Proven Construction Best Practices for Smarter, Sustainable Project Results

Published

29 May 2025

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In today’s built environment, delivering a successful construction project requires more than meeting milestones and staying within budget. It demands strategic leadership, thorough preparation, and a disciplined focus on outcomes. For institutions managing complex infrastructure such as healthcare systems, universities, or advanced manufacturing facilities, the ability to align technical execution with long-term value is essential.

Jarret Lemmon of Optimum Energy, LLC brings more than four decades of construction and engineering expertise to this challenge. His perspective underscores a fundamental truth: although project types and scales may vary, the drivers of lasting success remain constant. At Optimum Energy, these drivers have been strengthened by combining traditional construction best practices with advanced energy optimization and intelligent technology. This approach results in smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable project delivery.

The following are the core practices that have consistently proven effective in addressing today’s construction challenges and in creating long-term value across a wide range of projects.

Safety is not just a compliance metric, it is a strategic enabler of cost control, quality, and schedule adherence. At Optimum Energy, we view safety as a core value that ultimately drives efficiency and reduces risk exposure. While many safety-related cost savings are considered soft costs and can be difficult to quantify precisely, our commitment to engineering controls and proactive planning minimizes risk before work begins.

Define Success Upfront: Every project should begin with a clear definition of what success looks like, moving beyond “on time and on budget” to encompass energy performance, operational reliability, and long-term facility outcomes. At Optimum Energy, we develop and implement a robust Project Execution Plan at the outset, supported by a Level III Primavera schedule, a detailed Safety Execution Plan, and a tailored Quality Plan.

Equally critical is upfront logistics planning to minimize disruption to occupied or operational facilities. We pre-plan all major activities—such as heavy lifts—with engineered rigging strategies and crane specifications determined and approved well in advance. These measures ensure precision, predictability, and safety throughout execution.

Constructability is a foundational discipline in our approach. In close collaboration with engineers and architects, we proactively review design documents to ensure that construction methods are efficient, practical, and cost-effective. This constructability review identifies opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce field conflicts, and shorten schedules, ultimately saving both time and money.

We embed safety into every phase of the project through a dedicated Safety Execution Plan, structured site protocols, and early coordination with field and engineering teams. These efforts help prevent incidents that could otherwise cause costly delays or rework. While we often see reduced project disruption because of our approach, we recognize that assigning a specific percentage of savings to safety efforts is complex and context dependent.

Lead with Clear Accountability: A successful project relies on teams working in sync. We make it a priority to stay connected with leaders across engineering, procurement, project controls, and field operations to ensure open communication and clear accountability. Our use of Technology-Driven Project Controls means every stakeholder has access to real-time data from the field—enabling faster, more informed decisions and minimizing delays caused by miscommunication.

Focus on Long-Term Performance: Our commitment doesn’t end at substantial completion and commissioning; we remain focused on how the project performs over time. Our Long-Term Performance Guarantees, while uncommon in our industry, reflect our confidence and commitment. We ensure that energy savings and system reliability continue to exceed expectations long after construction is wrapped up.

Embrace Continuous Improvement: Every project offers valuable lessons. At Optimum Energy, we’ve cultivated a Continuous Improvement Culture that includes structured lessons-learned reviews and formal knowledge sharing. This commitment has resulted in a remarkable 15% year-over-year improvement in our execution efficiency.

Leverage Data for Informed Decisions: In today’s construction landscape, data is your most powerful asset. Our software heritage provides us with a distinct advantage—our teams utilize real-time analytics to meticulously monitor progress, strategically allocate resources, and make smarter decisions at every phase of the project. This Data-Driven Decision Making ensures we remain agile, well-informed, and consistently focused on what truly matters: achieving optimal client outcomes.

Design with the End-User in Mind: Our approach seamlessly integrates technical excellence with a deep understanding of user needs. Thanks to our Client-Centric Approach, we focus not just on the build itself but on how our clients will ultimately live and operate within the spaces we create. This perspective allows us to tailor every decision, from material selection to scheduling and commissioning strategies—to deliver lasting value and satisfaction. Plus, thanks to ongoing measurement and verification software, like Optimum’s OptiCx, we’re able to leave our clients with lasting results and the predetermined targeted outcomes highlighted at the beginning of the project.

At Optimum Energy, we see these practices as the foundation of effective construction management. Every project, no matter the size or complexity, deserves disciplined planning, strong leadership, and a clear focus on long-term performance. When innovation is built into the process from the start and energy outcomes are prioritized throughout, projects reach completion with purpose and deliver lasting value. This is the standard we follow and the approach we believe should guide the entire industry.