As many of us know, there is no “I” in team, especially in the field of construction. From the Owner to laborers and every position in between, everyone must know their individual roles in order to form a cohesive unit to achieve a finished product – on time and on budget.

Eastman Cooke Project Superintendent Ray Ruggiano explains, “All construction companies are structured a little differently. Maintaining the same team throughout the schedule of a project is important to its success.”

As a superintendent, Ray is on site every day from beginning to end. He and other Eastman Cooke supers are also involved in the project development stages, facilitating the same approach to each project. “If we’re all on the same page, it eliminates a lot of confusion and turbulence along the way,” Ray points out.

Eastman Cooke Project Manager Benjamin Kramer points out, “Solid teamwork from the estimating and project teams will help steer projects in the right direction, as well as a thorough understanding of scopes, constructability, Owner expectations and logistics.” Understanding the job from all angles early on is critical.

Communication

Collaboration between your estimating and on site teams will also help projects run smoothly. For example, a project team may communicate with estimating to confirm counts of purchased materials. This is helpful for current jobs and for estimating future projects as well, “especially if there were changes/deviation from Ownership,” Benjamin points out.

To navigate the moving parts of any project, communication between the Project Manager, Superintendent, Client and Architect is also essential. Ray’s tip: “Look to foresee problems before they arise to eliminate change orders, and as always, maintain your schedule.”

Know Your Tools

As technology continues to shape our generation of contractors, workflow tools are becoming a necessity to fuel productivity at jobsites and around the office.

“Managing projects on the go are becoming more vital,” says Controller Melissa Checo. “Workflow tools are a great way to manage and track collaboration since they provide an established set of procedures that help move processes along while creating visibility.” The ability for team members to evaluate items and provide feedback enhances the review process while keeping people informed about the status of a job at any given level.

Melissa recommends GoToMeeting as a useful resource for companies. “As technology continues to tap into our offices, homes, job sites, and into our daily commutes, virtual meetings have become crucial for collaborating,” she points out. “Here at Eastman Cooke, we oversee projects across the tri-state area, requiring our Project Managers and Superintendents to be on site to keep things running seamlessly. By using GoToMeeting, we’re able to meet with our teams from any job site at any time.”

With effective communication and collaboration comes the ability to manage a smooth project from start to finish, which pleases the client and results in a successful product for all parties.

Click here for further reading on how to enhance your project collaboration.