Success factors for successful construction project deployment

Discuss about the Role of Project Management in Construction Projects.

Construction projects are always the considerable aspects for the enhancement of the economy of a country and most of the contributions in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) are made by construction projects. The purpose of this report is to highlight the importance and effectiveness of the project management approaches in the construction project. Project management can be defined as a set of practices those could be applied to any project for successful deployment and development of the project. Various scholarly articles have been selected through collecting the public accesses online library and research has been followed accordingly.

Many researchers were identified to be highlighting on the different aspects as the crucial success factors for the successful deployment of the construction projects. Mok, Shen and Yang (2015) stated that controlling and planning techniques are the major crucial factors for the successful deployment of the construction projects. On the other hand Hwang, Zhao and Toh (2014) stated that “scheduling techniques, monitoring, and control mechanisms” are the effective and crucial factors those can influence the output of the construction project. Expanding to these factors He et al. (2014) added “feedback, review, project philosophy, organization, resource allocation, and project team selection and composition” as the major and concerning aspects for the successful delivery of the project. Some of other success factors those are capable of influencing the construction project includes “client characteristics, training, manpower competencies, management of labor, finance, and logistics (Serpella et al. 2014).” Combining separate comments and statements of different researchers can be combined as project management approaches as all these factors have been provided high priority in manner to accomplish a successful project despite of the sectors. Project management allows the manager or the leader to accomplish all these factors in sequential manner and drive out effective output from the project. Project life cycle should must be accomplished as per the phases explained in the project management including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closure in manner to deploy the project successful manner (Tezel et al. 2017). Qualities of the leader or manager are the major key factor for the successful delivery of the project within the expected triple constraints including scope, budget, and quality.

Project Manager has been provided with the maximum responsibility for managing the constraints of the project and managing them for the beneficial outcomes. After the heads of the organization or owner of the project, project manager is the second most influenced and impacted key stakeholder of any project. Musa et al. (2016) commented that the project manager is the one who is responsible for smooth and effective communication between the stakeholders including the responsibilities of empowerment, influencing, team building, problem solving, conflict resolution, setting the constraints of the project, assigning roles and responsibilities to the team members, and many others. According to Islam et al. (2015), both the success and failure of the project relies on the quality and capability of the project manager as most of the crucial sectors of the project have been associated with the styles, techniques, and tools used by the project manager during the overall execution of the project. Project manager is the one who set the pathways of the project and drove the team members towards either success or failure. The role of project manager with experience and proper leadership qualities can be effective in managing the schedule, budget, scope, quality, and output of the construction project. Handling the stakeholders and taking care that they are assigned with proper roles and responsibilities within the project as per their capability is another role of the project manager.

Role of project manager in construction project

Construction projects are full of uncertainties those are capable of influencing the whole lifecycle of the project influencing the output and quality of the project. Construction project needs both the managerial and leadership skills for delivering the objectives of the project in an efficient and effective manner. Udawatta et al. (2015) experimented on the big dig project and represented how uncertainties can affect the overall growth and development of the project and enhance the constraints of the project by unexpected multiples. The qualities and capabilities of the project manager can be stated the primary key for the success of the project however; it is also one of the big challenge to appoint a manager to the project that is capable of these qualities. Project manager plays the major role in the delivery of the project and he or she should be well educated and experienced for delivering the project successfully. Other than the human factor the quality of the resources, total quality management, risk management, planning, auditing are some of the vital factors emphasizes by the project management book of knowledge (Taylan et al. 2014). Experience is one off the crucial aspect in the field of the construction project as an experienced project would be capable of considering and assuming the changes and uncertainties, those could affect the execution of the project and being prepared accordingly.

