The project management industry is big business in Australia, and according to CEO of the Project Management Institute, workers in the field are enjoying steady wage increases over the past few years.

Despite this optimistic outlook for project management professionals, there are a few elephants in the room that the industry is keen to address:

1. For every $1 billion spent on projects in the US, $122 million was wasted because of poor project performance.
2. 44% of project managers don’t use project management software, despite recognising that it drives performance.
3. Only 56% of project managers are certified.

Even more damning, half of all Project Management Offices (PMOs) close within just three years of opening.

While the financial value of effective project management is substantial, it seems that some businesses just aren’t getting it right. Below we outline how construction industry professionals can improve their project management success rate by using innovative technologies and standardised practices.

The Need for Standards in Project Management

According to Mark Langley, president and CEO of the Project Management Institute in the US, standards and certification are keys to success.

“Standardising practices leads to a more efficient use of resources and a greater ability to lead and innovate, and strategically aligning project, program and portfolio management to the organisation’s goals improves maturity and contributes to better project outcomes,” he says.

Quality Management System ISO 9001 is central for PMOs who wish to safeguard their services into the future. While there has been some debate around whether or not ISO 9001 certification is necessary in conjunction with the standards produced by the Project Management Institute, research has found that project managers who integrate ISO 9001 into their practices can reduce mistakes and drive eventual customer satisfaction.

Project Management Tips and Technology for Construction Industry Professionals

In addition to following standardised practices, project managers should take advantage of technological innovations that improve productivity and accuracy.

Project management software removes much of the need for cumbersome manual data entry, paper forms and complicated financing processes.

Cloud-based softwares like BuilderTrend have revolutionised the way construction managers do their jobs, combining pre-sale processes, project management tools, finances and customer relationship management technology in the one interface.

BuilderTrend boasts over 350,000 global users, with nearly 600,000 projects completed using the software.

Project Management Advice and Tools for Smaller Businesses

Smaller businesses who may not have the budget for project management software like BuilderTrend can often improve their process in simple and cost-effective ways.

Project burndown charts, for example, can provide better visibility to project managers, and reflect a responsive timeline based on current progress across teams. Burndown charts are an innovative and relatively simple way project managers can visualise project timelines, and address underperformance at a granular level.

Likewise, Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs) are seeing a resurgence in the construction industry as a simple and effective quality assurance tool. ITPs are designed to guarantee quality through a systematic process of visual inspection, documentation and review.

Furthermore, smaller businesses may delegate project management duties to somebody not necessarily educated in the field. This approach is simplified when there are standardised practices to follow, like ISO 9001. However, project leaders should educate themselves on management best practices to avoid common project management errors where possible.

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