We use smart supply and innovation project planning to locally source, partner and build relationships within the Domestic Construction Industry. Our team are highly skilled on securing unbeatable prices for materials and finding professional trades people, tailored to each client's projects.
Another key to a successful construction project is accountability. There are many teams working separately but together for the greater good of the project. However, if contractors or team members are not willing to take responsibility for those tasks assigned to them, the whole process can suffer. Strong leadership is the cure for this ill. You can use our construction daily report template to keep track of the daily progress of your construction site.
With construction project management, risk management is even more important than on other projects. There are issues with safety that are more dangerous than risks that can impact other types of projects. Therefore, spending time with the team gathering their input as well as researching other sources is key to a strong risk management plan.
Things will go wrong, even with the best risk management plan in place, so having a contingency plan is critical. However, an ambiguous one is going to make a bad matter worse.
Poor communication is the death knell for any project, so is not having a strong engagement with the project owner and stakeholders. This is true in any project, and construction project management needs to always be aware of resource allocation, as there tends to be a lot of materials and equipment to manage.
Construction project management is a popular project management profession focusing on building or construction projects. The industry is fast growing and is projected to grow 11 percent between 2020 and 2030 [1]. Construction managers in the US also earn an annual wage of 98,890 as of May 2021 [2].
Construction project management jobs vary and cover a range of construction work, from small-scale builds to large-scale construction projects. You can expect to find positions at varying levels and stages of a construction process, with the required skills, qualifications, and certifications.
Construction project management handles the various stages of a construction project. Projects can be anything from residential or commercial buildings to bridges, roads, and eco builds. Different roles correlate with different stages of the project’s development.
Whatever the construction project, the leadership role of a construction project manager (CPM) has a wide scope, often managing a team and processes. A construction project management career involves expertise in the areas that are essential in project management, such as:
Managing a construction process is considered high-level project management, demanding skills and capabilities above the average project management position. There are six stages involved that construction project managers oversee.
This is the start of the project that establishes whether the build is feasible and designs are achievable. This step also accounts if the location is suitable and costs are realistic. At this stage, as the construction project manager, you will work with an engineer or architect to draw up plans and blueprints that meet all required standards. If everything is in order, you will draw up a project initiation document (PID) detailing the business needs and case for the construction and start the tendering process for the contract.
Before construction can begin, the pre-construction or planning phase occurs. You put together a project management plan (PMP), a roadmap for what’s to come. This considers factors like visiting the site, conducting relevant tests like soil tests, ordering material, selecting a team, assigning roles, and deciding on appropriate project management software.
The PMP outlines the project deliverables and milestones, a communication plan to ensure minimal conflicts and a risk management plan, ensuring little disturbances and adjustments are needed if problems arise.
This is where the construction project begins. Now the plans should be in place, materials should be ready, and a team is in place to carry out the work. This is the most significant part of all the stages and relies heavily on how well you have executed the previous stages.
This stage follows the execution stage, although much monitoring happens concurrently to measure progress and quality. Now is the time to test what’s been built, address any errors or safety concerns, and train staff on how to use and maintain systems within the building or structure. It’s also a great time to register any challenges that may help future projects.
At this stage, the owners of the new building or structure are in the warranty phase. These may be contractual warranties or warranties that are in effect as part of the law for the building
This is the end of the project. The building work is complete. Construction project managers hold meetings to discuss the build and to address any areas that didn’t meet objectives and how this was addressed. Final budgets and reports are issued.
In any construction project, construction project managers are responsible for several tasks that go above and beyond a general project manager. They require specialist knowledge and experience.
During the construction phase, you are responsible for all bidding and tendering, as well as contracting workers and negotiating with contractors to secure preferable prices.
Change management is a skill that a construction project manager needs to possess. No matter how good the planning stage is, things still need to be adapted. Unforeseen circumstances will result in changes, and a construction project manager has contingency plans for different eventualities. With so many processes and people to manage, changes will likely be needed.
