#8: Uncovering The Hidden Costs in UK Construction Operations

19/09/2023

Read time: 3 minutes

Welcome to the eighth issue of Punchline, your one-stop source for sharp insights and practical strategies within the construction industry.

Today, we're peeling back the layers on a common but often overlooked issue in many construction projects: hidden costs.

Every construction project, big or small, grapples with direct, apparent costs, such as materials, equipment, and labour—these are easy to anticipate and manage. However, lurking beneath the surface are less obvious, indirect costs that can inflate your project's budget, often unbeknownst to project managers. Recognising and addressing these subtle cost influencers can enhance project efficiency, reduce monetary wastage, and maximise profits.

1. Time Delays and Overruns: A common hidden cost in construction is project delay, leading to time overruns. According to McKinsey, 75% of infrastructure projects run 20% past deadline. While the ukconstructionmedia.co.uk's insight on time being money may feel cliché, the daily holding costs can be exorbitant—from labour wages and equipment rental to financial charges and administrative overheads.

How to Address: Implement meticulous planning and scheduling. Utilise project management software to track progress, identify bottlenecks promptly, and quickly course-correct.

2. Rework and Mistakes: In a bid to speed up construction, rushing can lead to mistakes, necessitating expensive, time-consuming rework. The UK's Construction Industry Training Board estimates around 21% of construction cost overruns result from rework.

How to Address: Invest in training your teams for better job understanding and eliminate rush to reduce rework. Also, a robust quality management system helps catch errors early.

3. Underutilised Equipment and Resources: Equipment leasing or ownership costs don't stop when machines are idle. Lack of optimised planning can lead to situations where expensive equipment lies dormant, silently denting the project's profitability.

How to Address: Implement just-in-time delivery and lean operational principles to ensure optimal utilisation of equipment and resources.

4. Inefficiencies from Lack of Digitalisation: Slow adoption of technology in the business can be an enormous indirect cost—eliminate manual data entry and its associated inaccuracies and inefficiencies.

How to Address: Embrace digitalisation. Incorporating construction management software can streamline logistics, improve communication, and increase overall operational efficiency.

In conclusion, the key to managing hidden costs lies within identifying them. A comprehensive understanding and strategic handling of these non-obvious expenses can be instrumental in staying within budget, improving projections, and ultimately increasing profits.

Remember, it's not the giants in plain sight but the hidden termites that can topple your financial structure. Stay informed, stay prepared.

Until next week,

Emre

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Stay tuned for more insights, updates, and a dash of humour in our upcoming issues. Until then, keep noticing, keep learning, and keep building!