Construction is the backbone of our society and is not just about building structures. It’s what we rely on to provide us with everything from homes, to schools, to hospitals and more. And if you look at any major city in the world, they are usually one giant construction site.

Effective construction management has become a necessity in today’s modern world. It ensures the efficient management of projects for them to stay on budget and hit agreed completion dates.

In this article, we will talk about the different facets of project management and their importance to the overall success of a construction project.

We will also discuss other key talking points that a first-time project manager might encounter. These talking points include pre-planning, risk identification, and managing expectations, so there are no surprises later down the line regarding meeting agreed-upon completion dates.

Construction project management is a professional service that optimises the delivery of a construction project to its owner(s). The construction manager’s job is to deliver a successful project and minimise risk. An effective construction manager requires complete knowledge of the industry, market trends, contract law, design standards/specifications/needs and budgets.

Construction managers vary by discipline but are unlikely to possess any special skills beyond practical experience in managing high-level technical systems. The project management structure comprises three prominent individuals, with the owner right at the top.

The owner hires or finances the project and finds someone to design it (architect/engineer). Then, they employ an entity to oversee day-to-day operations and manage subcontractors: this could be a general contractor. Collectively, these three entities are what makes up the construction team.

The construction manager represents the owner’s interest and provides oversight over the entire project directly for the owner. His/her mandate is to work with all parties to deliver the project on time, under budget, and within the owner’s expected standard quality control, scope, and function.

The construction manager is responsible for managing the project’s work scope, schedule, and budgets. The success of a construction project depends on how well the construction manager governs these three areas.

Construction management methodology largely varies from one project manager to another. There really isn’t a single right way of managing a construction project – because so long as the construction manager meets the owner’s expectations, the project is considered a success.

As a profession, construction management combines education and experience to connect stakeholders. Such connection includes the owner, architect, general contractor, subcontractors, contractors, and other professionals such as engineers and safety specialists.

It also requires using advanced project management information systems (PMISs) in addition to complex planning practices like the critical path method. Furthermore, it also requires an understanding of specific construction methods, including crane operations, materials handling, building trades skills for architecture or engineering projects and job site supervision.

Lastly, construction project management is a subset of strategic management. The construction manager should always keep in mind that they manage projects for an owner who may not have expertise in construction.

One critical importance of leveraging a professional project management firm is not having your construction project fail.

By “fail”, we don’t mean the abandonment of a project – though there are some instances wherein the mismanagement of a project has lead to such measure. Instead, fail refers to the inability to mitigate a risk leading to a significant decrease in efficiency in a project.

A construction project manager studies and uses information available to mitigate risks and ensure that their projects hit the agreed completion date. They know what needs to happen when it needs to happen, who should be doing things – more so than the owner or other stakeholders.

The construction manager understands the physical aspects of a job site and all of the intricacies of complex contracts with vendors and subcontractors.

Also, they’re experts in understanding industry regulations and timetables for getting government approvals before any work can commence.

A lack of management can lead to your construction projects going over the allotted amount of time initially agreed on. Also, a poorly managed schedule will affect work quality and increase costs for the project owner, affecting the project’s budget (which we know from above is never good). Precise construction schedules are put in place to help avoid this exact issue.

With proper management and oversight by a professional and experienced construction management firm, you should meet deadlines and stay within budgets easily since budgeting is an essential tool in effective construction management. It involves planning ahead to get all of the resources you need and properly determine how many hours are required to complete a project.

It’s critical to know exactly know what resources you need for the construction project. You can’t just order materials upfront and expect your workers to have everything they need right till the end. And if you buy those resources late, your workers might end up waiting and doing nothing because they have to wait for new materials to arrive.

Always keep in mind that construction management is about planning for and coordinating construction work to ensure it meets an agreed-upon deadline and budget. Without sticking to this, it is easy to overshoot deadlines, leading to additional costs that can financially cripple or even ruin the project.

Construction projects often have unique challenges due to weather delays, price changes on materials, and scope creep. Make sure you plan out how long it will take to complete the project. If your construction management is below par, then there’s a chance that you’ll run into delays.

Without a solid project management strategy, a construction site could be left without the tools it needs to complete the job in time. There is also the issue of failing to train or not having anyone ready to maintain the tools you need. Such problems leave a project helpless as soon as a vital piece of equipment breaks down, leading to delay and increased cost.

