The most common challenge for independent and mid-level architects is time management. There is a lot to do all the time, and managing small, menial tasks can prevent you from focusing on the parts that you enjoy the most. Architecture being a challenging and creative field, managing time for every task becomes crucial.
“Time and Tide wait for no man”, a famous English proverb, has profound implications on every single profession, and design-build is no exception. In architectural discourse, time and architecture are well-established and are thoroughly explored. Time is of the essence in construction as it enters a new millennium. Gone are the days when the professionals used to participate in projects largely situated in geographic areas around their locations. The scenario is changing rapidly as construction companies from the west and the east merge.
Time management is one of the top concerns for an architect, the builder, and his team. In design-build construction, efficient time management means controlling project aspects, scheduling, and executing the contract as agreed upon. This aspect plays an important role in the progress of projects and hence in determining their direction. Construction professionals today are well aware of the challenges they face.
Work Smarter, Not Longer
Imagine you have an important client presentation tomorrow, and you know it’s going to be a late, caffeine-fueled night. Putting in long hours and stress to meet tight deadlines can be inevitable, but effective time management can help minimize this. Adding new architectural project management software to the toolbox could be the answer if you are juggling multiple projects and experiencing stress. Time management is a necessity in all design-build projects. The application of these tools helps enhance the quality of the project and hence its performance.
Time management for Architects addresses the special time-management issues that confront those whose success depends on the skilful, creative, and effective use of their time. It helps students and professionals recognize and understand their problems and develop effective strategies for overcoming them. Illustrated with light-hearted drawings, it includes exercises aimed at exploring each designer’s unique situation and reinforcing good practice, a host of remedies for bad habits, and a personal implementation plan for time management that will aid in getting every task completed on time.
Time Management Tips
The basic concept of time management is an effective utilization of time in the realization of the task at hand. Here are a few considerations by experts for efficient time management.
- Prioritizing the tasks at hand in the order of importance and based on the resources available.
- Advance planning and utilization of the time available in the most efficient way.
- Control distractions and deviations that break the smooth flow of the work according to the schedule.
- Increase the efficiency and reduce the stress on the schedule and the personalities involved in the project.
Forethought and planning is the key to the successful management of these resources available. Resource and time management can be efficiently managed on a well-programmed construction schedule.
The phrase “Time Management” is self-explanatory and translates into the administration of time. The cost of time management and planning is overshadowed by the benefits the design-build team derives out of it. The new breed of engineers and construction professionals understand the essence of programming in the construction process and influence their use in the environment they work in. The older and experienced, though reluctant to use the modern techniques provided by the computer and the internet, are making their best effort to act on the changes. The industry is shifting its means and methods of management by relying on recent technologies and developments.
Conclusion
The significance of time management is a well-established fact in the industry today. It is opening up avenues for the management experts and offering them an opportunity to apply their skills. The proficient use of time assists in addressing the quality assurance and quality control issues and provides the entities of design-build with a better charge of the project at hand. The use of online project management tools is in vogue and gaining popularity among the professionals in the industry. Proficient decisions in crucial situations and organization and communication of the principals in time shall have a profound impact on the management techniques.
Management professionals will have a significant role to play in the next couple of decades as long as they promote their principles and the owners witness results through their application. The art of time management for architects is difficult, but even small changes can make a big difference. The ideal relationship between time and architecture is to become one whole. The distance will disappear if we achieve that.
References:
- actiTIME. Time Management Tips for Architects and Construction Design Offices. [online]. Available at: https://www.actitime.com/time-management/time-management-tips-for-architects-construction-design-offices [Accessed date: 22/03/2022].
- Jerry (2019). Architects, Engineers and Contractors, How to Win Better Deals, Work Less and Get Projects You Enjoy [online]. Available at: https://blog.archisnapper.com/time-management-for-architects/ [Accessed date: 24/03/2022]
- Monica Shepherd. 8 top time management tips to implement in your architecture practice [online]. Available at: https://www.workflowmax.com/blog/8-top-time-management-tips-to-implement-in-your-architecture-practice [Accessed date: 23/03/2022].
