To be able to make informed decisions, one needs to know what is happening at the moment. And even more so, at the solar PV construction site where we all know, the deadlines are crucial.
And let’s face it – sometimes it can seem mission impossible to make prompt, informed decisions, at least if your information depends on 1-1 communication on various levels – e.g. between technical directors, site managers, project managers, and teams on site.
How much does a telephone game at the solar construction site cost you?
You might be familiar with the telephone game. It is very simple – a group of people stands in a line; a simple sentence is whispered into the next person’s ear one by one until the message reaches the end of the line. Typically, the sentence that is revealed by the person at the end of the line is significantly different than the one that was started with.
Time, spent to get the right information from the site
Let’s say we only take into consideration the time we spend processing the information. The time project manager spends reaching out to the right person, understanding the situation, aligning the schedules of various teams, aligning asset management and team management etc.
You should consider:
- the time of Project Manager and/or Technical Director
- the time of Site Manager
- the time of Head Engineers, each responsible for their team
What if this could be different?
We all know, that it is worth investing your time at the site when there is a situation that requires more attention. What we also know is, that it is not easy to detect situations that require more attention. Promptly.
Imagine this:
- all the above-mentioned profiles would need up to 15 minutes per day to send/get up-to-date information from the site;
- up-to-date information would be accurate, without misinterpretations (remember the telephone game?);
- and most importantly, in case there is a milestone at risk, the Project Manager and/or Technical Director would have that information as soon as possible to intervene and manage risks.
The time spent on daily updates could be avoided, and weekly status report meetings could become more focused and motivational for the teams if all the information would be available beforehand.
However, it is clear that the consequences are much wider ...
#1 Money spent for teams in idle run
As solar construction projects are living organisms, it happens too often that due to the delays of other teams or delays of the materials, you have teams at the site in the idle run.
How much does this cost you?
You know that much better than us, but from our experience, the numbers are considerable. And, even more, the time spent is considerable. And we all know that sometimes, time is worth more than money.
#2 The cost of un- or poorly aligned teams
Probably the formula to calculate confusion, lack of motivation, and sometimes also costs of materials … is too complex to write down. But think of yourself – how do you feel when you work in a team that caught its flow? Priceless.
How much does this cost you?
Again, you would know better, we just know that aligned and motivated teams are priceless. And at the end, it is about due dates, isn’t it?
#3 The cost of penalties and unhappy investors
And yes, at the end (or was it at the beginning) it is about the client and the relationship we build with them.
There are some delays that cannot be avoided, however, there are others that can. Delays that can be avoided without a doubt:
- delay due to slow change management,
- delay due to poor team alignment and
- delays of slow response in communication.
Imagine how would your clients feel when they would call you and you served them with a clear report about the situation at the site. In the moment. Let us guess how: in control and happy to pay for what they have asked for. Isn’t that what we are all looking for when building client relations and market credibility?
How much does this cost you?