The Importance of a Construction Project Manager
Before you begin another project without a Project Manager, find out why you need one and their importance, so you can minimise costs and delays and ensure better quality overall, and avoid headaches and arguments with your builder:
Planning: a Project Manager helps you decide the best approach for your project, whether it's a fully documented Lump Sum model, or a cost plus Construction Management model. Development Approval or Building Approval only?
Design Management: Your Project Manager will get quotes from Architects, Engineers, Certifiers, Town Planners, Quantity Surveyors, to get your project fully documented up front!
Budget Control: They setup your budget and maintains a Cost Report to prevent overspending, ensuring financial success.
Programme Managemnet: Your PM will understand your constraints and will draft a Programme (Gantt Chart / Timeline) for your project, and will maintain the Programme throughout the project, thus keeping track of all tasks and ensuring project delay is minimised.
Procurement: Your PM will help you chose the best method for getting your project constructed! They will prepare the Request for Tender documents, decide whether to Stage the project or undertake as one, get a like for like cost comparison and ensure the tenderers allow for all costs. Thus minimising room for variations!
Contracts: Your PM understands the Law. They will decide which Contract best suits your project model and will ensure it is drafted and executed correctly, and also administer it throughout the Construction phase! Liquidated Damages, Extensions of Time, Variation Requests, Progress Claim Schedules... your PM understand all these and will sort these out on your behalf
Stakeholder Communication: Project managers facilitate clear communication between all stakeholders and gathers your requirements and converts it into a useable Brief. They help avoid miscommunication which Builders & Architects could take advantage of
Document Management: Your PM will keep track of all project documents, organise them in a secure spot, and ensure all important decision making around Scope, Cost, Program are recorded, so you can use them later!
Superintendency: You PM will act as your Superintendent and represent your best interests throughout the Construction phase. They will negotiate with the builder, manage variations, delays, scope changes and more. They will also monitor quality and undertake inspections at various milestones, ensuring builder's mistakes are minimised and defects rectified!
In summary, a project manager ensures efficient planning, risk management, stakeholder communication, budget and time control, and quality assurance. Without one, you will make mistakes and your project will end up costing more, and taking longer, with poor quality!