The final phase of constructing a residential building is the handover to the homeowner. It is a milestone worthy of celebration but often comes with some element of trepidation.
Once you are done with the project, handing it over can be complex. A single handover requires multiple documents and actions, such as contract filing and compliance with the regulations. With all of these to-do tasks, it is pretty easy for some documents or information to get skipped. Therefore, you must pay total attention to details to ensure everything is done correctly. However, the longer you take to address issues, the more expensive and frustrating it becomes. So, how exactly do you get it right?
This post takes a closer look at the common problems in residential building handovers and how you can avoid them.
Using the Manual Process
A manual handover is one of the common methods used after completing a project. Although they look practical, manual handovers can be very inefficient compared to the modern tech-driven models.
If you opt for a manual handover, the team involved resorts to recording the defects manually. So, they will ultimately have to prepare the inspection report, create punch lists, assign the task, and follow back to confirm rectifications are completed properly. Instead of tying an entire team into procedures, the members should instead be focused on delivering quality to clients.
Construction task management software offers a simplified way of storing information in a single cloud-based location. The program allows you to upload the documents where all the parties can easily access them in real-time. It also simplifies the reporting and decision-making process. Further, you can develop approval workflows for better visibility and easy checking of the corrective measures.
Poor or Limited Visibility across Project Teams
If visibility between the office and site teams is poor, it can compromise your officers’ hard work. Further, it results in miscommunication, confusion, and workflow problems. Whether it is checking compliance or running inspection to identify defects, it is likely to become a hit-and-miss undertaking without technology.
When you adopt and use a cloud-based handover project, it becomes easy to ensure that involved staff and workers are well-connected and updated. All that you need is a web browser and smartphones.
With a good digital construction platform, uploading, filing, and finding documents is easy and fast. The platform serves as a centralized hub to store all details, such as certificates and drawings for handover. So, there will be no last-minute scramble to confirm documentation. Also, there will be no need to wait for weeks for manuals to be checked and updates generated.
Handover Issues Escalate to Relationship Challenges
If your handover is smooth, it can greatly improve customer satisfaction and strengthen the relationship with clients. If it is done incorrectly, the reverse is true. You are likely to greatly erode clients’ trust in your system. You should not let this happen.
With a good cloud-based building handover program, it becomes easy to avoid dozens of issues that can result in errors and misconceptions. The programs allow for better information sharing at the right time, meaning that all parties will be able to know what is expected at what time.
Coordination between Involved Parties, especially the Contractors and Subcontractors
For a building project to be completed as expected, there must be harmony between the contractor and subcontractors. When you finally get to the handover phase, there is always some push and pull to ensure any defect is identified fast and rectifications handled quickly and correctly. The extra pressure can easily strain the contractor-subcontractor relationship in the long term.
To avoid these challenges, you should work with a digital solution that makes communication easy through push notifications and QA QC construction checklists. Approval of workflows is also easy, ensuring that all jobs are done correctly and on time.
In addition to the above issues, lack of defect insights and poor learning can result in serious problems. These issues can be addressed by using an appropriate construction app that not only helps with the construction process but also with the handover procedure. Make sure to go for the construction management software that is designed with quality in mind, making compliance with related regulations easy, communication seamless, and handover smooth.
