It is no secret that across the construction industry one of the major frustrations is the current lack of skilled tradespeople. In 2023, the construction industry had an average of 377,000 job openings per month, signaling a significant and persistent demand for highly trained individuals. However, these shortages are not the only thing plaguing both developers and investors. Many General Contractors are seeing resources dwindle, material delivery times being stretched and signs of subcontractor failure ­ – all contributing to critical project delays and failures. In fact, business bankruptcy filings in the United States increased by 40.4% in 2023 compared to the previous year, indicating financial instability among subcontractors and other small businesses.

Getting Back on Track

In order to combat these issues, it is essential for contractors and developers to make a shift at the first signs of pressure and reorient their projects back on track to avoid the chances of a failure. Some key actions to mitigating risk include:

• Request an in-depth financial and human resource report from subcontractors and vendors showing signs of concern. This will increase the emphasis on skilled labor and help validate their capability to match your labor needs moving forward.
• Coordinate with other contractors on the job site to share labor resources temporarily on a rotational schedule, thus pushing through lack of skilled tradespeople on a particular task or section of the build. 
• Engage another subcontractor to supplement labor resources to focus on a single critical path, thus alleviating chokepoints or other project delays. 
• Consider a full project takeover from a contractor or partner that is accustomed to working on problematic or complex scenarios. 

Supplementing Solutions with Focused Skill and Quality

Supplemental labor focused on a critical path can be one of the most straightforward ways to get a project back on track, but how can you be sure that another vendor won’t bring their own issues or create further delays? It is essential to select a partner that has proven results, an adaptable approach and the ability to work in challenging or unusual circumstances. What’s more, it is critical that the supplemental labor firm also has the resources available to focus on tasks that require immediate attention, providing clear strategies and frameworks for risk mitigation, material procurement, and overall project management. Focused coordination and precise communication are key in delicate situations, and any potential partner must also be able to deliver exceptional back of house project monitoring and management. 

When to Consider Total Takeovers

There are certainly situations where issues go beyond the reach of GC’s, vendors and other subcontractors on the job, ones that require a holistic solution to solve drastic problems. A decrease in job site resources as well as an apparent decline or lack of work quality can be a troublesome combination, especially when paired with other problems stemming from financial issues leading to stalls or failures. A significant job site issue can also bring a project to a halt, more so when the situation requires specialized resources to mitigate the problem. If these and other issues are causing contractors on your site to be beyond recovery and incapable of securing critical equipment, tackling complex tasks or meeting milestones – it may be time to consider a total project takeover from a true expert in the space.

A Pathway to Project Success

Power Design Inc. has built a division focused specifically on supporting projects that need a critical shift to get back on track. The Special Operations Division is made up of more than 320 multi-trade, highly skilled resources, able and ready to deploy nationwide at any stage of construction within 72-hours following an in-person consult within the first 24-hours. This on-site team is backed by a number of resources including project management, engineering, procurement, prefabrication, vast bonding capabilities and last mile delivery – all blending into a seamless and adaptable approach that has been executed successfully across 52 projects to date. Learn how Power Design can guide any project through any issue and remove obstacles ­­– getting your build back on track as quickly as possible. Begin your path to project success today by emailing [email protected].