Most of the projects demand management of the people, resources, and tasks. Management of projects is critical for the timely completion of the projects without facing delays. Project management refers to the knowledge of multiple aspects and the ability to understand the project’s nature. Project managers have various responsibilities to keep things on track; they must be familiar with modern ways to solve problems and have the skills to use modern tools to carry out tasks efficiently.
Before you start a project, there are multiple things that you have to analyze first. One of the important steps is to check whether you can complete the project? Is the project feasible? Then the next step is to identify the objectives and finding ways to reach those goals and objectives. All these aspects are a part of the project management life cycle.
We will discuss each phase of the project management life cycle and each phase’s importance to complete the project successfully.
Top 5 phases of a construction project
Certain decisions are a must to take before you start a project; management and the higher authorities of a project are responsible for making these decisions. There are multiple phases in a project in which you make these important decisions.
Below are the list and description of the five phases of a construction project.
1. Project initiation
Project initiation is the first step of a project management life cycle. In this step, along with the important members of the project, you discuss the project’s feasibility. Without this step, construction project management activities are incomplete; you will fail to start a project if you do not check the project’s feasibility.
It is the step in which you define your objectives and look for the available solutions to achieve those goals and objectives. Identify the risks that you may face later during the project, propose solutions to mitigate those risks.
2. Project planning
After you check the project feasibility, develop plans on how you can achieve defined goals and objectives. You will define the time frame for each task and the resources for completing a task. Project planning helps you define an outline that will help the workers to complete their tasks by following the outline. Any mistakes in this step could result in project complications at later stages.
3. Project implementation and execution
Once you have defined goals and objectives along with all necessary resources to complete a construction project, the next phase in construction project management is the implementation and execution of the project tasks. Assign tasks to the team members and allocate resources for carrying out those tasks.
4.Controlling the project
Soon after you implement the project or start executing the project activities, the construction project management companies start monitoring and controlling the workers’ activities. Controlling and monitoring a project is important because you know about deviations from the initial plans and can take quick actions to bring things back on track. If you do not monitor the project, there are chances that your workers will stay idle all the time, and in the end, you will face the consequences in the form of project delays and conflicts.
5. Project closure
Once you complete all the project tasks and milestones, and the results are satisfactory, you move to the project closure step. In this step, you will provide your deliverables to the customer and get their reviews. In this step, you may get multiple review and change orders from the client, and you must make those changes until the client is satisfied with your work.
Say goodbye to your team members, conduct a final meeting, prepare reports, complete all the documents, and release resources to complete the project fully.
Why is project closure important?
Some projects do not pay much attention to project closure like the other phases of project management. Project closure is also important compared to the other steps for the success of a project.
Below is why you should pay attention to project closure.
1. Workers appraisal
In project closure, you appreciate the workers for their efforts and pay tribute and rewards for their hard work and efforts. It will help you complete your next projects without worrying about finding an experienced team.
2. Fulfillment of goals and objectives
It is the project closure step that helps you identify whether you have succeeded in achieving your goals and objectives or not. If you are unaware of your final results and outcomes, you will not be able to improve and fill the loopholes.
3. Releasing the resources
You can not say that you have completed your project if you face any claims even after achieving the objectives. You may face these claims if you do not release the resources you borrowed from vendors and suppliers. The project closure step involves releasing the resources, which reduces the chances of such claims.
Final thoughts
For a construction project’s success, you must follow and implement all the project management phases into your project. Ensure each member is following the plans and the plans are effective enough to achieve the project goals and objectives.