Understanding Construction Management

Construction management refers to the process of managing building projects. It involves streamlining the various stages of development and ensuring that all workers, teams, and equipment are functional and collaborative. The need for structure and coordination paved the way for project managers to have a crucial role in the industry.   ​

"The construction manager must interact with various professionals from different skill"

While project management primarily deals with managing resources, costs, and quality, the role of the project manager extends beyond leadership and control. While project management primarily deals with managing resources, costs, and quality, the role of the project manager extends beyond leadership and control. The manager must interact with various professionals from different skill areas, such as engineers, architects, designers, public works, and city planning.  from different skill areas, such as engineers, architects, designers, public works, and city planning. the importance of good communication on projects​

Sectors of Construction ​

To better understand project management, it would help identify the various construction industry sectors. Below are the four types of building projects:   
   

• Residential: Residential projects address the housing needs of society. Apartments, condominiums, single- or multi-dwelling homes, townhouses, and modular houses are some of the most common examples of residential structures. These projects are usually funded by developers or private individuals for use or sale.   
  

   

• Commercial: The commercial sector refers to the needs of trade, commerce, and government, which make up about a third of the entire construction market. Retail establishments include hotels, shopping malls, stadiums, hospitals, schools, and government buildings. These structures also range from small or large-scale facilities to state-of-the-art biotechnology laboratories.   
  

   

• Industrial: Large-scale commercial buildings would pale in comparison to massive industrial facilities. The industrial sector requires vast resources and a high level of construction experience. This sector primarily refers to production facilities such as power plants, manufacturing plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, steel mills, and city pipelines.   
  

   

• Heavy Infrastructure: The infrastructure sector refers to projects that directly impact mobility and transport. These civil structures include roads, bridges, dams, airports, and railways. Like industrial facilities, heavy infrastructure projects are complex endeavors that require civil engineers and a pioneering construction team.   
  

   
Despite the type and scale of the project, you still need to implement construction management to ensure safety and mobility on-site. ​

The Role of a Project Manager 

Project managers are among the busiest people on construction sites since their tasks and responsibilities encompass the various stages of development. Their main goal is to proceed according to the finalized plan. They need to manage the entire project to ensure successful completion within the agreed budget and schedule.   

Here are some of the duties of a construction project manager:   
   

• Estimate and negotiate costs   Where do estimators get their prices?
• Establish the construction budget   
• Manage to schedule and create work timetables   10 reasons why a construction schedule/program is useful
• Handle work orders   

• Determine the most effective methods and strategies appropriate for the project   planning your construction project
• Keep the owner or stakeholders updated regarding the progress and budget   
• Negotiating contract agreements   Why should we take construction safety seriously?
• Ensure safety on site   
• Find reliable product suppliers such as Best Access Doors   

Due to their level of authority and accountability, here are the skills that a project manager should have are:   
   

• Analytic   
• Problem solver   

• Creative   
• Intuitive and insightful   
• Motivator and leader   Respect in construction - why it's important
• Training in technical engineering   
• Proper written, verbal, and graphic communication   Do You Have Good Communication On Your Construction Project?

• Experience in construction   ​

"Construction management is a challenging task"

Construction management is a challenging task that demands knowledge and expertise in various aspects of construction. However, their role is vital in the industry as any stage in the construction project can easily be in disarray if not managed correctly. What qualities does a good construction project manager require?

"I'm learning as fast as I can to understand the challenges and pitfalls of project management. This book is fun to read and full of examples of what to be aware of with project management." Reader review on Amazon

Construction Management Bidding Process 

Depending on the number of contractors pricing the construction project, the construction bidding process can be long and challenging. However, most construction projects follow the design-bid-build process wherein the owner provides the blueprints or drawings and selects the contractor through a bidding or quotation process.   
   
The contractors would then offer their bid or price, including statement of work (SOW) details, cost estimation, payment terms, etc. The project owner may also issue either of these two types of bids:   
   

• Open bid: Open bids are open to the public, and general contractors can submit an offer.   
  

   

• Closed bid: This type of bid is ideal for private projects wherein the owner would select a group of contractors and receive offers from the chosen candidates.   
  

Once the owner receives all the bids, they can choose the best offer by employing any of these effective selection methods:   
   

• Low-bid selection: Price is often the most used deciding factor when choosing which contract to accept. It is a straightforward selection process wherein the owner decides the lowest-priced bid.   ​Selecting The Right Contractors and Subcontractors for Your Construction Project

   

• Best-value selection: This method evaluates the contractor's qualifications and the bid price. Simply put, it's a value for money selection approach.   

   

• Qualifications-based selection: Aside from their bids, the contractors must also submit supporting documents that showcase their experience, workflow, and management plans to ensure that the project stays within the budget and schedule.   Checking contractors' prices

   
Once the project owner chooses the best contractor for the job, they will review and sign the contract and determine the payment method.  Why owners sometimes employ the wrong contractor

Construction Project Management Processes

Project management requires various skills and the ability to coordinate with diverse agencies and people to lead the construction project from concept to build successfully. It would help adhere to these essential construction management principles during every project phase. ​

• Initiation: Before starting the building phase, a project manager must create a feasibility report to determine whether to continue or delay the project. The information will dig deep into the project objectives, cost estimate, and timeline and check whether the owner has enough resources to support development. Aside from checking feasibility, you can also identify potential issues with the design.   

   

• Planning: The next step is for the project manager to create a Project Management Plan (PMP) to outline the tasks, project milestones, and resources required to achieve these tasks within the intended budget. Transparency is critical during the planning stage to ensure that everyone on the team aligns with the project's goals. Finally, you will need to create several documents during this phase, such as a communication plan, work structure, risk management, scheduling, and cost management.   Don’t Start Your Next Construction Project Before Reading This

   

• Execution: This is the phase where the building begins. As the project manager, you need to ensure that all deliverables proceed as scheduled. You need to keep the owner updated and conduct regular meetings with the project team to cover every aspect of the building process.   

   

• Monitoring: This step primarily involves progress and budget supervision. It would help to utilize a program to help you keep track of performance, cost, time tracking, and quality control to ensure that you are in control of the project. It is crucial to remain flexible and adaptable so that you can professionally handle or adjust to any situation.   

   

• Closure: The last stage of all construction projects involves the completion and delivery of the project. At this point, the owner would then assess the entire structure to ensure that the initial design and budget estimations were successful. The project manager would then provide the owner with a complete report, including necessary warranties of devices or products installed in the building.   ​The Secret to Finishing Construction Projects On Time​

Construction managers play a critical role on construction projects

Project managers play a significant role in the construction industry as they are responsible for maintaining the intended budget, ensuring productivity and quality, and creating a safe working environment. Although there could be multiple issues on the construction site, a professional project manager would have an effective risk management plan to implement and get the project back on track. Aside from risk management, continuous communication between all teams is also vital to successful completion.  10 Commandments for Construction Project Managers​

​Do you want to learn how to manage construction projects successfully

"​I found that referring to this book was like having my own mentor on tap. Excellent." (Reader Amazon)

​Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
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The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon.

Author

​Chris Jackson is an experienced Business Development Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry. He is currently employed by Best Access Doors, an access door supplier in the US and Canada, and has been working for the company for more than 12 years now. His area of expertise is on Negotiation, Roofers, Sales, Project Estimation, and Facility Management (FM)