Construction equipment is expensive. And become a much bigger liability once they break down. Expense in terms of construction equipment is not only about how much you spent renting or purchasing them – but construction managers must also consider maintenance and repair.

Construction equipment without proper maintenance will eventually break down more frequently compared to one that is well-maintained. The rule of thumb is that it is less expensive to maintain a machine than buy replacement parts.

Local building codes, or dealing with Occupational Health and Safety Administration – effective construction management entails navigating all the legalities and red tape that comes with dealing with government institutions.

Besides securing all the legal documents needed to start a construction project, a good construction project manager should have all his/her project documents in order before project implementation.

Using a construction management software tool with a document management feature can help you keep all required documents in order. Such a feature allows you to easily find and show all your legal documents if and when an inspector pays a visit to the job site.

Communication is absolutely essential on a construction site. A construction project has many moving parts, from the labour involved to materials and equipment. If everyone working on a particular task isn’t efficiently talking to one another, that can quickly lead to disaster.

Labour and management need to be open about what needs doing while also being forthcoming about how progress will happen. Proper communication entails constructively talking about any challenges that arise or problems that might occur along the way.

At the same time, suppliers should also let contractors know which products they’ll provide and when the expected delivery date is. Meanwhile, contractors must notify suppliers of changes made during work hours so material providers aren’t left waiting around at the job site.

If this communication isn’t happening quickly and efficiently, the project schedule will promptly derail. Even if work teams can meet deadlines by working overtime or going over budget on specific tasks, there’s no guarantee that those difficulties won’t repeat themselves during the course of the project.

A construction manager should be able to create systems where communication between team members is fluid and efficient. A construction project manager should also take advantage of modern cloud-based technology to ensure that the transfer of information is in real-time.

Project management is usually about being efficient. But the issues that construction managers face are unique to each construction project they handle.

Teams or individuals who are part of a construction project add to the complexity of project management. The property owner, suppliers, lenders, and subcontractors all have different interests that may clash along the way.

Additionally, some hurdles come from outside of the project, like government regulations and weather constraints.

With that said, managing a construction project often requires planning for the unexpected.

Here are some of the challenges construction managers can expect to see on a typical construction project.

In a world where everything is constantly changing, it can be challenging to complete an undefined project on time and within budget. The lack of defined goals also makes accountability for the success or failure of the project unclear.

For instance: if there are no clear goals in place, who decides when the job was done correctly? It’s nearly impossible to ascertain how much work is actually completed without first defining the word done.

While completing a project is always the ultimate goal, a project must have specific goals that need consideration.

These goals are the basis for decision-making and task delegation during construction projects.

It is possible to carry out construction projects without a considerable cost increase. There will be times, though, where the budget has to be re-evaluated and adjusted. Meaning, any unforeseen circumstances will have to be dealt with not to hamper or delay the project.

Construction budgets vary greatly depending on what task is currently active, its location on the worksite, and how long it takes to complete.

It will help if contractors can quantify risk factors when calculating their estimates before bidding on a job. Doing so could provide more accurate estimations and reduce overages down the road during the actual construction process.

Construction project managers face several challenges, including scheduling conflicts and missed deadlines. It can cause contractors to cut corners to catch up – which usually leads to more delays as they are now more concerned about fixing defects to avoid contractual penalties.

The best way to address these issues is by setting expectations from the onset of a project.

A project manager should identify what critical dates are and why they’re important, then share those with their clients so that everyone’s on the same page. They can also leverage cloud-based tools like Basecamp or Trello to track progress and forecast deadlines based on tasks in the queue.

Time pressure, unreasonable requests from clients, and unrealistic expectations are some of the most significant moral and productivity killers in a project. It is incredibly challenging when the client expects to see an immediate change in their business plan – or has unachievable sustainability goals.

The solution to this is setting expectations for everybody involved in the project. By establishing expectations, a construction project manager can have a conversation with their clients or stakeholders about what’s factually feasible and what isn’t.

It’s the responsibility of construction project managers to manage huge risks, including physical safety and even the loss of life. A risk management program is essential for minimising any untoward incidents that may occur.

