Good planning is key to successful construction projects, survey reveals

Good project planning is one of the most important factors to prevent construction projects going over budget, says new research by the Association for Project Management. The recent survey by APM, the chartered body for the project profession, and Censuswide asked project professionals whose primary job in planning is to keep projects on or under budget to specify the factors that contribute to a successful project. Among project professionals whose main project is over budget, the most commonly cited factor was external factors beyond the project manager’s control. Those whose primary project is over schedule also tended to cite external factors as a contributing factor. Good project planning was cited most frequently by respondents in the construction sector, with 55% of survey respondents saying this had helped them to stick to their budget. 56% of respondents whose main project is on or ahead of schedule said good planning was a contributing factor for this, too.