The Five Ps


September 27, 2022

You’ve chosen a location, hired an architect, and secured your financing…time to get cracking on your construction project, right? Not so fast! The number one key to ensuring your project goes off without a hitch must happen first—and that’s the planning process.

James Baker, former US Secretary of State coined the “Five Ps”: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. He absolutely could have been talking about construction projects in 2022! A key part of that planning is developing a realistic schedule.

Unfortunately, the days when you could award the project on a Friday and mobilize to site on Monday are gone! With the aftershocks of COVID still being felt, supply chain issues wreaking havoc, and the realities of the current labour shortage, taking the time upfront to properly plan out all aspects of your project is more important than ever.

Key things to consider:

  • Start your planning early, and consider engaging a contractor in the pre-construction process (read more about Terlin’s pre-construction services by clicking here).
  • Award projects quickly, and with sufficient lead time for confirming subcontractors.
  • Build in adequate time for shop drawings, samples and submittals.
  • Identify and order long-lead items.
  • Be flexible with materials and finishes.
  • Schedule realistic turnaround time for approvals.
  • Open communication throughout the process with all stakeholders can help alleviate issues that can affect the schedule mid-project.

Preparing a construction schedule that is both specific and put together ahead of time ensures efficiency and productivity. Construction scheduling allows the project team to control quality measures, as well as manage resource allocation in each phase of construction. We know that time is money; a reliable schedule gives each party the opportunity to allocate time to all activities to avoid delays and cost overruns.

Ready to talk to us about your upcoming project? Contact Terry McLaughlin, President, at 1-888-791-9376 or terry@terlin.ca.