8 Best Practices for Tracking Project Deliverables in Construction

A project manager is responsible for completing all construction activities necessary to meet the project’s scope. This includes several activities such as civil works, structural designs, electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation, etc. 

Managing each activity at different stages of construction is easier said than done. Since every job can be broken down into smaller work schedules, a project manager must establish what needs to be done (and how) at the start of construction. This is where project deliverables come into play. They define the roadmap of each construction phase.

What’s a Construction Deliverable?

The term “project deliverables” can also be taken as objectives a project manager must fulfill at specific stages of construction. They are specific, well-defined, and tailored to the client’s requirements. The biggest project deliverable for a project manager, for example, is the final (finished) building that is ready for sale. 

That said, project deliverables can also be a service or report such as architectural or financial documents that must be finalized to detail the project’s progress.

In summary, a project deliverable represents end-results that project managers aim to produce to complete the project. 

Best Practices to Track Construction Deliverables

Several basic steps must be followed to develop and track project deliverables. Do note that these steps should be followed during the initial planning phase before construction begins and resources are allocated. This is because adding more deliverables after work has begun will come under additional expenses. Hence, it is critical for project managers to finalize their deliverables at the very start. 

1. Define Deliverables Before Starting Work

Defining deliverables before starting work on a project will give a clear vision of what the project should entail and how it should be completed. This is important because adding deliverables after work has begun will likely change the scope and budget.

One method of defining and planning for each deliverable is using a Gantt chart, a visualization breakdown of each phase of the project that can be used in conjunction with deliverables to set project milestones. Hence, start with the objective and work your way backward to get a clear understanding of what needs to be done in each stage. 

By understanding the client’s end goal objectives, deliverables can be tailored during development to meet those expectations. 

2. Understand the Requirements of the Deliverable

Construction deliverables have two main components: the deliverable and its acceptance criteria. Before a deliverable can be accepted, it must meet client and stakeholder requirements. If a stakeholder rejects a deliverable, the scope and budget of the project may have to change. 

Some questions to ask stakeholders to understand their requirements for acceptance are what they are trying to achieve with the project and what their cost and time frame expectations are for the deliverable. The more detailed and accurate the requirements are, the easier it will be to make sure the stakeholders accept the deliverable. 

When gathering requirements, ensuring they meet SMART goal criteria can help meet the stakeholder’s expectations.

3. Start by Getting Input From Stakeholders

It is important to involve stakeholders at project initiation meetings and gather feedback to better understand their acceptance criteria. This will not only give a better gauge of their expectations but help accurately define the scope of the project from the very beginning. 

Breaking down each deliverable into smaller parts, called a work breakdown structure (WBS), is often helpful for this because it allows facets of the deliverable to be delegated and carefully tracked throughout their lifetime. 

Stakeholders can give feedback on specific parts of the deliverable and the deliverable as a whole throughout the process to ensure expectations are met. The deliverable can then be planned with a clear vision of the budget and scope.

4. Determine Whether It’s an Internal or External Deliverable

Deliverables can be of internal or external categories. An internal deliverable does not deal directly with stakeholders and can include tasks such as doing taxes or creating corporate documents. Internal deliverables, on the other hand, do not directly generate revenue for the company and therefore have a slightly looser margin of error. 

External deliverables are work done to fulfill clients’ demands or generate revenue for the company.  It is important to be extremely thorough with external deliverables since they are customer-facing.

5. Understand the Distinction Between Process and Project Deliverables

Creating process deliverables is not the goal of the project, but they help make reaching the end goal much more manageable by breaking down the project into smaller parts. Consider them as stepping stones that help create project deliverables every step of the way. They can include creating project scope statements, and project plans, or developing work breakdown structures. 

6. Set Clear Deadlines

Setting a clear deadline for each deliverable helps ensure each deadline is integrated with project milestones so each step of the project is carefully tracked. Process deliverables can be used to help understand the project deliverable and break it down to help achieve deadlines. Additionally, tools such as Gantt charts can be helpful because the chart provides a visualization of each phase of the project and how these phases interact with each other.

7. Set Clear Milestones

Breaking down the deliverable into phases by setting construction milestones helps better track the progress of the deliverable. Milestones are checkpoints in the project’s lifecycle that do not have hard deadlines. They help check progress and ensure the project is on track. They are an internal tool to assist the project team in managing a project deliverable and are not meant for clients or external stakeholders.

8. Use an Online Software Tool

With the rise in technology, there are many more efficient ways to track deliverables than by hand. Using online project management software such as eSUB can help eliminate errors and streamline the process of tracking deliverables for fast, accurate results.

Common Types of Construction Deliverables

Since every construction project is unique, you cannot expect to have the same deliverables for each project. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. 

Even if a client has two similar projects, expect requirements to vary between them. This, however, is mostly for the residential and commercial side. Industrial construction, most often, features a list of standardized project deliverables.

Below are some of the most basic construction deliverables every project manager must know to maintain deliverable quality alongside a few examples.

Deliverables for Pre-Construction Phase

• Design and Blueprints: Every building starts as a drawing. These include architectural maps, structural designs, and other technical specifications that form a roadmap for the project manager to follow throughout the project’s lifecycle. 
• Permits and Fees: Depending on the location and local regulatory bodies, special permits may be required. There may also be additional fees and other paperwork necessary to highlight building codes that must be followed. These project deliverables must be taken care of during the planning phase. Adding them afterward may end in penalties and possibly delay deadlines.

Deliverables During the Construction Phase

• MEP and HVAC Systems: They contain all jobs related to electrical and plumbing works such as installing electrical wires, switches and fixtures, water and sewage pipes, drain points, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, fire alarms, etc, which are necessary for the functionality of a building.
• Interior Finishing: Several teams are required to make the interior room comfortable and pleasing to look at. These project deliverables include flooring, dry-walling, ceilings, paint, fixtures, etc. 

Post-Construction Deliverables

• Punch Lists: Once construction has ended, it is the project manager’s responsibility to thoroughly test the building to ensure all systems are operating correctly and efficiently. Having a construction punch list ensures that nothing is skipped. 
• Completion Certificates and Manuals: One of the most important project deliverables at the end of construction is the completion certificate. This certifies that the building has been made according to code, and can now be either inhabited or sold. In addition, handing over operation manuals to the client is equally important to help them maintain various systems and components afterward.

Conclusion

Managing project deliverables can get complicated, especially in large-scale projects. Hence, it is critical to formulate a strategy to track project deliverables at the start of construction. Experienced project managers know how to identify key deliverables. This helps them balance their workload by noting necessary objectives and things that can be merged, adapted, or eliminated to streamline work.

At the day’s end, careful tracking of construction deliverables is an extremely valuable tool to help ensure a successful construction project.