The role and responsibility of the project manager in each construction project is difficult to overestimate, and an uninitiated person cannot even imagine how many tasks the project manager operates, how many different issues he must simultaneously keep under control. Construction project management requires the coordination of a huge number of people: the project team, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, as well as external stakeholders – customers-clients, supervisory authorities, investors.

The efficiency of construction companies in market conditions largely depends on the timely resolution of emerging problems by the manager. The construction project manager has to face many challenges and work in multitasking mode, simultaneously monitoring the execution of a long list of tasks.

Construction project management involves specialists of different profiles who must work together on one project and communicate effectively. Coordination of the project team, contractors, subcontractors, control over the work of suppliers, communication with investors and customers, preparation of reports for regulatory authorities – this is only the “tip of the iceberg” in the work of a construction project manager.

It is almost impossible for one person to keep track of all operational processes, and constant stress and workload lead to fatigue. The human factor comes into play, and as a result, the manager can make erroneous or ineffective decisions. After all, a person is not a machine that cannot lose sight of any detail for a long period of time. But, at the same time, in order to successfully manage a project, the manager must be focused and maximally focused on solving daily tasks.

It is difficult to effectively manage all stages of construction without losing sight of any detail. Some routine processes can be delegated to subordinates so as not to focus on solving extremely important tasks. But you can also turn to digital solutions that significantly simplify the work of a modern manager, increasing his efficiency. How exactly do modern solutions help optimize the work of a construction process manager?

Managing construction projects in the realities of technological progress is the topic of our article, in which we will talk about the advantages of using PlanRadar software.

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Construction Project Management : What Problems Does a Construction Project Manager Face?

Construction Site Building Drone Remote Monitoring Using Tablet

The main thing depends on the project manager: the delivery of the object on time and within the established budget. But to achieve the result, it is necessary to solve a large list of tasks. The project manager has to “embrace the immensity” and deal with the following issues:

• Construction Site Process Management
• Team project planning
• Financing and budget
• Project Cost and Financing Management
• Negotiations with customers and investors
• Project quality control at all its stages
• Ensuring effective communications
• Project risk management
• Procurement Management
• Human Resources Organization
• Project Material Resource Management
• Contractual Relationship Management
• Ensuring the safety of the project and employees
• Legal support for the project

Construction project management includes a wide range of tasks, and one person cannot cover them all at once: one has to be scattered between all processes. As a result, one has to shift the focus of attention to one of the tasks, trying not to lose sight of the current processes at the same time.

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For example, focus on planning the work process on the construction site, but then effective communication in the team or other items from the task list may decrease. The most problematic items that present the greatest difficulty for the manager are:

Ineffective risk management

Often project managers take steps to protect against long-term risks without taking into account current small problems. But these can quickly snowball and begin to impact the bottom line. For example, unreliable contractors and suppliers, schedule conflicts, and ongoing changes from customers can disrupt project deadlines. Therefore, it is important to have a contingency plan in place.

Lack of clear plans and objectives

Without setting specific goals, it is difficult to achieve effective results. A construction project can easily fall behind schedule or go over budget if there is no clear plan and schedule for the work to be completed . And without keeping key metrics, it is difficult to hold employees accountable for their part of the project in the event of failure. It is necessary to break down larger project goals into smaller daily tasks, assign responsibility, and monitor the results.

Lack of communication

Without clear and effective communication, the team may not respond to emerging issues and project updates in a timely manner. This will lead to delays in decision-making. Lack of communication between designers and contractors, ineffective information exchange leads to disruption of important communications. All this leads to rework, delays in construction deadlines and budgets. There must be clear communication, prompt information to the team in real time. The best solution to this problem is the use of cloud software.

Unrealistic expectations and forecasts

Working with unachievable goals can actually reduce productivity. The problem of forecasting has a significant impact on the implementation of the entire project. Erroneous figures, indicators, inflated expectations caused by forecast errors can lead to catastrophic results and large financial losses. An experienced manager knows that forecasts must be broken down into smaller daily goals that will help identify discrepancies between plans and reality. This requires collecting statistics and daily data analysis.

