3 Reasons For Delays and How To Avoid Them

In the renovation and construction industry, projects are delayed all too often due to forces within the control of the contractor team. This can be seen through management, deadlines not being met, and poor communication within the current workflow. 

While there are extenuating circumstances in which unforeseeable delays arise, many contractors will plan for these with a cushion in their current timeline. Though this is a precautionary measure, that cushion might be extended unnecessarily by issues that could have been avoided. Given any project and any timeline, our team at CIC will work around the clock to ensure all deadlines and client expectations are met from start to finish. 

However, for other less professional teams, this isn’t always the case. Here are some common reasons for delays within projects. 

1. Inaccurate Timeline Quotes 

It can be pretty easy to tell whether your contractor will be reliable and accurate in their projections and suggestions from the start of a project. When it comes to an estimation of completion, it is important that a contractor has the experience to accurately predict the time the project will take—from initial design to final installation. One way to measure this is to compare previous projects they have completed with your project’s scope. Some questions to ask include “Have you done a project of this size before?” and “If so, can you show me your portfolio of similar projects?” 

These questions are imperative when deciding on your renovation team in order to avoid any foreseeable delays that could occur if the contractor is inexperienced. From here, you will know whether your contractor is qualified, and whether their timeline projection is accurate; or just a number thrown out to win the bid.

2. Inaccurate Design Expectations

Before the use of today’s sophisticated technology, designs were drawn up by manual measurement and architectural artistry. Thankfully, new systems and technology have been invented to avoid design inaccuracies. However, some contractors behind the times have not yet implemented these upgrades. At CIC, we avoid any and all design inaccuracies with the use of our 3D Rendering AI technology (link to 3D rendering blog). This technology has given us the ability to measure any space—down to the inch—for scopes of all projects. 

This accuracy is paramount for materials, functionality, and potential structural flaws. All of these can significantly delay the timeline of a project. Our team of professional in-house designers and project managers double check everything against our technology, and make suggestions based on the needs of our clients. This ensures the project is efficiently and accurately completed the first time. 

3. Poor Project Management

More often than not, you’ll see a project manager on-site for the beginning and end of the project, but never in between. The importance of having a project manager constantly on-site should go without saying, but some companies will assign one simply to oversee the first couple of days, before disappearing until the final days leading up to the completion date. 

This poor project management can cause a rash of issues that could potentially extend the project far past the projected completion date. It is imperative to ask questions, including who the main point of contact will be throughout your project and how often they will be monitoring and supervising the actual work. Ensuring you have a direct line of communication can help avoid miscommunications. Our team at CIC takes pride in our hands-on approach from start to finish, beginning right from the design process. 

Conclusion

Taking the necessary precautions to ensure your project will be completed does not only save time, but also money. Ask questions, request a contractor’s portfolio, and place an emphasis on communication at the forefront of the entire project in order to set yourself up for success.

Our team of experts are ready to help you with your commercial renovation—of any size! Give us a call today at 305.636.3700 to discuss the details of your renovation.