7 Key Indicators of Project Success

It is not uncommon that most general contractors conduct a post-project review. Sometimes nicknamed the “post-mortem,” the intention is to huddle the primary leadership from a given project to debrief on its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that need to be eliminated. Sub-specialty contractors can learn from this same winning “best practices” process.

For any project that you complete, it is a good idea to bring the foreman, superintendent, estimator, or project manager, owner, and perhaps even a key craftsman from the project. Knowing that one individual in your company might fulfill more than one of the title roles, the meeting might include anywhere from 2-3 participants to 4-7, depending on the size of the job.

But what is the team to review?

Consider the following seven “key indicators” that should be included in your team’s debrief on the completed project.

Lessons Learned Areas to Assess

1. Team Chemistry
2. Client Interaction and Retention
3. Company Process Execution
4. Conflict Resolution and Speed of Problem Solving
5. Engagement with Other Contractors
6. Safety Consistency and Compliance
7. Project Team Advancement of the Company’s Image, Values, and Reputation

Notice that one topic missing is the financial results of the project. This critical issue is excused here because if there is one topic that is mostly assessed, its financial. You need to discuss the financial issues, challenges, and results and this may very well be included as an eighth item. However, experience with contractors is that once they begin reviewing the financials, they rarely get to those other areas that often have more to do with causing profitable results financially.

Now, a quick tutorial on the seven items from the list.

Team chemistry is the review of how well did the crew members execute together. Were there personality or behavioral conflicts within the team, and if so, were the conflicts corrected? Does there need to be a changing of the team members for the next project?

Client interaction and retention simply assesses how well did the estimator, PM, or foreman engage and maintain a positive relationship with the client. If you believe that your crews can gain the company more work, this key indicator must be discussed.

Company processes and execution represents compliance that the project followed to your company’s processes and procedures. Your company is unique for that reason so it’s important that you execute what you say you do.

Conflict resolution and speed of problem solving represents the leaders and the crew’s abilities to resolve issues quickly, safely, and productively. Often, a problem may arise and the solution might cause additional problems to solve. Do you have thinkers and good decision makers?

Engagement with other contractors is common for many sub-trade specialists as there are often other contractors on the project who must be coordinated and engaged. From sharing a space to negotiating the project area, your crew needs to be working on this key indicator, as it can often cost you valuable completion time IF you don’t get things squared with the other contractors.

Safety consistency and compliance must be regularly assessed as your crews can tend to let their guard down, especially on big projects or projects completed late in the season. Remember, unsafe job-site management can cost both lives and morale if not maintained.

Finally, project team advancement of the company’s image, values, and reputation. Did the project move all the positive things about your company forward or did it cause the client, and other sub-contractors, to doubt your commitment to safety, quality, professionalism? Did your “troops” live what you preach as a company culture?

Are you going to use this process on a filling a $500 pothole? Probably not, but don’t overlook what your people do and are doing when it comes to executing work for the client. Take the projects that represent the middle to larger jobs and conduct a post-project review on each. Time consuming? Yes…but the results can be profitable.