BMATWT 353 - Business of Building

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Project Management

Source: Levy, Sidnyey M. 2000. Project Management in Construction. McGraw-Hill, Boston

1. US Construction Industry Overview

2. The workforce - human resources

3. Project delivery systems

4. Quality Control

5. Safety

6. Productivity

7. Dispute Resolution

8. Niche Marketing

9. Changing Role of the General Contractor

10. Project Managers Role

1. US Construction Industry Overview

BIG

  • 8 million + jobs
  • Heading toward $1 trillion in overall spending
  • 12% of GDP
  • 400,000 General Contractors
  • 90% Small businesses
  • Highly competitive - Low margins

 

2. The workforce - human resources

  • Shortage of skilled workers
  • Retire at an early age
  • Shortage of skilled managers
  • Baby-boom demographics working against it

 

3. Project delivery systems

  • Fast track - overnight plan/take-off - Global connectivity
  • Design-build vs. design-bid-build

 

4. Quality Control

  • Continuing trend in emphasis on quality

 

5. Safety

  • Dangerous business increasing oversight (OSHA)
  • Workmens Comp issues

 

6. Productivity

  • Can small businesses fund R&D?
  • What about "Production Builders" (Pulte)

7. Dispute Resolution

  • Mediation vs. litigation as a solution

 

8. Niche Marketing

9. Changing Role of the General Contractor

  • 50 years ago had crews of skilled labor
  • Today reliance on specialty contractors and subcontractors

 

10. Project Managers Role

Four Components of Managing a Construction Project

  1. Construcion Engineering - how to assemble
  2. Managing the process - scheduling materials and labor
  3. Human resources management - labor productivity
  4. Financial management

Six Criteria for a Successful Project

  • Completed on time
  • Completed within budget
  • Quality levels achieved
  • No outstanding claims or disputes
  • Maintained professional relationship with architects and engineers
  • Contactor-client relationship is good.

 

 

 

    
         

Produced and maintained by David T. Damery
Building Materials and Wood Technology
Department of Natural Resources Conservation
College of Natural Resources and the Environment
University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

    
Many of the materials created for this course are the intellectual property of the instructor. This includes, but is not limited to, the syllabus, lectures and course notes. Except to the extent not protected by copyright law, any use, distribution or sale of such materials requires the permission of the instructor. Please be aware that it is a violation of university policy to reproduce, for distribution or sale, class lectures or class notes, unless the faculty member has explicitly waived copyright. Copyright 2006, David T. Damery