All the glitz and glamour of Vegas aside, plenty of industries rely on a contractor’s capabilities when it comes to the building where there is nothing but empty space, sand, grass or snow on the soil. It is next to impossible to manage such a project completely remotely. Big decisions happen on-site, real-time, and of course, the real labour is all there.
That being said, there are ways to make the construction project flow as smoothly as possible even if its location is far from the conveniences of a town or city. Here are some suggestions.
Stock up on spare parts for equipment and vehicles.
Without spare parts and a mechanic close by, each time a machine, tool or equipment breaks, your work may be delayed for a longer time than if you had such necessities on-site. It’s quite common for machines to break, but you can lower that possibility by not overworking them and not allowing untrained or unauthorised personnel to handle them.
Don’t forget about fuel.
Just like spare parts, if your machinery and generators run out of fuel, delays may be the least of your problems. Everything from the construction equipment to the air-conditioning and heating in the workers’ barracks is affected. Food and water refrigeration is affected too. Make sure you are in contact with your suppliers, and that you have mobile diesel tanks at the ready.
Use software to manage the project remotely.
Construction managers cannot afford to stay off-site all the time, but you can also stay on top of things even while you’re in your office, home or anywhere that isn’t the site. You can do this with software specially designed for managing a remote construction site. Developments and progress, needs and concerns, updates from team leaders and supervisors, invoices, documents and other paperwork—software can streamline the work so you don’t miss a thing, and you can take it with you on your laptop wherever you go.
There are other concerns that you may encounter when working at a site far from your immediate needs, but the suggestions above can take care of many of them. While you can do all these things and manage the project from afar, remember that it’s important that you’re there on-site most of the time. It’s the only way for your project to proceed with nary a hitch.
