This summer, we are embarking on a blog series, where we are looking at the importance of people, process, and technology. We can’t have one without the other. If one of the legs of the three-legged stool crashes, the whole thing will come tumbling down.
We have already explored the people leg of the stool: the value of people, the worker of tomorrow, and why and how to put people to work. For today’s blog, let’s turn our attention to the process.
Why Do We Need Good Processes?
Process is the glue that holds everything together. As we are implementing new procedures and technologies—all while training our workforce—we must consider the process by which things are going to be done.
By definition, process is a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end result. We could have processes for how to pour a foundation, how to install pipes and wires, and how to close out a project. But we also need processes for pre-planning. We need to identify how to best leverage people, process, and technology for planning, budgeting, and scheduling. We need to determine how to collect and disseminate data. We need to determine who has access to what data set.
Each process will be unique to each company and each project, but the bottomline is it helps set standards, ultimately streamlining workflows. The end result is better quality, greater productivity, and heightened safety.
Without good processes, candidly, too many companies implement technology just for the sake of implementing technology. We can’t skip determining how processes will impact a job.
How Do We Implement Good Processes?
How, then, do we implement good processes on construction projects? Of course, this is a challenging question to answer because each project will have unique needs to consider. So, perhaps, that is one of the best places to start: identifying the needs.
Over on Substack, Peggy Smedley is exploring this topic, explaining that successful IT implementation starts by developing a long-term IT investment plan, recognizing that technology is an ongoing process rather than a one-time investment. Head over there and give her a follow to learn more about successful IT implementation.
The bottomline though is in order to do a long-term plan, companies must consider people, process, and technology. While she highlights key questions for each leg of the stool, the process questions are informative and should be considered.
So, for today’s discussion, let’s say we are talking about creating a process around a new tech implementation. For one, companies need to ask themselves how the technology will ultimately fit into the business or project. This must always be the first step to creating a strong process.
Some tangential questions would be who will use the technology and when. Identify how the process and the people equation fit together here. You may also consider if the technology be used in the office, at the jobsite, or even at home. There may also be security considerations here.
After these questions have been considered companies may also what to create a process document to determine flow and address any questions. As you create these processes, sit down with the team. Have multiple people talking about how to create a flow that works well for the entire company and project.
Creating a good, solid process is perhaps one of the most challenging legs of the stool—but without it the stool doesn’t stand a chance. Have you considered processes on your projects? Where might you need to finetune things this week?
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