Types of planning in construction management
Types of planning in construction management

The construction master plan for projects includes three types of planning: Types of planning in construction management are strategic planning, operational planning, and scheduling. Planning is the first step in project management and for any construction project, after this follows the process of organizing. A project undergoes a series of steps from planning, organizing, and controlling the execution of the projects. Types of planning in construction management show distinct functions of each phase in construction for a project.

Here, in this article, you will learn about Types of planning in construction management, the planning phase of project management, and the process of construction project planning. Project planning is the primary function in which project managers create a master plan for a project and its operations. Project planning is very important, it’s a phaser that determines the success or failure of the project.

What are the planning techniques in construction management?

There are three main types of project planning in construction. The three major types of construction project includes:

  1. Strategic planning: this process involves the high-level selection and analysis of the project objectives
  2. Operational planning: this involves the process of creating a detailed plan, which is required to meet the strategic objectives of the project
  3. Scheduling: this process puts the detailed operational plan of a project on a time scale that is set by the strategic objectives.

Types of planning in construction management contain objectives of construction planning which are the same for all projects: Project builders and planners, including material owners, make sure to operate within the elements of the project triangle, which shows elements that might affect a project. These factors include budget cost, schedule, quality, and safety requirements Read more. The construction planning process takes into account the utilization of this triangle in order to measure clear requirements for scope, cost, and time. This is also known as the project management triangle which this article discusses in detail one.

In the process of working with the construction planning on your project, managers in charge of projects create an important document called the construction master plan. It explains the process for working on a schedule, ways to organize, direct resources, monitor, and control risks within the project, and aims to meet the project’s proposed technical, time, cost, and schedule requirements. The construction master plan includes planning: strategic planning, operational planning, and scheduling. 

Planning techniques in construction management

  • Strategic Planning: This stage helps in determining project objectives. It answers relevant and important questions concerning a project’s mission and also outlines ways on how it will achieve this mission. During planning managers set goals and outcomes of the project and measure if objectives align with the project sponsor’s strategy and expectations.
  • Operational Planning: This phase explains in detail ways and steps to be taken in order for a project to meet its strategic objectives — Measures how this process will be achieved and if it can meet them at all. Through this, the construction teams evaluate ways whether resources needed are available to meet the strategic objectives, ensuring to identify any shortages. 
  • Scheduling: This lays out the time for an operational plan, including the anticipated completion date for a project. Time is one of the most important elements for any project because its one of the characteristics of a project is that it should have a start and an end. On large projects, project managers and specialist schedulers draw up project schedules and other tools such as charts. 

Conclusion: Types of planning in construction management help in creating a safety plan for a project in construction. This is very important to come up with a way how to go about working on the project. Construction is a hazardous and one of the most sensitive industries and has serious regulators such as OSHA (the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration) which may require proper safety planning. Project managers must determine and identify hazards and decide how to avoid risks, mitigate, or manage them. In project planning and management safety spans a variety of activities, from safety and first-aid training for workers in case of an accident to reduce loss of life and another important way of managing the risk is to make workspaces favorable, routine checkups to ensure they meet safety standards, and encouraging workers to adopt safe methods especially when on the job.

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