The Major Causes of Delays to Construction Projects and The Technology That Can Help Impact This Expensive Problem

The delay of construction projects is a universal problem that can have devastating effects on both the industry and the economy. Sometimes project delays are contractor based such as poor planning and management, insufficient resources, or delays in the supply of materials. Often the delays are due to weather patterns. 

Delays can have a serious financial impact on a project. They can reduce the contractor’s annual revenue figures or even jeopardize the contractor’s credibility to deliver a project, hence losing clients. In worst-case scenarios, the firm could be ruined by liquidated damages. In the UK, project delays have a 15% impact on the value of the project (see image below) with an estimated 1.58 trillion euros loss on a global industrial scale. 

Avoiding construction delays starts with recognizing their most common causes and working to mitigate those factors before they take effect.

Improper Planning & Poor Site management – Planning is one of those aspects that affect the outcome of so many different things in a project. Since a project has different professionals involved, at any given time, a project manager must be keen to ensure that every aspect of these is already incorporated into the planning process to obtain the maximum outcomes and best results. They must look into all the phases of construction and ensure that all professionals are working in tandem and the resources are readily available to avoid any delays. 

Poor Communication Between Team Members – The client issues an instruction to stop work for reasons unrelated to the contractor. The instruction may be due to the client changing their design, or to allow the client’s work, or the work of their contractors, to proceed.

In some cases, clients may issue an instruction to the contractor to stop work because of a fault by the contractor such as; unsafe working conditions, poor quality work, or failure to obtain design approvals or the required construction permits. In these cases, the contractor can’t claim an extension of time unless they can prove that the client (or their representative) was wrong to stop the work and that the contractor was compliant.

Shortage of Materials – One of the most significant factors that contribute to global construction project delays is a shortage and delay in material supply. Poor estimation results in either a supply shortage or an oversupply. Shortages of supplies impede construction progress on the job site, as reordering can result in lengthy delays and additional costs, especially if the material must be imported from another country. Other issues that may arise as a result of reordering include colour inconsistency and size tolerance. 

Equipment Failure – Due to the technological advancements and the need

for faster completion of works, construction modern construction equipment is chosen instead of relying on manual labour. The increase in using these solutions in various construction activities has also resulted in the increased importance of maintenance planning for onsite machinery and technology. Improper construction equipment management directly affects the progress of a project and results in construction delays. 

Inadequate client’s finance and delayed payments – Poor cash flow management, insufficient financial resources and financial market instability may have an influence on the supply chain of payment and supply of materials as a whole. A well-managed cash flow is important to enable the delivery of a successful project. By performing a cash analysis on a regular basis to identify any problems productivity related to materials deliveries and supply chain will not be impacted

Impact of Evercam technology 

These reasons and many more show the need for combating these causes, where possible. To tackle these delays, every construction business should seek out ways to adopt new technology on its job sites to save time, and money and be effective in every aspect. A construction camera helps with overall visibility on site. 

The table above shows the impact of construction cameras on project delays. With an estimated 1.58 trillion euros loss due to delays, construction cameras have a 40.3% influence on the causes of delays. These types of causes of delays cost the industry $669B annually. 

Instead of spending time on the road, project managers can stay up to date on what’s going on at their job sites with real-time access to live video and photographs from the job site. Construction cameras are the most convenient way to see what’s going on without having to visit the site. They are a powerful tool that makes communications and progress updates easier and solves problems quicker, which in turn can help to reclaim lost time. 

Evercam provides a 24/7 view and recorded archive of a construction project. The footage can be compared with the project’s BIM and schedule, giving users the ability to assess how much of the work has already been completed, and what still needs to be done. This comparison helps project teams to review the project status and investigate what may cause delays or disputes, and find a resolution.. 

Construction camera technology is not just changing the way project teams find and solve problems on sites — it’s transforming how we visualise and communicate live and retrospective construction progress. 

Want to find out more about how construction cameras can make your project management more efficient? Get in touch today.