Four Ways to Avoid Costly Overruns in Scaffolding Projects 

Costly overruns have become a norm in the scaffolding industry, with 98 percent of megaprojects exceeding budgets over 30 percent, and 77 percent suffering delays up to 40 percent late.

Common as they may be, you should not take overruns lightly. They impair your business productivity, reputation, and overall profit margin. So if you’re struggling to remain profitable, you need to implement ways to avoid it.

In this blog post, learn about four ways to avoid costly overruns in scaffolding projects.

Why Costly Overruns Happen

Budget overruns and project delays happen easily because scaffolding projects require extensive, detailed planning. Minor miscalculations of materials or inaccurate estimations made during the planning stage can build up to major errors during construction. This forces constructors to implement costly changes midway, adding costs and delays to the project.

While it might be difficult to completely eliminate overruns in a scaffolding project, you can reduce them. Here are four ways you can avoid costly overruns in your scaffolding work.

Track Inventory Precisely

Effective inventory tracking eliminates the risk of overruns because it ensures accurate project planning every time. When you have real-time inventory visibility, you get to plan scaffolding projects based on what you currently have. This reduces the chances of having to purchase materials halfway through the project or changing the designs completely, which would incur long delays and high transportation and labour fees.

In addition, accurate inventory management helps you estimate project costs better during bidding. With better estimates, every aspect of the planning process stays on target so that no additional costs and time are added later on.

Create Accurate Designs with 3D Drawing

Along with precise inventory tracking, accurate designs are also crucial for avoiding costly overruns. You can achieve greater accuracy with 3D design software. 3D drawings allow designers to view a scaffolding plan clearer, which helps them to detect any error or risk in the planning period. This reduces the likelihood of design changes down the road.

3D drawings are also effective for communicating the project scope to builders and clients. They facilitate thorough understanding and discussion about the project earlier on, which ensures smooth and productive work without any miscommunications.

Communicate Clearly with AR/VR

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) supplement 3D models in further reducing the risk of overruns. AR allows thorough inspection of the scaffolding on site, while VR allows detailed observation of the model in real-life scale. They’re able to create images that are as close as possible to reality.

This keeps all project stakeholders fully informed about the project. Any changes, concerns or issues can be addressed earlier so that the project stays on track once it commences. Builders know exactly what they have to deliver, and clients know exactly what they’re going to get. With that understanding, no costly changes will be necessary.

Centralize Project Management

Besides effective planning, you also need to ensure that crews remain productive during construction so that your project stays on top of budget and schedule. A centralized project management tool can aid this by providing information about the latest project updates to every member across teams and various sites. Unlike manual processes such as emails or phone calls, centralized project management software provides full transparency and remote access to the project details, preventing them from being lost in a sea of emails. This is highly effective in preventing overruns because it encourages collaboration and maximizes productivity across teams.

Fixing Overruns with Avontus

It’s undeniable that avoiding expensive overruns can bolster your business revenue. Evaluate what is causing overruns in your scaffolding projects, map out a solution plan, and consider adopting software that’s built specifically to help scaffolders manage their projects.

Avontus offers industry-standard programs, from inventory management to scaffolding design, that keep your projects planned and executed well. For more information, head over to the link below.