If you are about to embark on a new project and are unsure of how to proceed, we are confident that the following lines will be of great help to you!
1Until recently, the architect used to play a central role in managing and implementing their own projects. Nowadays, working trends have evolved, and there is a clear division of responsibilities between the designer and project manager. In the construction industry, the project manager is, in general, the representative of the investor, responsible for coordinating, overseeing, and making decisions regarding the implementation of their commissioned project. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss in more detail the primary functions and benefits of engaging a project manager. Many people believe that the project manager only comes into play when a project is already fully developed. While this may be true in some cases, it is not necessarily the optimal scenario, especially for larger projects.
Every project begins with an investment intention. Typically, this involves a written business plan, but it can also be a specific intention in the investor’s mind. Based on their experience, the project manager is hired to examine, analyze, and compare the specific investment intention with similar projects, and then provide feedback to the investor. Sometimes, based on this feedback, it becomes clear that there are problems and/or omissions in the specific intention, and implementation is canceled or postponed for reconsideration. This way, even in this preliminary phase, the investor saves both money and time by consulting a project manager.
With a clearly defined project intention, the next step is to prepare a specific project brief. This step should not be underestimated, as it lays the foundation for the work of the designers, and when neglected or incomplete, leads to the need for project revisions – a time-consuming process that creates tension among project participants and often leads to additional expenses. The project manager assists the investor in clearly and comprehensively outlining the project brief – a condition that does not guarantee, but increases the chances of receiving good and professionally detailed projects.
Project management involves a multi-step process, which includes the evaluation of completed projects, identifying errors, omissions, and discrepancies. In most cases, clients lack the technical expertise and experience required to review projects for errors and identify gaps. Surprisingly, even with careful planning, errors and omissions can still occur, leading to additional costs during the execution process, including labor costs, equipment rentals, logistics, and more.
During this phase, the role of the project manager is to review the entire project documentation, which is often a large package of documents, drawings, and specifications. The project manager’s task is to identify errors, omissions, and discrepancies and return the project for correction. This step saves the investor a significant amount of money and time. At this point, the execution schedule has started, which can generate delays that lead to additional headaches. We won’t even delve into the issues surrounding engaging building inspectors and obtaining necessary permits, as this alone can be a significant undertaking, especially for first-time investors.
Once the projects have been completed and specified, the project manager is armed and ready for the next phase – competing with potential contractors. The project manager researches the market and nominates firms to participate in the relevant competitions. These competitions are held for every major aspect of a project’s execution, including the general contractor (builder), all types of installations (separate competitions are held for each type), custom furniture contractors, major equipment suppliers, lighting and so on. The process of holding these competitions is time-consuming but provides several benefits for the investor before the construction process begins.
Competitions allow for the comparison and analysis of bids. This, in addition to conducting market research, allows participants to gain a better understanding of the projects they are bidding on and provide more competitive and adequate solutions. The competitions also help to clarify details that may be missing at the project level, such as the choice of specific waterproofing or tile adhesive brands of materials. These details may seem trivial, but they can derail a project if not chosen correctly.
The role of the project manager is crucial in this process as they defend the client’s interests by analyzing the obtained information. Overall, the competition phase helps to streamline the execution process, by ensuring that the projects receives the best contractors and partners the market has to offer at this specific moment.
The competitions have been conducted, and all synthesized information along with a recommendation from the Project Manager has been submitted to the investor, and he has made his choice. The next crucial step is the signing of contracts. It is quite logical that no sane person wants to waste resources and time on a legal process, but reality shows that sometimes it happens. A good contract is more of a guarantee that such a development will not occur. Adequate contract conclusion ensures clearly written responsibilities and obligations on both sides, provides balance in the client-contractor relationship (it is important to have equality, and neither party should feel damaged or threatened), goes into specifics of the treated cases, and does not miss important, but specific points for the particular case. The Project Manager uses his experience to ensure that his client is maximally protected while also providing peace of mind to the committed contractor to do his job in the best way possible.
16. Preparation of a comprehensive schedule is a recipe without which successful projects simply do not exist. The project manager must know in detail the accompanying activities around each step of project implementation to prepare a good work schedule. The schedule guarantees that: • There will be no operations that destroy already performed activities. For example, interior doors need to be installed. Great, but the wallpapers are not yet put up. Yes, the wallpaper can be cut when the thresholds are already installed, but the chance of a perfect appearance drastically decreases. • You will avoid scenarios such as: the parquet installers are ready to lay your floor a few days early. Great, but the ceilings are not painted. There is a real danger of metal stairs damaging the wood even when the floor is covered. • The teams working on one object will not interfere with each other. Imagine the water supply team installing siphons in the bathrooms, but at that moment, the electricians decide to execute the installation in the same rooms. You have a guarantee of compromised pipes, pipe insulation, and siphon levels. • The delivery of expensive lighting fixtures has arrived, but there is no one to install them at the moment. Well, they can wait on the construction side, nothing will happen to them. Really? We would not risk our clients' inventory. Many more examples on this topic can be provided, but we believe the picture is clear.
To avoid burdening the reader, we will not delve into the details of how good project documentation management and proper financial flow management can help. Instead, we will move directly to the last and most essential step for achieving the end result - site management and quality control.
Qualified and responsible professionals can be engaged, especially after a well-conducted competitive procedure. Even then, monitoring and assistance should not be neglected. Can a contractor, no matter how responsible they are, appreciate and maintain the work of another team that completed their part of the project before them? We do not rely on luck and goodwill alone. However, the mere presence of a designated responsible person is not enough to guarantee overall good behavior and professionalism. If the site manager lacks experience and knowledge, they will not be able to promptly identify and eliminate problems, provide advice, and maintain the respect of contractors with an adequate position. Everyone knows the maxim "This cannot be done!", that a contractor can use to avoid works they are unwilling to do. We guarantee that their avoiding method does not work if you can explain how a specific operation can be done and finish with the phrase "Can it be done this way?" The answer you will get is different, namely, "Yes, it can be done."
