Project management is a key skill and function that ensure that large infrastructure projects in the construction industry are successful. A project manager has an eye on all aspects including planning, execution, monitoring, control, and closure. A good project manager(PM) can effectively optimize resources to save time and money, and still, make sure the project meets all deadlines and requirements. The project manager is a key member of the team, and acts as a bridge between the technical and the managerial committee, communicating with several stakeholders, mitigating risks, and acting as a leader.
Some key roles a project manager plays in the construction industry are the following:-?
- Planning : It is no surprise that planning is the primary function of a project manager considering how large-scale certain construction projects can be. A project manager not only has to prepare for his work but prepare tasks for all the team members. A project manager is also responsible for estimating costs and feasibility of the overall project, developing deliverables and a schedule, and doing overall review and supervision of tasks assigned.
- Acting as a bridge between stakeholders : Most project managers have the flexibility to take decisions on-site regarding the finances and the technical practicalities but they also have a duty to keep all the stakeholders including their boss and the client in the loop. If an issue comes up, the project manager’s work is to inform all parties about how this will affect timing, extra costs, and how they plan to fix/adjust that.
- Be a dispute manager : A project manager needs to ensure that he has his team and site in control, this does not mean one has to micro-manage and play dictator but this does mean being in the loop and effective supervision. One has to solve several conflicts and disputes that might occur on the site or within the team. Some examples of such disputes are the following: between fellow construction workers, the client and the project team, subcontractors or third parties. The whole project needs to be run smoothly and thus, unresolved issues might become an underlying cause of failure and cause loss of serious money and resources.
- Drafting Contracts : A contract is a legal document that binds the owner and the builder and every action that is taken for the project on or off-site needs to be documented and verified. The drafting of the contracts and the know-how come under the role and responsibilities of a project manager. Contracts are drafted with architects, material suppliers, sub-contractors and other third parties involved in the project.
- Managing risks and staying on budget and time : A successful project manager has a knack for judging potential risks and proceeding to work on mitigating them. The management of risks should be done with the mutual agreement of the client and the builder. Construction projects cost serious money and involved several key stakeholders and employ a large number of both blue-collar and white-collar workers. Thus, a project manager has to plan and manage the project such that the feasibility of the project is never brought to question. Estimation of both the finances and time is key for the success of the project.
- Managing people and delegating : One of the biggest responsibilities of a Project Manager lies in delegating tasks amongst the organizational structure, and making sure the tasks are being efficiently completed on time. The tasks in hand has to be properly assessed and resources must be allocated appropriately, based on requirements of each team.
All projects come with constraints and requirements which need to be met and a good project manager works within these limits resourcefully to make the project a success.?
