The Top 5 Project Management Errors

When project managers make mistakes, it can lead to cost and schedule overruns, decreased revenue, legal trouble, and more.

Here are the top five project manager errors:

1. Produce inaccurate estimates

Producing inaccurate estimates is probably the biggest errors project managers make. Project managers (or estimators) tally numerous quantities during pre-construction planning. They need to count all the lumber, concrete, shingles, windows, AC units, and even the number of nails, screws, and light switch covers. 

A large project can have thousands of line items. Inaccuracies across multiple line items—especially more expensive cost items—add up. And one line item people consistently underestimate is labor costs—one of the more costly items. Use construction software apps to create more accurate estimates and get rid of this project management error. By inputting data from previous, similar projects, you can create accurate estimates more easily. 

2. Don’t allocate resources well

Resource planning in construction is tough. Not having the building materials and equipment on site when you need them will likely result in delays. If the company’s trencher is at one site when it’s needed at another site, the latter project can’t trench. And this interruption would negatively impact all succeeding activities in the workflow.

With Linarc project management and collaboration software, you can optimize your company’s resource utilization by allocating optimally across all your projects. With Linarc’s Dispatch Central tool, get your resources to the right job site and move crew and equipment across job sites to reduce downtime. By using Linarc’s Crew Assignment tool, you can track crew utilization, measure labor costs, and work delivered versus work planned. Then you can improve field productivity and performance with considerate allocation. 

With the right tools, you will decrease errors in resource allocation.

3. Choose poor partners

Cultivate positive relationships with trades and suppliers. Finding partners who are capable and professional is a good start. But you want a company that is invested in your success. 

Evaluate vendors using Linarc’s Vendor Management tool. With it, you can set up a vendor evaluation scorecard to control costs, reduce risks, increase quality and improve service delivery. 

When trades are on the same page as you by following processes and using the same collaboration software, errors decline.

4. Don’t effectively communicate

Numerous teams and dozens of people collaborating on a project require a lot of communication. Decentralized, chain-of-command communication will result in miscommunication and confusion. A welder finds an issue in the field and informs their boss. The boss calls the project manager, who then emails the client, architect, and other decision-makers. Then that decision goes back through that chain of command, which can take hours or days. 

Keep all communication centralized, such as a cloud-based construction management software. Use one that is useable in the office and the field. This will allow you to decrease errors and speed up the flow of information. With Linarc, the welder notes the issue in the software, and an alert goes out to their boss, the project manager, and everyone else set up to receive project notifications.

5. Use outdated modes and technologies

Paper documents can result in multiple “current” versions of blueprints. Excel spreadsheets require more manual entry and result in more errors. 

Linarc streamlines workflows and automates tasks, so you can spend more time catching errors. 

Avoid these top project management errors and keep your project on time and on budget.