In construction, many problems don’t originate on the jobsite, but in practices that have become normalized over time. They work “well enough” until they don’t—and the cost shows up as delays, cost overruns, and team burnout.
Closing out the year is a good moment to question them. These are five common practices that should no longer follow us into 2026, and what to do differently to operate more effectively.
1. Using WhatsApp as a project repository
WhatsApp is great for ugent coordination, but it was never designed to manage information. Photos without context, agreements buried in conversations and decisions made without traceability create invisible losses that accumulate over time.
What to do instead:
Separate communication from documentation. Use an agile channel to coordinate, but centralize official information (progress, evidence, decisions) in a single, structured place that is accessible to everyone.
2. Document only when “there's time”
When documentation is treated as an extra task, it's always gets postponed. The result is incomplete reports, progress without evidence, and issues that surface when they can no longer be corrected.
What to do instead:
Integrate documentation into the daily workflow of the jobsite. Documentations should be fast, contextual and part of the process, not an administrative task left for the end of the week.
3. Making decisions without field visibility
Many strategic decisions are made with partial or outdated information. This leads to late reactions, last-minute adjustments, and loss of control over costs and schedules.
What to do instead:
Ensure that information from the field flows to the office in real time. Not to micromanage, but to detect deviations before they turn into fires.
4. Centralizing project knowledge in a single person
When only one person “knows how the project is going”, the job becomes vulnerable. Absences, role changes or turnover immediately generate friction.
What to do instead:
Turn project information into a shared asset. Operational continuity depends on the project living in the system, not in someone's memory.
5. Accepting chaos as a natural part of construction
Phrases like “that's just how construction is” often hide normalized inefficiencies. Rework, confusion and constant stress are not inevitable, they are symptoms of a lack of structure.
What to do instead:
Simplify processes instead of improvising them. Order does not slow projects down; it reduces friction and allows the team to focus on building.
Who should be responsible for these changes?
These improvements don't require creating new jobs or complex processes. They require leadership clarity. In practice, this is how it usually works best:
1. Company leadership/ Owners
They must set the priority—not to operate, but to make it clear that visibility, documentation, and control are not optional. When leadership supports it, change actually happens.
2. Project Manager/PM
The PM translates intention into execution. They define what gets documented, how it is reported, and ensure information flows smoothly between field and office.
3. Site manager or site leader
Not as an administrative owner, but as a key point of capture. When documentation is simple and fast, the field team becomes the main ally in project control.
4.Administration/technical office
Their role is to ensure continuity: that information is complete, organized, and available when needed—especially at project closeout.
A Key Principle
These improvements don’t work when they are perceived as “one more task.”They work when they are understood as a natural part of how the job operates.
It's not about working more.
It's about work with clarity.
To start closing the year
Leaving these practices behind does not require an immediate radical transformation, but it does require a clear decision: to work with greater visibility, traceability, and control.
Construction will continue to be complex.
The difference lies in how we manage that complexity.
Closing 2025 is also about deciding which practices no longer deserve to move into 2026.
