Some of the best teams in sports history had some Hall of Fame individual players on them. But if you don’t have a collaborative group working toward the same goal and carrying their weight, finding success can be elusive.
The same goes for preconstruction planning and execution. Owners/developers first need to align with the best partners/teammates they can regarding design, engineering, construction, operations, etc. Best practices dictate having as many members of the development team as possible present for O/A/C calls. When this happens everyone is up to speed on what their deliverables are and when they are due; decision-making is more efficient; brainstorming resolutions to hurdles is more productive and it also makes the next call more efficient without backtracking on items that have already been discussed. Preconstruction coordination should not be done in a vacuum. When we see that not all the key team members are present on these calls, it impedes progress.
The best development teams hold each other accountable which pushes the process forward and maintains the preconstruction schedule. If you can maintain the preconstruction schedule you will be able to break ground in the time frame that you want to for the most part. So always push to get your team in place as soon as possible and require attendance and participation in your O/A/C calls for a faster path to a successful project.
Don Diedrick
Manager of Business Development
The Douglas Company
