Since 2016, the Kenyan construction industry has experienced significant growth, and statistics show an increased contribution to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, in the same period, an audit by the National Construction Authority of Kenya indicated that approximately 87 buildings collapsed. The collapses are often associated with substandard materials, failure to comply with regulations, and negligence leading to lost time, money, and lives. It begs the question, what is the cause of these challenges, and how can they be resolved?

The construction industry is founded on global and local standards, rules and regulations. It is also experiencing rapid growth and demand hence an increased workload. As laws and regulations change over time, it becomes challenging for an individual business to manage the increased workload and compliance simultaneously. Sometimes the need to balance external and internal demands causes a shift in priorities, and one receives more attention than the other.

The construction industry has established guides on the internal structures needed, including governance, legal, information technology, and occupational safety components. This structure defines the relevant processes and policies to be developed and creates a framework for growth and success. However, when the system is implemented a miss, the natural result is negative consequences like failures. Therefore, the business needs a sound operational structure for maximum efficiency. 

A possible solution for operational efficiency is external support, a consultant, so that the organisation is at par with the changes in the work environment, keeps the back office activities running seamlessly, and allows the business to focus on the core functions. The supporting consultant would be responsible for checking that all services and products meet requirements specified by the industry, government, regulators, standards, and customers. The processes ensure standards are maintained, processes are improved, and the business grows and becomes profitable. One solution is for contractors to seek consultancy support. 

In tough economic times, businesses need to manage costs more than before. However, when compounded by client financial constraints and price shifts, a contractor may rightfully seek more affordable materials to make the most of the project. One must guard against buying substandard materials to meet a price point. However, using substandard materials increases maintenance costs and the possibility of structural collapse. 

A simple, well-documented material sourcing process is critical to ensure careful assessment of pocket-friendly materials before use. The established system requires tight control measures to ensure safety standards are implemented and maintained throughout the construction.

If you need to structure or restructure your processes, here are a few things you should consider:

• Assurance: Do your services and products meet requirements specified by the industry, government, regulators, standards, and customers? 
• Control: Are your main operational processes running effectively and efficiently as they should satisfy and retain customers?
• Improvement: Do you deliberately and consistently take action to improve your internal processes for customer gain?
• Support: Do you have all the help you need, even possibly an external consultant, to ensure you remain laser-focused on your business?

#Processmanagement #Growth #Businessgrowth #Processes #TopTier 

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Lucy Moragwa is a Business Process Analyst with dynamic experience spanning several industries including construction, technology, retail, media, advertising, and branding. She is specialised in helping organisations develop operational efficiency and increase revenue, business process improvement and using root cause analysis to identify issues and develop process improvements. The heart of her work is to help organisations achieve cost savings through exceptional planning and implementation of business processes.