Insights and Advice for Enabling More Efficient and Sustainable Construction

Why Project Management Reporting Is Good For Your Project Construction Plan

August 5, 2019
3 mins read

One of the most frustrating aspects of any construction project is trying to maintain accurate, up-to-date, and relevant information about each aspect’s current status. This is particularly difficult with multiple stakeholders who may have different reporting requirements or varying needs, depending on the project’s timeline. What often occurs is that parties neglect the process of developing a regular, comprehensive project overview that could help everyone avoid or mitigate delays and disputes. Keep reading to discover why project management reporting is good for your project construction plan.

When project stakeholders implement project management reporting, the building construction plan becomes more cost- and time-efficient with all parties able to work more effectively.

What is project management reporting?

A project management report is a concise synopsis of a project’s present situation. Though the exact details may vary according to company guidelines and project requirements, this report provides a formal written record of conditions as they occur. The report may be delivered weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, but one of the primary objectives is to maintain, and document, a project’s status and the communications between stakeholders. Though most project management reports are only a few pages long, some projects require more in-depth analysis.

What does a project management report include?

As project management reporting is the process by which essential data is captured on a regular basis, there is some information that should always be included, no matter the type of construction underway. These critical points include:

  • The name of the project, the manager, and the client
  • The start and expected end dates
  • Contact information for key stakeholders
  • The report’s release date
  • The current schedule progress as measured against the project’s construction plan
  • A current cost vs budget comparison
  • The current scope compared to the plan’s scope
  • An updated risk overview
  • Updates on any pending or approved change requests (Variation Orders)
  • A summary of key high-level decisions and actions implemented since the release of the previous report
  • Upcoming project milestones

Gathering this information requires coordinating with several key parties and communicating regarding expectations based on the project’s construction plan and current conditions.

Some stakeholders may be reluctant to add an additional reporting element to a construction project, but project management reporting ensures more streamlined processes across the board, which improves the overall execution of the construction plan. By sharing this information in an effective, easy-to-understand manner, project stakeholders can monitor progress and compliance with the plan, allowing parties to address issues quickly, which can help avoid costly delays and changes.