Management Plan for Change
Change orders are always present and can take place anytime. They are still inevitable during the building process. A change order refers to a work that is removed or added from the project’s original scope. When the change order occurs, the initial project undergoes some changes (Ansari, 2019). In most cases, adjustments in the original scope are made to modify the project’s date of completion. Also, the budget of the contract undergoes modification to meet the desired outcome of the project. The project team often makes an effort to prevent changes that may disrupt the normal working process during the building process. However, change orders are rampant.
Various reasons contribute to the change in orders during construction. One of the leading causes is the unknown conditions at the site of development. Some of the terms may include unsuitable soil that may not support the building. Building a house on unsuitable soil may increase the risk of collapsing the house. As a result, the contractor or the client may request a change in the construction site (Ansari, 2019). Also, an underground rock’s presence may hinder the contractor from digging a foundation that is appropriate for the house. Others include the physical nature of the place. In this case, the site of construction may have an environment that is not suitable for a home; for instance, the site may be swampy. A swampy environment may predispose the client to waterborne diseases; therefore, there may be a need for the change in the scope. Extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainfall may also slow down the building process. The slowing down may contribute to the changes in the work schedule.
Another reason in which the change order occurs is when the client requests a change in the design of the house. The change of the design often leads to the modification of the scope of the project. In this case, the client may request the contractor to construct additional rooms, the type of roof, or the removal of certain deliverables during the construction. Making additional changes usually results in the modification of the work schedule. Adjusting the work schedule implies that the project manager has to take additional time to the original work schedule to meet the desired outcome (Ansari, 2019). Adding extra time contributes to delays in the delivery. For instance, when the initial work schedule indicates that the construction process will take 650 hours to construct an 1800 square feet three-bedroom house, additional time may lead to the project taking 800 hours, which indicates that there will be a delay in the completion of the project by 150 hours.
A change in the design of the house may either reduce the cost of construction or increase. For instance, when the client makes a request to make additional rooms to the house, it will require the project team to plan for an additional cost of building materials, resources, and other deliverables (Moayeri, 2017). In this case, the additional rooms will require adjustment in the design by the architect at a cost. The construction will also need the project team to hire more resources such as the mason to perform the task of construction because of an increase in the workload. On the other hand, when the client requests a reduction in the number of rooms, the cost of construction may reduce. The reduction in the cost of construction occurs as a result of a reduction in the number of building materials needed to construct a house. However, there is always a need to adjust the scope, the schedule, which also contributes to the extension of time for construction.
Other factors that contribute to the change in the scope, cost, and schedule of the project include; uncertainties in the economic and financial environment and the use of advanced technology (Matthews et al., 2018). Uncertainties in the economic and financial environment have a direct impact on the scope, schedule, and cost of the project. When the economy of the financial institutions is not stable, the institutions may become unable to provide sufficient funds to clients to fund their projects. This implies that the client may not be able to construct a house that he or he desires. For instance, when the client has a plan to build an 1800 square feet three-bedroom house, they will have to adjust and construct a 1500 square feet residential house. This change in the size of the house requires the change in the scope. The number of building materials, resources will change—the type of design required in the initial plumbing, electrification, roofing, and interior designing changes.
The need to use advanced technology may also affect the budget, scope, and schedule of the project. The choice of certain building equipment requires the project manager and stakeholder to plan in order to acquire the most efficient tools. When this need arises after the initial project has been launched, it may lead to various adjustments in the work schedule and delays (Matthews et al., 2018). Some of the equipment used in the construction process may be expensive. The use of expensive equipment may require adjustments in the budget and increases the cost of construction.
As can be seen, any factor that leads to change in the scope, schedule, and the budget also results in construction delays. The delay may be accompanied by mismanagement of events in the project. The delays pose a great risk, which, when identified and analyzed, can be managed in a systematic way at inception to minimize further delays (Matthews et al., 2018). The delays in the schedule have a negative impact on the contractors, clients, consultants, and other stakeholders. In most cases, there is mistrust and adversarial relationships among the stakeholders. It also contributes to litigations, cash flow problems, and arbitration.
The change management process will incorporate the use of change management tools. One of the tools that can be used includes the Analytical Design Planning Technique. In this approach, a building design change management is used and helps the stakeholder and contractor to make an informed decision concerning the impact of change. The approach also entails the generation of a checklist of the rework (Moayeri, 2017). The checklist also records reasons for deviations when the true effect of the change is different from the assessed impact. The tool also records deviations from the resources, cost, and the rationale for deviation. This information is often stored in the database of the tool, and this information is always available when there is a change for a similar project. This is essential because the tool helps to predict the effect of change and allows the stakeholder to make appropriate compensation when such changes occur. This also helps the communication, tracking of changes, and authorization among the stakeholders.
In addition, the tool helps in the establishment of a clear scope of the project and having an agreement with the client. Also, the tool help provides information that can be used to raise issues on time and provide solutions for them.
Reference
Ansari, R. (2019). Dynamic simulation model for project change-management policies: Engineering project case. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 145(7), 05019008.
Matthews, J., Love, P. E., Mewburn, J., Stobaus, C., & Ramanayaka, C. (2018). Building information modeling in construction: insights from collaboration and change management perspectives. Production Planning & Control, 29(3), 202-216.
Moayeri, V. (2017). Design Change Management in Construction Projects Using Building Information Modeling (BIM). Canada: Concordia University.