Production planning platform Touchplan recently released a report that identifies the top five causes of construction delays, according to ConstructionDive.
Touchplan users provided reasons for delays whenever tasks finished late on the platform, and data was captured from more than 321,000 scheduled construction tasks during the past 12 months.
Construction Dive shares the following leading causes of delays in construction.
- Poorly executed handoffs between trades. The top cause of construction delays was waiting for other disciplines to finish their jobs before beginning the next phase of work. Jason Lyon, vice president of customer success at Touchplan, said inefficient handoffs between trades lead to worker congestion and rework, negatively affecting overall productivity
- Staffing shortages. Construction continues to struggle with a shortage of skilled labor, which boosts costs and delays projects. Lyon said: “With rising labor demands and no immediate workforce solutions, contractors must proactively ensure tasks are performed efficiently and disruptions are minimized through proactive, collaborative planning practices.”
- Material and equipment delays. These delays often are caused by supply chain disruptions and long lead times for crucial components. Flexible scheduling around material availability now has become more important.
- Design changes. Although less frequent, design changes can cause significant delays. Miscommunication or last-minute changes often lead to confusion, rework and disrupted timelines.
- Weather-related pauses. Severe conditions, such as heavy rain or extreme heat, can affect labor productivity, material delivery and overall project timelines.