For a successful project, project managers must identify potential dangers ahead of time so they can plan accordingly. While it’s impossible to remove all safety hazards from construction sites, hazard reporting and safety training are among the best ways to prevent injuries from occurring during a project.

Construction management requires long hours as practitioners of the field deal with many on-site challenges. These are environmental issues or unforeseen events like natural disasters, which disrupt work schedules and cause delays in completing projects on time.

However, construction managers also have rewarding careers where they can help construct structures that benefit communities worldwide.

But with modern technology jumping into analytical based jobs, where does this leave construction managers? Do they share the role with modern technology or take the back seat?

All of that begs the question, where does construction project management fit in this modern world?

For example, drones and mobile devices can easily track and monitor construction site inventory – allowing a construction manager to quickly know how much materials are left, how much more is needed, and when the next order should occur.

But then again, some modern systems can do all of that remotely without the need for a construction project manager. From an efficiency standpoint, modern tools are absolutely indispensable. And since it is paperless, it reduces material waste as well.

But is that the end of human intervention when it comes to construction project management?

No, we don’t think so.

At the end of the day, drones, computers, mobile devices all need a human to operate them. Yes, they can be fully autonomous, but analysing data, at least for now, remains within the confines of high tech industries and has not yet reached the construction sector.

Also, technology is expensive. So even if said tech reaches the construction industry, not many firms will have the funds nor the capability to operate them. And suppose a firm does have said technology available to their clients. In that case, not everyone will be able to afford their services – as we are sure that their rate will be pretty expensive.

So how does construction project management fit in this modern world? Maybe it’ll be a symbiotic relationship between technology and the human operator.

Time has shown us that technology is only as good as the person operating it. So in the coming decades, maybe we could see a construction manager using technology to enhance their project management skills and capabilities further.

Maybe delays will eventually become a thing of the past, and project efficiency will boil down to whoever can make the most of the technology available to them. Those are just speculations from our end, but it’s not far off if you think about it.

For now, though, all we know is that construction project management – and project managers – will remain a vital component of any construction project for years to come – regardless if a person or a machine handles it.

For more construction-related commentaries, or if you need specific help or advice about anything related to the construction industry – please don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call.

Construction is the backbone of our society and is not just about building structures. It’s what we rely on to provide us with everything from homes, to schools, to hospitals and more. And if you look at any major city in the world, they are usually one giant construction site.

Effective construction management has become a necessity in today’s modern world. It ensures the efficient management of projects for them to stay on budget and hit agreed completion dates.

In this article, we will talk about the different facets of project management and their importance to the overall success of a construction project.

We will also discuss other key talking points that a first-time project manager might encounter. These talking points include pre-planning, risk identification, and managing expectations, so there are no surprises later down the line regarding meeting agreed-upon completion dates.

Construction project management is a professional service that optimises the delivery of a construction project to its owner(s). The construction manager’s job is to deliver a successful project and minimise risk. An effective construction manager requires complete knowledge of the industry, market trends, contract law, design standards/specifications/needs and budgets.

Construction managers vary by discipline but are unlikely to possess any special skills beyond practical experience in managing high-level technical systems. The project management structure comprises three prominent individuals, with the owner right at the top.

The owner hires or finances the project and finds someone to design it (architect/engineer). Then, they employ an entity to oversee day-to-day operations and manage subcontractors: this could be a general contractor. Collectively, these three entities are what makes up the construction team.

The construction manager represents the owner’s interest and provides oversight over the entire project directly for the owner. His/her mandate is to work with all parties to deliver the project on time, under budget, and within the owner’s expected standard quality control, scope, and function.

The construction manager is responsible for managing the project’s work scope, schedule, and budgets. The success of a construction project depends on how well the construction manager governs these three areas.

Construction management methodology largely varies from one project manager to another. There really isn’t a single right way of managing a construction project – because so long as the construction manager meets the owner’s expectations, the project is considered a success.

As a profession, construction management combines education and experience to connect stakeholders. Such connection includes the owner, architect, general contractor, subcontractors, contractors, and other professionals such as engineers and safety specialists.

It also requires using advanced project management information systems (PMISs) in addition to complex planning practices like the critical path method. Furthermore, it also requires an understanding of specific construction methods, including crane operations, materials handling, building trades skills for architecture or engineering projects and job site supervision.

