In the fast-paced construction world, where deadlines, budgets, and quality are everything, a Project Manager (PM) plays a critical role in ensuring success. This article, written by MacConvilles’ Director of Project Management, Victoria Chircop explains what a PM does and how their expertise can benefit your construction project from start to finish.
What is a Project Manager?
Project managers are the lynchpins that hold projects together. They guide the project from start to finish, from its inception to planning, execution, and final closure. As outlined by the Association for Project Management (APM) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), project managers orchestrate project activities, manage resources, adhere to timelines, and steward the budget to achieve predefined goals.
In construction, the PM is a key team member responsible for:
- Planning: Defining project deliverables and securing the necessary resources.
- Execution: Implementing the plan and adapting to any changes that arise.
- Monitoring and Control: Tracking progress and ensuring the project meets quality standards, deadlines, and budgets.
- Risk Management: Identifying potential challenges and developing strategies to mitigate them.
Beyond Client Support: The Multifaceted Role of a Project Manager
While Project Managers champion the client’s interests throughout a project’s design and delivery, their role goes much deeper. They wear many hats, requiring technical expertise, leadership and exceptional communication skills. These “soft skills” are crucial for effectively motivating and guiding a team.
How can a Project Manager benefit my project?
The project landscape within construction is relatively unique. No two projects are ever the same and many complex risks can arise, requiring careful and considered management to achieve a project’s time, budget and quality standards.
While some clients may have their own in-house resources, many elect to appoint an external project manager. This provides flexibility in resourcing and the ability to access a greater pool of experience and expertise than is typically found with an internal team.
Hiring a consultant project manager can provide several advantages to a client, including:
1. Experience and expertise: A Project Manager can bring a wide variety of project experience and industry-specific expertise, particularly to a client who might not typically work within property or construction, or who might not have resource availability within their existing team
2. Delivery to budget: Project Managers work collaboratively with the wider project team to implement robust cost management and procurement strategies to ensure projects are delivered to budget without compromising on the quality of outputs
3. Time and Schedule Management: A Project Manager will provide expert scheduling advice and risk management techniques, identifying and protecting the project’s critical path from the outset, to ensure that your project achieves its key deliverable dates
4. Quality Assurance: A Project Manager will deploy rigorous quality assurance techniques to ensure that projects are completed to specification and meet client and end-user requirements
5. Risk Identification and Management: A Project Manager’s proactive approach helps identify risks early, to ensure appropriate mitigation actions are taken to reduce potential time delays or cost increases, further maximising the chances of project success
How can the MacConvilles Project Management team support you?
Proudly independent for over 85 years, MacConvilles provides construction consultancy across the South, offering Project Management, Quantity Surveying, Building Surveying and Principal Designer services from our offices in Brighton and Southampton. We employ experienced, highly qualified professional Project Managers who can bring a wealth of expertise to benefit your project, no matter where you are in the project life cycle. We offer a director-led, personalised approach, taking the time and care to understand your needs whilst ensuring your key success criteria are carefully managed.
If you have a project that you would like to discuss, Contact Us for Expert Project Management Solutions.
