What has made the human being what it is? We are not the strongest and we are not the fastest; we do believe to be the most intelligent, but to take advantage of that intelligence it has been necessary that we act in a coordinated way.
Thus were made the pyramids and empires, so came man to the moon and has launched ships that have landed on Mars. It is the ability to act in coordination what allows that intelligence, which the human being considers as its main asset, to transform ideas scattered in multiple individuals into concrete products and services that improve the situation of society.
“… the information industry has been the initial cause of the acceleration of technological change over the past two hundred years”. - Daniel Headrick
It is the speed and precision of human communication that has allowed the exchange and enrichment of knowledge and the coordination of actions. This is why Daniel Headrick points out: "Knowledge is the cause and effect of economic growth, and the information industry has been the initial cause of the acceleration of technological change over the past two hundred years"
The engineering and construction industry is not an exception, but rather a clear example of how proper communication allows the achievement of truly extraordinary endeavors, from the aforementioned Egyptian pyramids to the Panama Canal.
Thus, we have to recognize that the construction industry is highly dependent on communications between customer, supplier and various stakeholders, including civil associations, therefore the design of clear, timely and effective communications systems is the fundamental basis of any project to be executed.
Too often, as projects are implemented through multinational teams and in multicultural environments, communication problems increase and are no longer unique to the customer-supplier relationship or among diverse and heterogeneous stakeholder groups, moving into the internal structure of the project team.
Evidently, the project team and its leader are the focal point of all communications, therefore it is essential that the design of the communications plan should consider ways to mitigate any potential source of distortion generated by the natural dynamics of construction projects, the distance between the headquarters and the work site, the technical language, the cultural and organizational background, the native languages of the team members and other particular factors.
The project’s Communications Plan, therefore, becomes an indispensable tool and must consider, with particular importance, the contractual documents that usually include: the contract, the general and special conditions, the design documents and any other referenced documentation with specific requirements for records and reports.
The language of the project must be defined, as well as any specific need for official translation and, in case of discrepancy, which version prevails. While this may, and should, be defined in the contract, it is possible that in international projects the project team might include members native in languages not considered in the contract, therefore the Communications Plan should resolve language-related issues taking into consideration also the native languages of the team members.
Given the enormous amount and variety of information that is generated and managed during the execution of a project, it is essential to ensure that each team member and any stakeholder receive the specific information they require and no more. Otherwise, the overabundance of information will impede efficient work, slowing it down and preventing appropriate and timely decision-making.
In addition, it is necessary to recognize that the construction industry has specific documentation requirements related to labor, the environment, social responsibility and social issues that must be addressed.
For these issues, communication matrices and checklists are often very helpful.
The ability and communication skills of the project leader are essential. It is necessary to deploy effective communication, with varying degrees of depth and adjusted to the audience, with a project team often diverse and multicultural.
It should be recognized when there is a lack of communication skills in order to take corrective measures in a timely manner. The use of specialized translation staff, as well as the professional services of public and community relations consultants, are often very helpful.
Within the management of communications, meetings cannot be disregarded. Defining the types of meetings needed, their frequency, attendees and the use of agendas and schedules are of vital importance for achieving efficiency and protecting the productivity of team members.
One of the most sensitive issues within the communications planning of an engineering project is the definition of the construction communications workflow, from requests for information (RFI) to change orders. The exchange of information between the design office, project management, construction contractor, suppliers and the owner may affect not only the scope of the work contracted, but also the deadlines committed, with the risk of claims and conflicts. Contractual documents usually define much of the mechanics for the communications workflow and special care should be taken with respect to notification and response times.
In that communications workflow, daily reports are especially useful. These documents are daily records of site conditions on various topics: weather conditions, resources on site, work in progress and progress achieved, tests, instructions received, etc. They are generally of great value when separating responsibilities, quantifying claims and supporting causes of changes in scope and schedule modifications.
Another issue of particular importance are early warnings. In Latin American countries there is often a tendency not to give bad news and to wait until the last moment to report a risk, despite there are contracts that explicitly require early warning. This raises serious problems.
An early warning is actually very helpful, as it allows other stakeholders to take their own mitigation measures in a timely manner or at least assess their potential implementation. This is part of the concept of "one team": The success of a project is a success shared by all stakeholders, while failure will surely have serious consequences for most, if not all, of the parties involved.
Finally, the use Information and communication technologies in the engineering and construction market covers the entire spectrum of work from design and construction to facility operation. The use of BIM (building information modeling) technology to integrate the design and its application for VDM (virtual design and construction), as well as virtual reality applications and software for planning and control, risk management and information management are only the most recent stage in humanity improving its ability to act in a coordinated manner to achieve goals.
In times of change, when agility and economy are needed at all levels, the use of specialized services provides that precise mix of capacity, effectiveness and efficiency that organizations need to succeed.
At DC&R we are able to meet these requirements with professional solvency and the experience of more than 25 years in complex engineering and construction environments for heavy industrial markets of high demand such as mining, gas & oil, or energy, as well as for infrastructure and commerce.
DC&R also offers technical assistance services to businesses that need to interact with engineering and construction companies, from tender and project management to contract administration.