Introduction
In the planning and execution phase of a construction process, resource management is a step that can’t be skipped. To make a reasonable profit, construction companies need to deliver projects within schedule, within budget, and on time. Resource management software can help achieve that.
Resource management deals with controlling the following factors: products and materials, construction plant, tools and equipment, human resources, space and facilities, subcontractors, and finance. Being able to interact with the resources in real-time is integral to the success of a project.
Importance of Resource Management on Construction Sites
Save costs
Resource management on construction sites allows for the maximum saving of costs. One of the major resources in a construction project is funds used for construction. Proper planning and allocation of funds with proper budget estimations help to channel funds only into appropriate quarters. Tracking these costs also helps to notice and figure out when the project is already going over budget. Tracking costs also helps to course-correct by reducing the human resources allocated (hiring 3 personnel instead of 4) and increasing the time budgeted for the project (increasing the time for a section of the project to 3 weeks instead of 2 as a result of reduced personnel).
Save time
Resource management also saves a lot of time. One of the cardinal resources in constriction is time. Time management is essential to the proper execution of a project. Once the time is measured and accurately tracked, being within the allotted time or overspent time can be tracked. Excess planned time can be used to carry out outer tasks and thus reduce overhead costs. For example, if the time allocated for mixing setting steel bars is five days and ends up being two days, the extra three days can be used by personnel to mixed concrete and let it dry, eliminating the need to outsource that part of the project.
Reduce risks
When resources are well monitored, it will be easy to be on top of risks. One of the steps in proper resource management is proper planning. In a properly planned project, there will be allowances of time, money, materials, and personnel if anything goes wrong. In case of bad weather or if the flu hits half of the workers at once, these allowances will allow the project to go on with the status report going to yellow (warning but still on time) instead of red (excess time used). The same applied to the need for contingency funds or extra time.
Efficient allocation of resources
A construction process that has proper resource management will enable resources to be well allocated for proper impact. For example, rather than buying materials like sand in bulk and incurring storage costs, the sand can be purchased on an as-needed basis. Personnel can also be paid hourly, weekly, or bi-weekly depending on how the project’s fund is remitted. Also, with efficient planning, which is one of the steps of inefficient resource management, units can be worked upon in interactions allowing profits to be made and costs recouped even before the project is completely done. For example, in a renovation project, some house units could be completed first and rented out while other units are still being renovated.
Better able to delegate responsibility
Proper resource management in construction gives a bird’ eye view of the project. This ensures that responsibility can be delegated and monitored without stress. If human resources are well managed, jobs can be reallocated to different employees when one employee is overburdened or is in a low productivity phase. This leads to a better project output overall as no one is overworked, and hence there is only quality work output.
Helps for long term planning
Proper resource management allows persons of material and fund use to be created. Once this pattern is created, it becomes easy for forecasts to be made about resource use. For example, in anticipation of a blackout, plans can be made to bring in generator sets, so the project is not stalled, or in anticipation of a rise in brick prices, bricks can be bought in just enough quantity to last the time of the hike and the bricks can be repurchased at regular prices.
Easier Equipment tracking
Proper resource management is useful when it helps in proper equipment tracking. Equipment is labeled with unique codes, and the time they are to be used is assigned to them. Proper management prevents equipment from being leased longer than is necessary. It also allows in-house equipment to be leased to other contractors for use rather than letting them sit doing nothing. With proper resource management, equipment will be taken for servicing and repair and the right time and thus will last longer. Old equipment can also be disposed of at the right time preventing accidents that could otherwise occur.
Access to real-time data
Proper resource management also enables data to be collected and analyzed in real-time. This enables executive decisions to be taken in real-time and removes the lag between problems and correction.
Less paperwork
With proper resource management, there will be less need for paperwork. Rather than having to file change request form after change request form or rather than having to request for more funds or time, the problems would have been anticipated, noticed earlier, and prepared for, leading to a smooth construction project experience.
Conclusion
The best way to manage resources on the construction site is to use construction resource management software. One of the best software for this is the Bridgit Bench software. This software has important features such as accounting and finance, scheduling, status updates, communication tools, data security, file-sharing, responsive support, visual representations, pricing, customization, data sharing, and more.
It integrates easily with other industry software, and you will have no stress communicating with teams using other software. It also runs on all the major platforms and operating systems. It has an Open API and it has mobile applications. On top of all that, its intuitive design often means that users require no more than an hour of training to effectively use the tool, even for complex tasks like construction resource scheduling.