We throw the term “precon” or preconstruction around in the construction industry very flippantly and recently during a client update, I had to stop and really examine the function of the preconstruction process.
For this particular project, we had been reviewing schematics (preliminary plans) and discussing the potential phasing of the project. The client never really considered any particular benefit of starting in one area versus another and had expected those discussions to happen after plans were complete and groundbreaking was on the horizon. That conversation made me think about how every part of the preconstruction process is tied together and will ultimately affect the final outcome of the project.
"Every part of the preconstruction process is tied together and will ultimately affect the final outcome of the project."
When the construction company is engaged while a project is in its infancy, we can have a deep understanding of the projects overarching goals and optimize those goals. More often than not, those goals have a component of time involved (i.e. the project completion must occur by “x” date to meet the business goals of the client). There is also generally a financial goal for the project (i.e. a proforma building construction budget), which helps provide the maximum return on investment (ROI) for the business goals.
During the precon phase, we will dive deep into these strategic planning goals of the project and provide valuable data that will shape the overall final building. Those areas include:
Back to our client mentioned at the beginning – we were able to analyze the impact on the phasing, not only to achieve the most efficient and productive direction of work, but also as it related to other factors such as utility tie in, lay-down areas and public safety considerations. That analysis will be critical to the overall success of the project and most definitely needed to be undertaken during the project precon phase.
There is power in planning!
MEGHAN HUBER President, Welsh Construction
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