General and trade contractors need more than just tools in their belts. They need conflict resolution tools, according to a report from Dodge Construction Network in partnership with Dusty Robotics.
On the jobsite, contractors have an average of 17 interactions daily with people from other companies with 44% of those interactions involving existing or potential conflicts that need to be resolved.
Pointing to communication issues as a serious problem, one in four trade contractors and one in 10 general contractors say 50% or more of their interactions go unresolved without escalation. The survey found that trade contractors struggle more with the resolution that is achieved than general contractors do.
Only 38% of trade contractors believe everyone fully understands what is being communicated compared to 50% of general contractors and only 48% of trade contractors find that all parties agree to next steps and/or future actions compared to 69% of general contractors.
Considering schedule, quality, and budget as the three core measures of project success, these are the most disrupted by inefficient conflict resolution, the report notes. Contractors cite negative schedule impacts (61%), quality issues (61%), negative budget impacts (55%), increased safety risks (38%), and damage to business reputation (34%) as the main results of inefficient conflict resolution.
Despite the need for more successful conflict resolution—especially among trade contractors—the vast majority (96%) of both groups believe collaboration improves projects. Dodge Construction Network notes that better policies, training, and tools can foster healthier collaboration among construction parties.
While 64% of contractors believe collaboration saves money and improves productivity, company leadership lags both project leadership and field personnel in recognizing gaps in collaboration investment with only 18% using approaches to foster collaboration.
Almost all contractors (96%) recognize the positive impact active collaboration can have. Within that group, over 60% say that collaborating on-site helped improve key measures, 64% report improved labor productivity, and over 50% say construction quality improved through reduced errors and unplanned rework.
The report cites that better investment in collaboration practices and tools can equate to fewer construction quality issues and employ more measures to improve quality; fewer interactions involving conflicts and better conflict resolution; and make contractors more attractive to hire and to work with.
Means of fostering collaboration can include technology, policies and procedures, sufficient training, and employee performance evaluations.