Turnkey developments in the United KingdomPart of your role is monitoring progress, conducting inspections, quality control exercises, and ensuring safety. A construction project manager records any problems or deficiencies with strategies for improvement.
Monitoring and controlling costs are essential in a project where costs can quickly add up unexpectedly, and processes are subject to change. A construction project manager's role is to budget effectively and monitor progress to ensure budgets are upheld, and everything is on schedule so extra costs can be avoided.
Construction project managers are responsible for keeping records on building work, any problems or safety concerns that need addressing, changes in budgets, and monitoring for improvements. Agreements must be reached and kept with contractors, you must write contracts, which also need to be documented.
A construction project management career requires a broad focus and skill in various areas to complete projects at a high level. Construction project managers train and gain experience to undertake projects and cover the following throughout each project they manage:
Construction project management is high-level project management, and the role requires a top level of skills and qualifications. Experience is essential, as well as proving that you have the right level of academic ability needed to do the job.
It’s possible to work your way up to a construction project management position from an entry-level construction role, but a bachelor’s degree is commonly required, especially for large-scale projects with large firms. The most effective degrees are in construction management or similar, but you can also enter the profession with a degree in civil engineering.
The role of a construction project manager requires a broad range of technical skills, given that project management software systems are used, as well as programs to draw up blueprints and track costs. A construction project management professional generally has knowledge and experience in the following:
The role of a construction project manager requires a broad range of technical skills, given that project management software systems are used, as well as programs to draw up blueprints and track costs. A construction project management professional generally has knowledge and experience in the following:
A good construction project manager will have many project manager traits, but with the added expertise of the construction industry. If you are hoping to start your career in construction project management, consider how you will exhibit the following qualities:
Although having a certification for a construction project management career isn't essential, some companies will ask for certifications specific to the job. When this isn’t the case, you can boost your resume and verify your credentials by taking one. Certifications include:
Construction project management involves using various software and technical tools to monitor, test, track, and evaluate processes. These are essential, but which tools you use will depend on the nature of the project and the organization you work for. Some popular construction management software solutions include:
A construction project management career can take many forms, depending on the niche you choose, your skills, experience, construction project management qualifications, and preferences. Here are some roles you can pursue in construction project management:
Like the five blind men encountering different parts of an elephant, each of the numerous participants in the process of planning, designing, financing, constructing and operating physical facilities has a different perspective on project management for construction. Specialized knowledge can be very beneficial, particularly in large and complicated projects, since experts in various specialties can provide valuable services. However, it is advantageous to understand how the different parts of the process fit together. Waste, excessive cost and delays can result from poor coordination and communication among specialists. It is particularly in the interest of owners to insure that such problems do not occur. And it behooves all participants in the process to heed the interests of owners because, in the end, it is the owners who provide the resources and call the shots.
By adopting the viewpoint of the owners, we can focus our attention on the complete process of project management for constructed facilities rather than the historical roles of various specialists such as planners, architects, engineering designers, constructors, fabricators, material suppliers, financial analysts and others. To be sure, each specialty has made important advances in developing new techniques and tools for efficient implementation of construction projects. However, it is through the understanding of the entire process of project management that these specialists can respond more effectively to the owner's desires for their services, in marketing their specialties, and in improving the productivity and quality of their work.
The introduction of innovative and more effective project management for construction is not an academic exercise. As reported by the "Construction Industry Cost Effectiveness Project" of the Business Roundtable: [1]
By common consensus and every available measure, the United States no longer gets it's money's worth in construction, the nation's largest industry ... The creeping erosion of construction efficiency and productivity is bad news for the entire U.S. economy. Construction is a particularly seminal industry. The price of every factory, office building, hotel or power plant that is built affects the price that must be charged for the goods or services produced in it or by it. And that effect generally persists for decades ... Too much of the industry remains tethered to the past, partly by inertia and partly by historic divisions...
Improvement of project management not only can aid the construction industry, but may also be the engine for the national and world economy. However, if we are to make meaningful improvements, we must first understand the construction industry, its operating environment and the institutional constraints affecting its activities as well as the nature of project management.
