1 – Early Team Collaboration
It is critical to plan for and enable true collaboration between the design team and contractor to establish an accurate project cost to guide the design process. Engaging the design team and contractor early in the project planning phase will enhance cost reliability, reduce cost escalation and eliminate wasteful redesign and value engineering efforts, thereby enhancing schedule efficiency.
2 – End User Engagement
Getting the end users involved early in the design phase is another best practice for optimized results. In a typical healthcare project, end users provide feedback on what they would like to see in their new space, and that information is integrated into the design. However, what ends up being built can sometimes vary from the original feedback provided. Engaging with end users in a truly collaborative, end-to-end process results in a shared vision that is both functional and dynamic.
3 – Planning and Scheduling in the Design Phase
Planning and scheduling during design are integral to maximizing project efficiency and controlling cost. It fosters enhanced communication among the stakeholders for alignment on required preconstruction and design deliverables and establishes reliable commitments and schedule accuracy.
By developing this detailed schedule and identifying key milestones early on in preconstruction, the project team can precisely monitor the schedule on a real-time basis and quickly adjust if needed to avoid costly delays during construction.
4 – Planning and Scheduling in Construction Execution
Early planning and scheduling are also vital to ensuring the project team can hit the ground running on day one of construction. To make this a reality, the team must understand every project detail to coordinate with the subcontractors and determine material procurement durations, phasing and sequencing plans, collaborative work plans and required resources. To maximize schedule reliability, early trade contractor involvement is critical, as well as maintaining engagement of the owner and design team.
5 – Uncompromising Quality
Finally, the team must fully understand the project scope and delve deep into the detailed plans and specifications to uncover any potential challenges and address quality concerns in real time. The team can then deliver enhanced quality because of their intimate knowledge of the project documents, which results in a minimized punch list.
To learn more about how we can apply these Lean construction techniques to your next healthcare renovation project, click to learn about our healthcare experience or connect with Tony Tysinger, Gilbane’s Senior Project Executive for Healthcare in Chicago.