Project management is consist of five major phases including the initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and project closure and every phase has been provided with the same importance. Mir and Pinnington (2014) stated that every phase of the project is the crucial factor for the delivery of the project and the phases must be accomplished in sequential manner in manner to make sure every activity is being accomplished as per the defined goals and objectives. A project can only be stated as a successful project if the project is capable of fulfilling the needs and requirements of the stakeholders. Every phase of the project is consist of many sub activities those can be utilized within the construction project by the project manager in manner to assure that the output of the project will be in positive manner. There are many methodologies of the project management available nowadays including the hybrid and original such as Waterfall project management, Agile Project Management, Critical Chain or Path, PRISM (Projects integrating Sustainable Methods), PRINCE2, PMBoK, and many others. Iqbal et al. (2015) recommended the PRISM as the most suitable methodology for the delivery of the construction project as it considers the various sectors of the project initiation and emphasizes on the acceptance of the change. There are various tools and techniques those could be applied for managing and setting the project constraints during the lifecycle of the project. Project manager can utilize them for implementing effective and efficient changes in the project and effectively manage the stakeholders and other constraints of the project.

Phases of project management for construction projects

Risk management is the most considerable factor for the successful development and execution of the construction or any other project. The project management approaches emphasize on the risk management as the part of the project management approaches as it includes various phases. Risk management includes identification of the risks, risk prioritization, identification of the impact and risk handling. Risk can be positive or negative depending upon the type of the influence caused by the identified risk on the overall lifecycle of the project. The project manager needs to identify the opportunities in the risks and handle the risks accordingly in manner to manage the efficient output of the project. Turner (2016) explained the difference between the risk mitigation and risk handling as mitigation is an approach of eliminating the identified risk despite of the nature and influence on the project however; risk handling is a procedure of managing the risks based on the nature and impact of the risk on the project. Risk management is a very vast chapter specially, in the field of the construction project and various tools and techniques are available that can be utilized by the project manager for limiting the risks and their impact on the overall lifecycle of the project.

Conclusion

Based on the above literature review it was identified that project management in the construction management can be a crucial factor for the accomplishment and successful delivery of the project. Risks and uncertainties are the tails of the construction project as there are more than countable factors those need to be considered while delivering or executing a construction project. However, effective and proper approach implementation related to the project can be beneficial in accomplishing the output of the project with higher standards. Project management considers many aspects of the projects or almost every aspect of the project however; leadership, management, and innovative capabilities of the project manager are the key for executing these approaches and delivering the project successful. Project management allows the manager to consider many and every aspect of the project and take better decision based on the present scenario.

References

He, Q., Luo, L., Hu, Y. and Chan, A.P., 2015. Measuring the complexity of mega construction projects in China—A fuzzy analytic network process analysis. International Journal of Project Management, 33(3), pp.549-563.

Hwang, B.G., Zhao, X. and Toh, L.P., 2014. Risk management in small construction projects in Singapore: Status, barriers and impact. International Journal of Project Management, 32(1), pp.116-124.

Iqbal, S., Choudhry, R.M., Holschemacher, K., Ali, A. and Tamošaitien?, J., 2015. Risk management in construction projects. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 21(1), pp.65-78.

Islam, M.S., Trigunarsyah, B., Hassanain, M. and Assaf, S., 2015, October. Causes of delay in construction projects in Bangladesh. In The 6th International Conference on Construction Engineering and Project Management, Busan, Korea (pp. 82-86).

Mir, F.A. and Pinnington, A.H., 2014. Exploring the value of project management: linking project management performance and project success. International journal of project management, 32(2), pp.202-217.

Mok, K.Y., Shen, G.Q. and Yang, J., 2015. Stakeholder management studies in mega construction projects: A review and future directions. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), pp.446-457.

Musa, A.M., Abanda, F.H., Oti, A.H., Tah, J.H.M. and Boton, C., 2016. The Potential of 4D modelling software systems for risk management in construction projects.

Serpella, A.F., Ferrada, X., Howard, R. and Rubio, L., 2014. Risk management in construction projects: a knowledge-based approach. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 119, pp.653-662.

Taylan, O., Bafail, A.O., Abdulaal, R.M. and Kabli, M.R., 2014. Construction projects selection and risk assessment by fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methodologies. Applied Soft Computing, 17, pp.105-116.

Tezel, A., Gosling, J., Kumar, M. and Koskela, L., 2017. Transition from Engineer-to-Order (EtO) to Assembly-to-Order (AtO) in Civil Infrastructure Projects: An Exploration of the Highways Supply Chain.

Turner, R., 2016. Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.

Udawatta, N., Zuo, J., Chiveralls, K. and Zillante, G., 2015. Improving waste management in construction projects: An Australian study. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 101, pp.73-83.