Construction Project Management in 2023: How to Succeed

In the field of construction project management, it is very important for a project manager to have extensive management experience and a high level of professional training. Thanks to forecasting and risk management, a manager can prevent incorrect steps at the earliest stages of design that will lead to additional costs and redoing of some work, which will affect the delay in the delivery of the facility. A project manager must have sufficient competencies and experience to competently apply construction management to optimize all processes, reduce financial and time costs for project implementation.

But even despite experience and stress resistance, a number of tasks need to be delegated, distributing areas of responsibility among subordinates who will deal with routine issues in order to free up the manager’s time to solve more global problems.

This type of work organization is called micromanagement. For example, in large construction projects there may be several managers who manage different sectors but communicate with each other on the project. However, this approach does not always bring high results even in large-scale projects.

As a rule, in construction companies, one manager is responsible for one project. Sometimes, he/she even manages two projects in parallel: they do not present any significant complexity, and the construction sites themselves are located in close locations.

A project manager with the necessary competencies is an important link in the successful implementation of a project and the prosperity of the business as a whole. The skills of specific managers in ensuring the implementation of projects are the key to the success of a project, therefore, the training of project managers of a high professional level requires not only theoretical training, but also practical experience.

A manager working on a project must use the most advanced theoretical knowledge to make the project successful and must become more qualified in the process of completing the project. Such personnel are highly valued, because with the advent of technology, modern construction is becoming more complex. It is necessary to master modern construction management tools that can help scale the business, bring it to a qualitatively new level. At the same time, project budgets are growing, tasks are becoming more complex and the responsibility of the construction management manager is growing. It is quite difficult for a manager to effectively cope with all the tasks. But the desired result can be achieved by fulfilling three conditions:

1. High qualification and competence of the manager;
2. Competent organization of the entire chain of work processes;
3. Using modern software in the construction industry.

It is desirable for a project manager to have experience in different construction sectors, as this will help him better understand all processes, from engineering project management to legal and financial support. Therefore, the so-called “horizontal” career is especially valued now, when before taking a high position, a manager gains experience in different construction areas, receives relevant experience and education. Among the so-called “soft skills” that a manager should have, we can highlight:

• ability to work with objections;
• ability to multitask
• stress resistance;
• ability to delegate authority;
• ability to build effective communications:
• broad outlook, following trends;
• the ability to take on and bear responsibility.

In recent years, digital tools for project managers have come to the aid of managers. Not so long ago, it was necessary to use universal solutions. For example, the same Excel tables or task planners. But such tools did not solve all the problems.

There are currently many software solutions available on the construction market designed for project management. However, it is important to choose from the programs available the software that can provide convenient work at all stages of construction, helping to control processes, set tasks, interact with the team, monitor the budget and deadlines, and distribute resources.

It is also worth paying special attention to cloud platforms that can be used from a smartphone, download and work with data in real time and do not even depend on the availability of the Internet at the construction site, unlike programs that require installation.

We recommend trying the PlanRadar construction project management software solution, which has a wide range of functionality and a large selection of built-in tools that allow you to fully digitize your business.

Read also: How PlanRadar can solve commercial real estate management problems

Managing Construction Projects with PlanRadar

Ability to manage multiple projects on one platform

PlanRadar functionality allows you to create a digital project of your facility in less than 10 minutes – you only need to fill in the proposed fields and upload a drawing, plan or BIM model. You can create several projects (depending on the tariff plan), information on each of them will be offered in the information panel in the form of diagrams or a list – so that you can simultaneously see the situation on each and set priorities.

Process monitoring

Tracking all actions and events on the construction site, any changes or problems is possible thanks to task management: with PlanRadar you will always have up-to-date information on tasks – their status, who is responsible for their implementation, the expected completion date and tasks with urgent deadlines.

All tasks have their own color depending on the status of their execution, they can be easily found both on the drawing and using smart filters. Updates on each task come via push notifications, so you will never miss important information. All actions on tasks are carried out in real time, so questions on defects, checks and approvals are faster and more transparent, which means there are no time delays and the project is on schedule.