Lastly, construction project management is a subset of strategic management. The construction manager should always keep in mind that they manage projects for an owner who may not have expertise in construction.

One critical importance of leveraging a professional project management firm is not having your construction project fail.

By “fail”, we don’t mean the abandonment of a project – though there are some instances wherein the mismanagement of a project has lead to such measure. Instead, fail refers to the inability to mitigate a risk leading to a significant decrease in efficiency in a project.

A construction project manager studies and uses information available to mitigate risks and ensure that their projects hit the agreed completion date. They know what needs to happen when it needs to happen, who should be doing things – more so than the owner or other stakeholders.

The construction manager understands the physical aspects of a job site and all of the intricacies of complex contracts with vendors and subcontractors.

Also, they’re experts in understanding industry regulations and timetables for getting government approvals before any work can commence.

A lack of management can lead to your construction projects going over the allotted amount of time initially agreed on. Also, a poorly managed schedule will affect work quality and increase costs for the project owner, affecting the project’s budget (which we know from above is never good). Precise construction schedules are put in place to help avoid this exact issue.

With proper management and oversight by a professional and experienced construction management firm, you should meet deadlines and stay within budgets easily since budgeting is an essential tool in effective construction management. It involves planning ahead to get all of the resources you need and properly determine how many hours are required to complete a project.

It’s critical to know exactly know what resources you need for the construction project. You can’t just order materials upfront and expect your workers to have everything they need right till the end. And if you buy those resources late, your workers might end up waiting and doing nothing because they have to wait for new materials to arrive.

Always keep in mind that construction management is about planning for and coordinating construction work to ensure it meets an agreed-upon deadline and budget. Without sticking to this, it is easy to overshoot deadlines, leading to additional costs that can financially cripple or even ruin the project.

Construction projects often have unique challenges due to weather delays, price changes on materials, and scope creep. Make sure you plan out how long it will take to complete the project. If your construction management is below par, then there’s a chance that you’ll run into delays.

Without a solid project management strategy, a construction site could be left without the tools it needs to complete the job in time. There is also the issue of failing to train or not having anyone ready to maintain the tools you need. Such problems leave a project helpless as soon as a vital piece of equipment breaks down, leading to delay and increased cost.

Construction equipment is expensive. And become a much bigger liability once they break down. Expense in terms of construction equipment is not only about how much you spent renting or purchasing them – but construction managers must also consider maintenance and repair.

Construction equipment without proper maintenance will eventually break down more frequently compared to one that is well-maintained. The rule of thumb is that it is less expensive to maintain a machine than buy replacement parts.

Local building codes, or dealing with Occupational Health and Safety Administration – effective construction management entails navigating all the legalities and red tape that comes with dealing with government institutions.

Besides securing all the legal documents needed to start a construction project, a good construction project manager should have all his/her project documents in order before project implementation.

Using a construction management software tool with a document management feature can help you keep all required documents in order. Such a feature allows you to easily find and show all your legal documents if and when an inspector pays a visit to the job site.

Communication is absolutely essential on a construction site. A construction project has many moving parts, from the labour involved to materials and equipment. If everyone working on a particular task isn’t efficiently talking to one another, that can quickly lead to disaster.

Labour and management need to be open about what needs doing while also being forthcoming about how progress will happen. Proper communication entails constructively talking about any challenges that arise or problems that might occur along the way.

At the same time, suppliers should also let contractors know which products they’ll provide and when the expected delivery date is. Meanwhile, contractors must notify suppliers of changes made during work hours so material providers aren’t left waiting around at the job site.

If this communication isn’t happening quickly and efficiently, the project schedule will promptly derail. Even if work teams can meet deadlines by working overtime or going over budget on specific tasks, there’s no guarantee that those difficulties won’t repeat themselves during the course of the project.

A construction manager should be able to create systems where communication between team members is fluid and efficient. A construction project manager should also take advantage of modern cloud-based technology to ensure that the transfer of information is in real-time.

Project management is usually about being efficient. But the issues that construction managers face are unique to each construction project they handle.

Teams or individuals who are part of a construction project add to the complexity of project management. The property owner, suppliers, lenders, and subcontractors all have different interests that may clash along the way.

Additionally, some hurdles come from outside of the project, like government regulations and weather constraints.

