Construction Management And The Triple Constraint

There are three primary factors or “constraints” to every construction project.

• Time

• Cost

• Scope

These factors are fairly obvious on the surface; it’s how your contractor defines each one and in turn, manages them that makes all the difference when it comes to effectively solving problems and maintaining good working relationships. How a project leader determines what to do should be informed by a mixture of career experience and a thorough understanding of the client and the project intent.

Time

When planning and adjusting for time, it is equally important to look at the length of time being measured and what constitutes the type of time that is being measured.

Examples:

• Number of phases

• Overall timeline

• Planning and sourcing

• Labor hours

• Manufacturing

• Shipping and transit times

• Internal goals

Cost

We refer to costs as “resources” since these elements extend well beyond just the numbers.

Examples:

• Financial budget

• Core team; who and how many?

• Special consultants, expediters, and craftspeople

• Tools, machinery, equipment

• Materials

• Opportunities

Scope

Is generally defined by the size or extent of the quality, custom work, and literal scale of a project.

Examples:

• Architecture scope, landscape architecture scope, interior design scope etc…

• Complexity of project

• Custom work and detail

• Expectation of finish and quality thresholds

A happy balance

The general rule of thumb is that if one variable is changed the other two variables must be adjusted to ensure that the three constraints remain balanced. It is the job of our superintendents and project managers to ensure that things are proportionate and they communicate effectively with everyone whenever an adjustment is made. It is also their responsibility to help the client understand why it is not only necessary but important to make consequential adjustments to the other variables, which isn’t always obvious in the present but can mitigate problems down the line.

Outside of the triple constraint is client satisfaction. It is an over-arching constraint meaning that it is affected by all of the factors but you can also fail to deliver client satisfaction even if you meet all of the budget, time, and scope constraints. Changes in client satisfaction are not solely contingent on these factors; a change in scope requires a corresponding change in either schedule or cost but does not necessarily result in a change in client satisfaction.

What exactly does this mean and why is it relevant?

Simply put, there is a lot more that goes into making a client feel good and empowered throughout the duration of the project than simply building a home on budget and on deadline! As with all important relationships in life, invest in those where there is mutual respect and confidence that you can share in the good and navigate the tough days together.

JUGGLING CONSTRAINTS IN REALITY  

Photographer: Chipper Hatter

The show must go on! Boarded-up window openings allowed the project to continue despite the delays.

The historic Lloyd Ruocco & Homer Delawie Duplex project in La Jolla was a project led by architect, Ione Steigler and IS Architecture and built by West Coast General Building Contractors. Originally slated to wrap up in the early summer of 2020, significant delays occurred due to global shutdowns in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Most notably, the custom-made Bendheim glass feature, which ran the entirety of the stairwell, was in Europe and transit to San Diego was drawn out.

An example of how we dealt with this situation using the project management triangle as an organizational guide was to map out a series of “If we do x then we can do y” examples. We then checked these options against the client and architect’s intent and then presented the client with a clear overview of the options (and subsequent adjustments) that met their needs and fulfilled the goals for their home build.

Example 1.     We can accept the delay in order to prioritize the scope and maintain the cost. The project will continue to keep moving to the greatest extent of reasonable completion until the glass arrives.

-       Scope

-       Budget

-       Time

Increase time, maintain the balance

Example 2.     We can source alternative custom-made glass that will reduce delays and prioritize time but will require a budget adjustment. The project will likely finish with fewer delays but it will come at an expense and a compromise on the originally desired glass.

-       Time

-       Scope

-       Budget

Increase cost, maintain balance

Photographer: Chipper Hatter

There are usually several iterations and options that will be developed after the client determines which path they’re leaning toward. The relationships we build from the outset with our clients and architects are crucial to developing a well-informed project brief and outline of intent that will guide the superintendent and everyone involved in a project and help the team to avoid offering options that are counter to the client’s needs.

We use this system as an easy-to-digest way of organizing the factors and priorities that influence how our team leaders approach their projects holistically and on a macro level.
One client might need a project completed by a specific time at any reasonable expense. Whereas another client will be committed to specific architectural materials, regardless of any delays. Understanding the why of a project and who is building it becomes critical to effectively managing a successful project and just as importantly, maintaining client satisfaction.

Innovation and Creativity

Beyond experience and refined craft and interpersonal skills, we aim to have people on our team that are sharp, creative thinkers and adept at juggling the many factors of building a high-end home while always maintaining the desires of the client. Innovation isn’t something that can be taught and it has the potential to balance a lot of tricky changes and conflicting needs. A great example of this happened during the renovation of the Rancho Santa Fe Family Estate project.

Photographer: Chipper Hatter

The centerpiece fountain featured in the inner courtyard of the Rancho Santa Fe project utilizes a bronze bowl custom-made by CT Whitehouse, who had initially been commissioned to create a new fountain piece. With a hard-stop deadline approaching, the client chose an option that kept the deadline but required the negotiation of a purchase of the only existing bronze fountain bowl that had previously been made by the artist. In addition, our team along with landscape architect, Greg Hebert and interior designers, Paul Allen Design supported the client’s decision by providing capabilities to accommodate the change with a creative cast-in-place pedestal design. The mold for the inverted basin was cast using none other than a child’s circular snow sled!