Delivering projects on time, within budget, and in alignment with corporate objectives is essential. This will help builder companies stand out in today’s fiercely competitive business markets. However, every project has constraints and hazards that must be managed to be successful.
Project constraints are the general limitations that must be considered throughout a project life cycle. They are the bottlenecks that limit production and the rate at which the company generates profit.
For instance, a financial limitation restricts you to a particular project budget, whereas a time constraint requires you to finish your project by a certain date. Learning how to balance these constraints is crucial to improve project performance.
The three main project constraints are time, cost, and scope. These are also coined the triple constraint or the project management triangle.
Time Constraint
It refers to the project’s timeline for completion, which includes the due dates for each project phase and the date on which to fulfil the final deliverable.
Scope Constraint
Project goals, output quality, components, and functionalities, as well as the work necessary to accomplish the project, are all defined by the project’s scope. It is very specific and contains all the necessary details about the project’s final deliverable. Projects must be accomplished according to the scope’s particularities to be successful.
Cost Constraint
The cost of the project, often known as the project’s budget, is the funding required to finish the project on time and within its set scope. Cost includes not just the money spent on goods but also the price of labour, vendors, quality control, and other elements. The project budget specifies the most you are permitted to spend on a specific project.
The three constraints are interconnected; addressing one will typically affect the others. Project managers must decide what their priorities are and which ones they are ready to trade off to keep the project on track and functional. Project managers can only meet one or two limitations, never all three.
For instance, if your project’s budget and time allotments change, it will be impossible to keep within scope. Unless you can make changes to the budget, you must reduce the scope of the project to balance it out and complete it in less time.
Managing Project Constraints
It is critical to realize that each project will have a unique set of constraints. Best practices in project management, transparency, efficient construction job management software, and project control are the ways to manage project constraints effectively.
Project management involves systematically controlling constraints so that they stop becoming roadblocks to project success. A smart project manager always considers project management constraints when developing project management strategies.
Project managers can employ various techniques to manage and balance project limitations as they appear. There are a few approaches to managing project constraints.
- Monitor your project plan and processes regularly. This will help you maintain project quality. Use work management software to track progress and issues as your team tackles various duties throughout project execution. Create a change control procedure to stop scope creep if modifications are made.
- Identify, evaluate, and plan for potential project hazards using risk analysis. You can avoid the most detrimental project risks and be ready for any unforeseen ones by having a solid risk management strategy in place.
- Maintain effective team communication. Without it, you can believe you are managing your restrictions while another team member unintentionally interferes with your diligent effort. You can collaborate with your team to accomplish project objectives when you discuss every area of the project with them.
- Embrace flexibility. In order to successfully balance project restrictions, you must embrace flexibility. You may occasionally need to make concessions on project components in order to remain within scope. If you are not adaptable, the quality of your project will suffer. Your main concern should be keeping your stakeholders or customers happy, which requires accepting trade-offs when necessary.
Maintaining Project Quality with Project Management Tools
The triple constraint is difficult to handle, but the correct project management tool can help builder companies overcome this challenge. Project management solutions can gather real-time information so teams can make informed and relevant decisions. Project managers can utilize reporting tools to go deeply into the data and filter reports on status, portfolio, tasks, expenses, and more. This will help them understand what is on track and what is not.
Using project management software can enable you to view your project timeline and centrally manage all of your project limitations. Construction project management software like Bizprac can support managers on this goal regardless of the kind of project.
With the aid of project management software, the team can visualize project constraints in real time. The various functionalities offered within a project management system make it simple to understand the present project state. It can also help managers effectively control project elements and share the information with others.
For example, Bizprac’s job control feature allows managers to use job cards to track job progress. Timesheets are updated in real-time, giving them relevant information on job status and resource levels. This function will help them control time and scope constraints.
Additionally, Bizprac’s costing and accounting functions can help builder companies manage cost constraints. Accurate job costing allows them to know where the project stands financially at any time. The accounting feature also enables project and team managers to track expenses such as wages, material acquisition, and taxes.
BizPrac – The Software for Builders
BizPrac is an Australian-owned and operated construction management system designed specifically to support the Australian construction industry. It is a fully integrated and constantly developing software system that offers comprehensive features like estimating, accounting, job costing, accounting, single-touch payroll, purchasing, builder retentions, etc. Bizprac is designed to ensure users make the maximum profit on each project. It is also backed by an industry-leading Australian-based support team that knows the industry inside and out.
Request a free trial today or contact us at sales@bizprac.com to get in touch with one of our team members.
References
What Are Constraints in Project Management?
6 Project Constraints and How to Manage them for Project Success
