Dive Brief:
- Waiting for other disciplines to finish their jobs before beginning the next phase of work is the leading cause of construction delays, according to a new report from Touchplan, a Boston-based production planning platform.
- Staffing shortages, followed by material and equipment delays, rank as the second and third largest contributors, reflecting ongoing supply chain and labor challenges in the industry.
- Design changes and weather-related pauses round out the top reasons for overdue activities, according to the report.
Dive Insight:
Touchplan users provided reasons for delays whenever tasks finished late on the platform. The platform captured data from over 321,000 scheduled construction tasks over the past 12 months.
The leading cause of delays stems from poorly executed handoffs between trades. These issues result in extended deadlines and increased costs, severely impacting the master schedule in commercial construction projects, according to the report.
These inefficient handoffs then lead to worker congestion and rework, further hampering overall productivity, said Jason Lyon, vice president of customer success at Touchplan.
“Missed handoffs equal replanning, and replanning creates more time spent in planning meetings,” said Lyon in the release. “You have to work through the challenges that are created as a result of missed handoffs.”
Lyon identified insufficient staffing as another major headwind to project progress.
“The construction industry is grappling with a persistent shortage of skilled labor that is driving up costs and delaying projects,” says Lyon. “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 procurement has long been identified as a significant contributor to delays, often due to supply chain disruptions and long lead times for critical components. For this reason, flexible scheduling around material availability is now an integral part of successful project management, according to the report.
Design changes, while less frequent, cause significant delays when they occur. Miscommunications or last-minute change orders often lead to rework, disrupting timelines and creating confusion on site, said Lyon.
Lastly, weather-related delays, though harder to predict, remain a threat to project schedules. Severe conditions, such as heavy rain or extreme heat, can impact labor productivity, material delivery and ultimately overall project timelines.