CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Construction Management or Construction Project Management (CPM) is the overall

planning, coordination, and control of a project from beginning to completion. CPM is aimed
at meeting a client's requirement in order to produce a functionally and financially viable
project. The construction industry is composed of five sectors: residential, commercial, heavy
civil, industrial, and environmental. A construction manager holds the same responsibilities
and completes the same processes in each sector. All that separates a construction manager in
one sector from one in another is the knowledge of the construction site. This may include
different types of equipment, materials, subcontractors, and possibly locations.

Responsibilities:

• Manage and oversee the day-to-day construction management of the project.

• Prepares, supervises and approves the development of PEP [from construction point of
view], and its implementation plus ensuring Lessons Learned are properly documented
through out the life of the project including Project Close-out

• Manage the construction effort and be the construction representative of our company with
Client. To plan, develop and organize the construction effort to formulate the most cost-
effective plan to timely completion within budget and to implement the execution of that
plan.

• Responsible for implementation of the scope of work as related to construction/ fabrication,

precommissioning, load-out and offshore installation hook-up and offshore pre-
commissioning and commissioning of the facilities in conformance with project
specifications, Scope of Work, and in accordance with the approved Project Schedule.

• Monitor and report to Project Manager / Sr Construction Manager of project details,

including progress, risks and opportunities in a timely manner.

• Ensures all changes to specifications, work scope and drawings are documented

• Define clear roles & responsibilities and deliverable requirements in terms of both scope
and schedule to all the team members.

• Review man-hours and duration forecasts to completion for onshore construction and man-
hours, duration and manning forecasts for offshore hook-up and offshore installation
durations and resource requirements.

• Monitor construction productivity and schedule performance and investigate reasons for
less than satisfactory performance. Provide recommendations and institute measures for
improvement by modification to operating procedures/work instructions.

• Adhere to Company Safety Standards and promote safety culture among the ranks through
out the Company.

• Any other ad-hoc projects and duties as required by the management.

 Functions

The functions of construction management typically include the following:

1. Specifying project objectives and plans including delineation of scope, budgeting,

scheduling, setting performance requirements, and selecting project participants.
2. Maximizing resource efficiency through procurement of labour, materials and
equipment.
3. Implementing various operations through proper coordination and control of
planning, design, estimating, contracting and construction in the entire process.
4. Developing effective communications and mechanisms for resolving conflicts.

Roles
A construction manager's role typically involves:
 preparing the site and liaising with other construction professionals such as architects,
engineers, buyers, estimators and surveyors before construction work starts
 developing the programme of work and strategy for making the project happen
 planning ahead to prevent problems on site before they occur, for example, planning the
delivery and storage of equipment and materials
 making safety inspections of the site when work is underway and ensuring regulations
relating to health, safety and the environment (HSE) are adherred to
 overseeing the running of several projects
 using construction management software packages to plan smooth work flows
 communicating with a range of people including the client, subcontractors, suppliers, the
public and the workforce.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Project Management Institute defines project management as “the art of directing and
coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern
management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality and
participation satisfaction.”

Construction management demands an understanding of the construction and design process

as well as knowledge of modern business management. The construction project has a finite
time frame and an outcome-oriented planning process for project completion with very
specific objectives.

A successful project must start with a clear justification and definition of the project; proceed
according to a detailed strategic plan, and deliver demonstrable outcomes. Certain elements
in the strategic planning process will differ from project to project, such as the size, scope and
location, but as a rule, project management for construction has much in common with other
project types.
 The Project Manager

The most important person on a project is the manager, who is ultimately responsible for the
success of the project. The construction project manager (CPM) plans, organizes and controls
every detail of the project and must have knowledge of general management as well as
specialized background in the particular nature of the project. Formal project management
training is also of great value to the project.