A single channel for communication with the entire team

The application will allow you to stay in touch with all project participants – from your specialists to subcontractors, investors, customers and any other people involved in the project. You can add an unlimited number of invited users to one account (depending on the tariff plan), give them access rights – to create your own tasks, for example, enter comments and media files, create reports.

Read also: Construction Management: Effective Work with Subcontractors

For investors or supervisory bodies, or the customer, you can set up access to project information at your discretion – define the role of an observer, for example. In this way, they will be able to see the situation on the project without any internal details, but will not be able to make any changes.

All events, comments and new tasks are updated in real time. Notifications or emails will be sent to your mobile device. All data is securely stored in the cloud, nothing will be lost. There is no need to call, schedule meetings, meet at the site – the messenger functionality is implemented in the task chat. There you can attach not only photos, audio recordings, text comments, but also add 30-second videos – this provides more accurate information and eliminates misunderstandings or discrepancies in tasks.

Every update of the plan, drawing , entering additional data, clarifications – you will not miss anything thanks to automatic notifications, and at any time you will be able to receive feedback from your team, directly distribute tasks and see the progress through a single communication channel, without the need to connect other messengers or hold personal meetings. This greatly optimizes work and saves time in team management.

Data collection for analytics and planning

It is always important for a project manager to have full information on the situation at the facility, deadlines or problems that need to be solved promptly in order to meet the schedule. Traditionally, managers are forced to collect reports from different departments, analyze them to compile a general summary, to see what needs to be done first at this stage, and how the project fits into the deadlines and budget. The PlanRadar functionality can quickly obtain systematized statistical data on tasks, on the project, on team members and other indicators – in the form of visual diagrams. Thanks to them, you can analyze the situation for several projects at once, avoiding the painstaking routine of analyzing reports in Excel format, and quickly and correctly set tasks and deadlines for the entire team.

Read also: How PlanRadar simplifies quality control of any facility and reduces costs

Generate reports on the go

Builders will especially appreciate the ability to work with the application on mobile devices directly at the site – full functionality for creating any type of report : a defective act, an acceptance/delivery act, inspection of hidden works, checklists, orders, a site log, a task report, a project report and any other. The site manager receives all reports directly – no need to go to mail, no interaction with paper versions of reports. Moreover, the report template composer makes it possible to create them according to the internal standards of the organization, with a corporate logo – everything is flexibly configured for specific tasks and the user.

To generate a report, you only need a few clicks on your smartphone: select a task or project, report form, and the system will automatically load all the necessary data and generate a ready report, which can be previewed before sending in PDF format. There is no need to compile data from different responsible persons, wait for the report to be received. The project manager will always be able to show the most up-to-date project report to the investor or customer without the need to involve third parties to provide the necessary information.

Digital documentation in the cloud is available at any time

PlanRadar is a very convenient tool for creating any type of digital documentation. With its use, you can completely move away from paper versions, digitize your business processes with maximum efficiency. Digital project documents will always be at your fingertips – the application works on any device, the data is stored in a secure cloud . Wherever you are, you can always get all the documents, drawings and reports in the application. That is, you no longer need paper media, a bulky laptop on the road to control work processes and the team. Any of the documents can be imported or exported in the required PDF or Excel format for printing, in addition, digital documents can be signed – this function is also implemented.

The cloud software solution can also be integrated with various software, for example, such a common one as 1C – an open API allows you to combine systems, automating issues of estimates, volumes of work performed, etc.

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It is obvious that even a very good specialist – a construction project manager, in addition to the relevant managerial skills and education, absolutely needs a digital mobile solution to effectively solve problems and successfully manage a project without missing deadlines and exceeding the budget.

We are confident that our digital tool will be able to improve your business processes, digitize and help optimize project management in construction, saving your time and resources, helping to effectively distribute and control them. Try PlanRadar for free during the 30-day trial period – evaluate the ease of operation and obvious benefits.

• Строительство
• Управление проектами