In meetings with hundreds of clients about their office building needs, we noticed that from the start there was an important confusing element: the difference between a project manager and a construction project manager. What is construction project management? And why should I hire both?
One person typically handles both the project and construction management for small businesses. These are very different roles that call for different skills, so that could be what’s holding the company back. Project managers and construction managers each have unique tasks, accountability, and project management or construction management software.
In this article, we will describe the different roles of each position and the importance of each.
What is the difference between a project manager and a construction project manager?
Project management is broader
The main difference between a project manager and a site manager is scope. Project managers are typically higher up in the organization’s food chain and have broader responsibilities.
For example, a construction manager may only oversee the construction of the building itself, while a project manager will manage all aspects of the project, from site selection to collection. land acquisition and hire a construction manager.
A project manager’s job is to provide the site manager and all other project participants with the tools and support they need to get the job done.
Typical Project Manager activities include:
- Website Analytics
- Land purchase
- Marketing and public relations
- Budget management
- Managing chronology and deadlines
- Employees (including construction managers)
Site selection process:
While your broker is your primary point of contact during the site selection process, it is important to engage with the project manager at this stage. Your project manager will help you check adjustments for potential spaces, as well as provide you with a project budget and schedule so you can compare multiple spaces and know you can. how much IT is needed to negotiate your lease?
The design process:
This is where the project manager really takes the lead. From design discovery to bidding and design approval, the project manager will coordinate all the vendors and steps involved in designing the perfect office space for your business.
Submission and Authorization:
The project manager will guide you through the vendor selection process, as well as the tedious authorization process. This phase, also known as the “pre-construction” phase, is when all the pieces are ready to bring your project to life, including construction drawings, general contractor and construction manager, licenses, and more.
Construction:
During construction, the Project Manager will act as your direct point of contact and directly manage all contractors and suppliers. To ensure that your project is delivered on time and within budget, the project manager will perform regular site checks and provide you with scheduled updates on work progress. job. Additionally, the Project Manager will coordinate all FF&E settings and checklist items.
Delivery:
Once construction is complete, so does most of the work from other vendors. However, the project manager stays with you to coordinate your move-in and will be available to assist you with any issues that may arise once you have occupied space.
The construction manager is more involved in the details
Project managers generally do not deal with construction, equipment, and materials workers except by contracting them. The construction manager’s job is to determine what his or her needs are in these areas, develop a proposal, and submit it to the project manager for approval.
The project manager will evaluate the cost against the budget and may ask the construction manager for an explanation of the costs, but ultimately he relies on the construction manager to understand these things.
A Contractor manager is a site manager and reports directly to the project manager. Contractor manager in charge:
Contractors and Subcontractors: A construction manager will assemble a team of contractors and subcontractors.
Construction Budget: Once a budget has been finalized and approved by tenants and their contractors, the contractor is responsible for managing that budget.
Work Orders: If problems arise or need to be changed, the Construction Manager is responsible for proposing a solution and submitting the work order to the project manager and tenant for approval.
Code Compliance: It is the responsibility of the construction manager to ensure that all aspects of construction comply with building codes.
The project manager and the construction manager are often the same person:
Not every construction company is a huge enterprise with tens of thousands of workers. Sometimes a firm consists of just a few—or even just a couple—people. Then one person is responsible for both the project manager’s and the construction manager’s duties.
This can be difficult, and as the company expands, it might be necessary to divide these two responsibilities in order to prevent overtaxing the individual and running the risk of problems if details are missed on larger construction projects.
- Main differences between the two roles
Let’s do a quick recap of our comparison between site managers and project managers:
- The site manager works on the construction site, while the project manager mainly works in the office
- The site manager is only involved in the construction phase, while the project manager oversees the entire project.
- Construction managers report to project managers, so they have less authority to make comparisons.
- Construction managers are not required to have a bachelor’s degree, while the expectations and requirements of PMs are much higher, so without a higher degree, they cannot compete in the market.
Takeaways
While increasing the internal adoption of the new productivity tracking system may seem like a daunting task at first, developing a comprehensive implementation strategy can significantly increase the usage of the mining platform. Create and help both project managers and construction managers maximize the benefits of technology.
Once potential productivity benefits are realized and collaborative processes between PM and CM are established, it is much easier to address waste and inefficiencies, leading to better information in real-time. real-time view of the overall health of the project. Of course, since we’re all human, mistakes are almost certain to occur in large projects like construction ones. But at least with construction project management software, we can try to minimize them.