One of the most important things to understand about construction is that it is a temporary activity. Unlike regular business operations that go on continuously, every construction project has a clear start point and a clear finish line.
Think about it this way: when you build a house, a road, or a high-rise building, you don’t keep “constructing” forever. Once the work is completed, the project ends. The construction team then disbands or moves on to the next project.
What Does Temporary Activity Mean in Construction?
- Defined Start: A project begins with planning, design, mobilization of workers, and procurement of materials.
- Defined End: A project finishes when the structure is completed, inspected, and officially handed over to the owner.
- Time-Bound: All the work—budgeting, scheduling, manpower, and materials—must fit within the timeframe.
This “temporary” nature is what separates projects from ongoing operations.
Construction vs Operations
Construction (Temporary): Creates something new, unique, and finished once delivered (e.g., building a school).
Operations (Ongoing): Maintains or uses what has been built, repeating routine tasks indefinitely (e.g., teaching classes in that school).
Construction Like Studying a Semester
To make it even clearer, let’s compare construction projects to studying:
- Starting Point: Just like a school semester begins with enrollment and orientation, a construction project starts with planning and mobilization.
- Unique Goal: Every semester has specific subjects and lessons, just like every project has a unique design and scope.
- Ending Point: At the end of the semester, you take exams, submit requirements, and then the term ends. Similarly, a project ends after the building is completed and turned over.
- Next Cycle: You move on to a new semester with different subjects—construction teams move on to a new project with a different scope.
On the other hand, operations are like the entire educational system—ongoing year after year, with no fixed end until graduation or closure.
Key Takeaway
Construction projects are temporary by nature. They begin with planning and end with completion and turnover, unlike operations that continue indefinitely. Thinking of it as a school semester makes it easy to remember: both have a start, a defined workload, and a clear end, after which a new cycle begins.