working with outside vendors you know you can trust to get the job done. For example, lining up your bulk fuel provider at the beginning of the job can save you money and time instead of waiting until the last minute when there could be fuel shortages or higher prices.

Common Efficiency Killers

Talk to any foreman, project manager, or business owner and ask them what the common things that kill efficiency are, and they’ll give you a list within 10 seconds. They know from hard-won experience. Here are the top 4.

1. Not investing in staff — the construction industry has been experiencing a shortage of workers for over a decade. And the last few years have been even worse with the pandemic. It’s no longer an option to hold out for experienced workers. Sometimes the only way to get good staff is to make them yourself. That’s where training and investing in your employees comes in.
2. Avoiding technology — if you want to survive in the construction industry, you have to use technology. From building information modeling (BIM), where you can create your project digitally ahead of time, to construction management software, using these tools can give you a huge advantage over other competitors and environmental challenges.
3. Neglecting planning — if you want to stay small as a company or go out of business, neglect planning. For centuries the greatest generals, leaders, and industrialists have been careful planners. There are even parables warning against trying to do things too fast and taking shortcuts. Be a planner. Be successful.
4. For example, being unwilling to change — not wanting to use prefabbed and modular construction can delay your project and lose money. Contractors willing to change from doing everything from the bottom up by utilizing prefabbed construction see increased profits in both materials and staffing.

Build a Strong Team & Increase Construction Efficiency

Besides your staff, it’s essential to build a solid team with trusted suppliers. These team members are just as vital as your foremen or project managers. Sometimes, the service these outside vendors provide impacts your project more than anything else. Here are two examples:

1. Equipment moving and storage — when you have large equipment, you’ll also have equipment storage and maintenance needs. Finding a company with the storage capacity, heavy-loading, docks, and forklifts that can lift tens of thousands of pounds isn’t easy. That’s why using experienced heavy machinery movers Able Machinery Movers must be part of your planning.
2. Bulk fuel — having a bulk fuel provider like Ricochet Fuel that you can count on to service your big equipment, wet-hose when needed, set up online fuel tanks, deliver to your construction site, and provide the highest quality fuel is vital. And because fuel is a major expense of any project, having an effective fuel management system can add to your profitability.

Ricochet Fuel is Here to Help

We hope these tips on improving efficiency on construction projects have been helpful. Ricochet Fuel Distributors, Inc. has been supplying bulk fuel since 1988. We service Texas, its surrounding states, and 16 other states across the country.

We’d like to make you one of our satisfied customers too. Contact Ricochet Fuel today.