There are certain objectives in construction project management that must be clearly defined
during the strategic planning process. These may change throughout the course depending on
any resource constraints or other potential conflicts.

o Create a communication system to keep all stakeholders and team members informed
throughout the project

o Maximize resources by procuring materials, labor and equipment in keeping with the
project’s stated schedule and plan

o Clearly state scope, budget, schedule, performance standards and means of selecting
stakeholders and other participants

o Implement project tasks by properly coordinating and controlling every possible element of
the project

Strategic Planning and Organizing Tasks

The strategic plan of most construction projects depends on the market demands and
available resources. This process sets the priorities and schedule for the tasks necessary to
complete the operation’s objectives.

o During the planning process, the project may be organized in a variety of ways. They may be
a combination of the following:

o Sequential, in which the project is separated into stages completely in a consecutive sequence
of tasks.

o Parallel, in which the project contains independent portions that happen simultaneously.

o Staggered, in which the different tasks may overlap each other.

Life Cycle

Life cycle A project has a life cycle. The life cycle consists of the following stages:

Conception stage : Where project ideas are conceived.

Design stage : Where detailed design of different project areas are worked out.

Implementation stage : Where the project is implemented as per the design.

Commissioning stage : Where the project is commissioned after implementation.

Commissioning of a project indicates the end of its life cycle.
 Key Elements in Project Planning

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI®) there are nine specific areas that
require a project manager’s attention and should be incorporated into the strategic plan:

1. Integration, to ensure that the various project elements are effectively coordinated.

2. Scope, to ensure that all the work required (and only the required work) is included.

3. Time, to provide an effective project schedule.

4. Cost, to identify needed resources and maintain budget control.

5. Quality, to ensure functional requirements are met.

6. Human resources, to effectively employ project personnel.

7. Communications, to ensure effective internal and external communications.

8. Risk, to analyze and mitigate potential risks.

9. Procurement, to obtain necessary resources from external sources.

Construction project management is extremely challenging and complex. To do it well, the

project manager must possess excellent communication and planning skills, and be able to
discuss planning and strategies with the stakeholders. There are many tasks, stages, and
procedures, all of which may change during the project.

Extensive strategic planning, solid leadership, a well-defined scope, a responsive team of

stakeholders, and healthy work relationships all contribute to project success.

The Role

A Project Manager is a key figure of any Service Team. They will be primarily responsible
for the overall successfulness of delivering a project, reaching set targets both safely and
correctly.

They must be able to perform effectively within tight time-scales, keep within strict budgets
and create a positive client environment such that clients become/remain in a good
relationship throughout the contract.

They will manage a set of service deliveries, which must be achieved on time to ensure all
activities in the schedule are completed in time. To overcome certain task, project mangers
must show initiative and be able to find ways to best adapt a situation to provide a successful
overall critical path analysis.

A PM will be expected to support the development of the leadership, both on-site and back in
the offices. They will need to organise the best team possible to complete the project, whilst
training and teaching the employees towards the companies core values. Encouragement of
excellence and quality in work will lead to a great reputation amongst clients.

Responsibilities

• Plan the delivery of the project at hand.

• Manage the day-to-day working, utilisation, implementation and technical consultants

engaged on client assignments. From ensuring the correct material turns up before a job, to
explaining the work ethics and activities to colleagues.

• Report progress on projects by suitable media to sector management, maintain and update
project reporting, checkpoints and financial reporting to a high standard.

• Plan and arrange visits to existing and new potential clients, ensuring every client receives
sufficient support to enhance their relationships.

• Develop contacts with senior staff, directors, and other influential staff within each account
during the implementation phase.

• Co-ordinate required support levels and training.

• Produce reports on each project at agreed intervals, and whenever substantive actions are
required.

Programme Evaluation and Review Technique

Program (Project) Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT): is a project management tool
used to schedule, organize, and coordinate tasks within a project. It is basically a method to
analyse the tasks involved in completing a given project, especially the time needed to
complete each task, and to identify the minimum time needed to complete the total project.

