A blocker is a delay with a name. The faster it is named, the faster it is solved.
Define a blocker
Anything that stops an activity: approval, material, labour, weather. Record it against the activity.
Mark the activity blocked
In Propto an approved blocker marks the activity blocked until it is resolved, so progress reports stay truthful.
Escalate by rule
Rules can send reminders, then escalate to a manager after a delay. Daily review keeps momentum.
What counts as a blocker
A blocker is anything that stops an activity from progressing: a missing material, a pending approval, a design question, a labour shortage or a safety concern. Blockers differ from ordinary issues because they halt work and directly affect the schedule.
Defining blockers clearly helps teams raise them consistently and helps managers respond quickly.
Recording a blocker
When a blocker appears, record it against the affected activity with a description, the cause category, the date and the person raising it. Photos or documents help others understand the situation.
Once approved by a manager, the blocker marks the activity as blocked until resolved, making the impact visible in progress reports.
Escalate by rule
Set escalation rules: if a blocker is not resolved within a set time, alert the project manager; after a longer time, alert management. Automatic escalation prevents blockers from sitting quietly while the schedule slips.
Choose times based on the blocker type; a safety issue needs immediate attention, while a minor design query may allow more time.
Assigning owners
Every blocker needs an owner responsible for resolving it, such as purchase for material shortages, legal for approvals or design consultants for drawings. Owners should update progress regularly.
Clear ownership turns a blocker from a complaint into a task.
Communicating impact
When blockers threaten milestones, inform the people affected: management, sales and, where appropriate, buyers. Early, honest communication helps everyone plan.
Avoid hiding blockers to make progress reports look better; hidden problems grow.
Resolving and learning
When a blocker is resolved, record the resolution and date. Over time, patterns in blocker causes, such as repeated material delays from one supplier, reveal improvements to make.
Review resolved blockers monthly with project teams.
Reporting
Show open blockers by project, age and cause. Management can quickly see where projects are stuck and why, and decide where to intervene.
Combine blocker data with planned-versus-actual progress for a full picture.
Why it matters for buyers
Every unresolved blocker can push possession dates. Fast resolution protects buyers’ plans and the developer’s reputation. Honest communication about significant blockers maintains trust even when delays happen.
Buyers notice when a developer keeps promises and explains problems openly.
Getting the team involved
Site engineers raise blockers, managers approve and escalate, owners resolve and management removes obstacles. Encourage engineers to raise blockers early rather than waiting until they become crises.
Make raising a blocker quick on mobile.
Building the habit
Review open blockers in every site meeting and weekly project review. When blockers are discussed regularly, teams raise them sooner and resolve them faster.
Celebrate quick resolutions.
A worked example
Steel delivery for a slab is delayed, and the site engineer records a blocker. The project manager approves it, marking the slab activity as blocked. Purchase owns the resolution. After two days without progress, an automatic alert reaches management, who approve an alternative supplier. Steel arrives, the blocker is resolved and the slab proceeds.
The monthly review notes several delays from the original supplier, prompting a contract discussion.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes include treating blockers as ordinary issues, no owners, no escalation and hiding blockers from reports.
Another mistake is raising blockers verbally without recording them.
Questions teams often ask
Who can approve a blocker? A project manager or site in-charge.
Should every small delay be a blocker? Only when work cannot proceed; minor issues belong in the issue register.
A blocker checklist
Blockers defined and recorded against activities with cause and evidence. Manager approval marks activities blocked. Owners assigned.
Escalation rules by time and type. Impact communicated. Resolutions recorded and reviewed for patterns.
In practice
Define blocker categories and escalation times, train engineers to record blockers on mobile and review open blockers weekly. Adjust escalation times after a month.
Share monthly patterns with purchase, design and legal teams.
In short
Record blockers clearly, assign owners, escalate automatically by time and type, communicate impact honestly and learn from resolved blockers. Projects keep moving, and buyers keep trusting.
Turning blockers into improvements
Each resolved blocker contains a lesson. If material delays recur, review supplier contracts and lead times. If approvals frequently block work, start applications earlier in future projects. If design questions repeat, improve drawing reviews before construction begins.
Keep a short list of improvements arising from blockers and track whether they are implemented. This turns blocker management from firefighting into continuous improvement, and future projects benefit from the lessons of current ones.
Share these lessons across project teams in a quarterly session.
In one line
Record blockers early, escalate by rule and learn from every resolution, so each project runs a little more smoothly than the one before it.
Share lessons widely across teams.
Keep it consistent.
Review monthly.
Do blockers affect progress?
They mark the activity blocked until resolved.