With that said, managing a construction project often requires planning for the unexpected.

Here are some of the challenges construction managers can expect to see on a typical construction project.

In a world where everything is constantly changing, it can be challenging to complete an undefined project on time and within budget. The lack of defined goals also makes accountability for the success or failure of the project unclear.

For instance: if there are no clear goals in place, who decides when the job was done correctly? It’s nearly impossible to ascertain how much work is actually completed without first defining the word done.

While completing a project is always the ultimate goal, a project must have specific goals that need consideration.

These goals are the basis for decision-making and task delegation during construction projects.

It is possible to carry out construction projects without a considerable cost increase. There will be times, though, where the budget has to be re-evaluated and adjusted. Meaning, any unforeseen circumstances will have to be dealt with not to hamper or delay the project.

Construction budgets vary greatly depending on what task is currently active, its location on the worksite, and how long it takes to complete.

It will help if contractors can quantify risk factors when calculating their estimates before bidding on a job. Doing so could provide more accurate estimations and reduce overages down the road during the actual construction process.

Construction project managers face several challenges, including scheduling conflicts and missed deadlines. It can cause contractors to cut corners to catch up – which usually leads to more delays as they are now more concerned about fixing defects to avoid contractual penalties.

The best way to address these issues is by setting expectations from the onset of a project.

A project manager should identify what critical dates are and why they’re important, then share those with their clients so that everyone’s on the same page. They can also leverage cloud-based tools like Basecamp or Trello to track progress and forecast deadlines based on tasks in the queue.

Time pressure, unreasonable requests from clients, and unrealistic expectations are some of the most significant moral and productivity killers in a project. It is incredibly challenging when the client expects to see an immediate change in their business plan – or has unachievable sustainability goals.

The solution to this is setting expectations for everybody involved in the project. By establishing expectations, a construction project manager can have a conversation with their clients or stakeholders about what’s factually feasible and what isn’t.

It’s the responsibility of construction project managers to manage huge risks, including physical safety and even the loss of life. A risk management program is essential for minimising any untoward incidents that may occur.

For a successful project, project managers must identify potential dangers ahead of time so they can plan accordingly. While it’s impossible to remove all safety hazards from construction sites, hazard reporting and safety training are among the best ways to prevent injuries from occurring during a project.

Construction management requires long hours as practitioners of the field deal with many on-site challenges. These are environmental issues or unforeseen events like natural disasters, which disrupt work schedules and cause delays in completing projects on time.

However, construction managers also have rewarding careers where they can help construct structures that benefit communities worldwide.

But with modern technology jumping into analytical based jobs, where does this leave construction managers? Do they share the role with modern technology or take the back seat?

All of that begs the question, where does construction project management fit in this modern world?

For example, drones and mobile devices can easily track and monitor construction site inventory – allowing a construction manager to quickly know how much materials are left, how much more is needed, and when the next order should occur.

But then again, some modern systems can do all of that remotely without the need for a construction project manager. From an efficiency standpoint, modern tools are absolutely indispensable. And since it is paperless, it reduces material waste as well.

But is that the end of human intervention when it comes to construction project management?

No, we don’t think so.

At the end of the day, drones, computers, mobile devices all need a human to operate them. Yes, they can be fully autonomous, but analysing data, at least for now, remains within the confines of high tech industries and has not yet reached the construction sector.

Also, technology is expensive. So even if said tech reaches the construction industry, not many firms will have the funds nor the capability to operate them. And suppose a firm does have said technology available to their clients. In that case, not everyone will be able to afford their services – as we are sure that their rate will be pretty expensive.

So how does construction project management fit in this modern world? Maybe it’ll be a symbiotic relationship between technology and the human operator.

Time has shown us that technology is only as good as the person operating it. So in the coming decades, maybe we could see a construction manager using technology to enhance their project management skills and capabilities further.

Maybe delays will eventually become a thing of the past, and project efficiency will boil down to whoever can make the most of the technology available to them. Those are just speculations from our end, but it’s not far off if you think about it.

For now, though, all we know is that construction project management – and project managers – will remain a vital component of any construction project for years to come – regardless if a person or a machine handles it.

For more construction-related commentaries, or if you need specific help or advice about anything related to the construction industry – please don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call.