Project management technique that shows the time taken by each component of a project,
and the total time required for its completion. PERT breaks down the project
into events and activities, and lays down their proper sequence, relationships, and duration in
the form of a network. Lines connecting the events are called paths, and the longest path
resulting from connecting all events is called the critical path.

The length (duration) of the critical path is the duration of the project, and any delay
occurring along it delays the whole project. PERT is a scheduling tool, and does not help in
finding the best or the shortest way to complete a project.

An Activity: An Activity represents efforts applied over a period of time which has a definite
beginning and ending. This involves expenditure of resources. Activities are graphically
represented by arrows with descriptions and time estimates written along the arrow as shown
below: Paint Wall 10 The arrow representing an activity is not a vector quantity. The
direction of the arrow and its length has got no specific meaning.
 (ii) An Event: An Event is a point of time indicating the start or completion of an activity and
does not signify any expenditure of resources. An activity is bounded by two events. Events
are graphically represented by circles. Events are described by such words as complete, start,
issue, approve, tested, etc. Words like design, procure, test, develop, prepare, etc. indicate
that work is being accomplished and thus represent activities.
Events are as such the beginning and the ending points of activities. Some times an event
may represent the joint completion of more than one activity in which case it is called a
"merge" event. In case of joint starting of more than one activity, the corresponding event is
called a "burst" event. The event numbers are written inside as represented below :

(iii) A Dummy Activity: Sometimes an arrow is to be used merely to represent dependency

of one activity over another whereas the arrow itself does neither represent any expenditure
of resources nor it has got any duration. Dummies are generally represented by dotted arrows
or solid arrows with zero time duration. These are required for completing the logic of the
project.

Graphic representation
The graphic representation of a project is called a network and consists of a list of activities
and priorities. This visual representation allows each part to be related to the whole, allowing
the project to be easily understood. It is important that the priority relationships between the
activities involved in the project are clearly identified and represented using partial graphs,
which are subsequently used to form a complete network.

A network diagram includes the following steps:

 All the project activities should be clearly defined and identified.

 The technological sequence between the activities must be indicated.
 A network must be constructed which shows the relative priority relationships.
 The execution periods for each activity should be estimated.
 The network is evaluated and the critical path is calculated.
 As time goes on and more information is acquired, it is revised and re-evaluated.

The typical network characterises a set of different “arrow diagrams” which go from the
origin node to the destination node. In this sense, the path is defined as a sequence of
connected activities, which flow from the start of the project (node 1) to the end. The time
required to follow one of these paths is the sum of the times corresponding to each of the
activities. The critical path is that which requires the longest time to progress from inception
to completion, and indicates the minimum timeframe required to complete the whole project.

Critical Path Analysis, Critical Path Method

A network map of a project, tracing the work from a departure point to the final completion
objective.

An activity is represented by a line or arrow. This line or arrow connects two events. Each
event is a specific point in time, marking the beginning and/or end of an activity.
Artificial dummy events may be included to ensure that all activities have a unique pair of
event numbers. Also network dummy activities, (shown by dashed line) which take no time
but indicate dependence. Dummies are particularly necessary in computerised CPMs.
The network may also include time/calendar information (including boundaries) and hence
deadline data.

2.5 Network Logics

2.5.1. Before an activity may begin all activities preceding it must be completed.
2.5.2 Length, Orientation or shape of the arrow has no significance. It only implies logic.
2.5.3 The beginning of the activity is a 'tail event' while completion is 'head event'.
2.5.4 No activity to be shown more than once in network.
2.5.5 Any two events may be directly connected by not more than one activity.
2.5.6 While drawing network it is assumed that time flows from left to right and head event
number is higher than the tail event number.
2.5.7 Network may have only one initial event and only one terminal event.
2.5.8 Representation of inter dependency of the activity should be clearly indicated.
2.6. Hints for drawing network.
2.6.1 Many of the rules for drawing network are based upon common approach. The few
illustrations given below will highlight these aspects.
2.6.1.1 Avoidance of crossing of activities