The success of your construction project depends on your project manager. They are responsible for planning the project, coordinating materials and resources required, along with managing labour - all while keeping the project on schedule and on budget.
Project managers are wholistic to the project; their responsibility extends through all phases of work. That is why it is important that your project manager is following these 5 project management steps to ensure the success of the project.
Project Conception
Project conceptualization and initiation is the very first step in construction and project management. In order to manage a project, the project manager needs to visualize the final product.
Conceptualizing a construction project can be more difficult than it seems. While it is easy for the client to have a vision, executing that vision can be difficult. This requires input from a variety of different departments and experts to help plan the project and make sure what the client wants is doable.
The project manager is useful in this portion because it helps them get a better understanding of what the client truly wants to achieve with their project and what the important details are. They can also provide useful insight and legal knowledge that helps take the project from a concept to a full-on plan.
Project Planning
Once the concept for the construction project has been finalized, it is then up to the project manager to take on the task of planning the project. Project planning is one of the most important steps in project management.
Planning how the project will be executed, project managers need to consider and define the scope of the project, break it down into stages, identify timelines for the overall project as well as those stages, identify any specialized equipment or skills that may be necessary for the project, and organize resource acquisition and distribution. Paramount to all of this, the project manager needs to ensure that all of this is executed within or as close to the client’s budget as possible.
Project Execution
Project execution and implementation are where project managers carefully laid plans get to shine. This is the stage where the planning is put to the test. A good project manager will build contingencies to budget time for elements in the actual construction phase of the project to go wrong, whether that be in the form of scheduling, weather or supply chain delays.
Utilizing progress reports throughout each stage of the construction process can allow the project manager and the client to ensure that each part of the project is going to plan. They can also indicate to the project manager where proactive changes may need to be made in the plan in order to meet the timeline and budget. This monitoring becomes even more important during the project performance step.
Project Performance
The project performance step of project management is really the project monitoring step - in that it becomes more important for the project manager to keep a close eye on the work of those they are managing. They need to ensure that the work being performed is of high quality and that it is done to the client’s specifications. This step minimizes deficiencies, inturn increasing the client's understanding that resources are being managed effectively.
Project Close
The project closing step in the construction process is the completion stage of the construction project. This is where the project manager ensures that the finishing touches have been made on the project and that everything is in accordance with the client’s specifications. They need to finalize every aspect of the constructions process to ensure that they can achieve the deliverables that they promised the client.
Once the final touches are made, and the client accepts the building/project as complete, the project can come to a close and the project manager and their team can prepare for the next one.
Contact Southwest and Midwest Design & Construction to find out how our skilled project managers can lead your next construction project to success.