Describe about the Methodology for Engineering and Construction Domain.
In this report project management methodologies that can applied in an engineering and construction domain are written. The case study that is chosen for this report includes the challenges that are faced by the construction industry. The challenges will be seen from the view of a project manager. The methodologies that can be applied in order to solve the problems or the challenges faced by the project manager of the construction industry are also included in this report. The proper sequence and all the components or processes of the project management in a construction industry are also included in this report. The information regarding the project management methodologies are taken from PMBOK which is a popular resource of important information and guidelines of project management throughout the world.
Project management can be defined as the system where a combination of tools, skills, knowledge and different techniques are applied to the activities of a particular project in order to achieve the requirements of the project (PMBOK guide, 2000). There are different steps that are to be followed in proper order in order to accomplish a successful project or to manage a project effectively and efficiently. These steps or process are known as initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing (Collins, 2011). There are several areas that are to be managed by a project management team and these area are known as management of the integrity of the project, scope of the project management, management of the project time or duration, management of the costs of the project, quality management of the project, managing the human resource system of the project and project communications management (Kerzner, 2001). The risks in a project are also to be managed by the project management team. Procure management is another important activity of the project management team. All these are included in a construction industry and the project management team of a construction work must execute all of these. In case of a construction industry these are explained below:
In this segment it is the duty of the project management team or the project manager to ensure that all the activities and the elements of a project are properly co – ordinated and integrated with each other (PMBOK guide, 2000). The construction industry contains a lot of complicated activities and therefore, in order to make the construction project work successful and effective ( also efficient ), all the activities and elements of a construction work must be properly co – ordinated and integrated with each other.
In this segment all the works that are required to be done in order to meet the objectives of the project work are described (PMBOK guide, 2000). It includes the processes of the project management such as initiation, scope of the planning, scope of the definition, scope of the verification, developing the schedule and controlling the developed schedule.
In this segment the project management team estimates the time required for each and every activity that are performed in the project work and as a result of this the time of the entire project can be estimated (PMBOK guide, 2000). In order to do this, the works are broken into small works or activities, and then they are defined properly, after these small jobs are properly sequenced so that no time can be wasted. From the estimation of the duration of the activities a schedule is also developed and then this developed scheduled is properly controlled by the project management team or the project manager.
It is one of the most important tasks of the project management team. The project management team or the project manager needs to control the costs of the project so that the entire project work can be completed within the specified budget (PMBOK guide, 2000). It includes several activities like cost control, cost budgeting, cost estimating, resource planning and other similar jobs. In an engineering and construction industry all the jobs are broken into small activities and then the costs are estimated. They are arranged in proper order in which the costs will be reduced at the minimal level in order to reduce the cost of the entire project work (Collins, 2011). The main objective of the project management team in an engineering and construction industry is to keep the cost of the entire project within the specified budget.
The project management team is also responsible for ensuring that the quality of the entire project can meet the requirements of the project (PMBOK guide, 2000). In this segment there are also several activities that are to be performed by the project management team and these are known as quality control, quality assurance and quality planning (Kent and Becerik-Gerber, 2010). In an engineering and construction industry quality management is done by performing four steps sequentially and these four steps are known as the development and implication of the quality policy, development of the quality objectives, generating requirement standards and other regulatory and statutory requirements. In order to maintain the quality procedures all the documents must be properly controlled. The records and the non – conforming products are also to be controlled properly (Collins, 2011). All the internal qualities must be properly audited. The project management team is also responsible for taking proper corrective and preventive actions according to the requirements. All the plans and reports must be properly inspected in order to ensure the quality of the work. A check list must be made by the project management team of an engineering and construction industry in order to ensure that all the required activities are being properly performed.
It is the most important duty of the project management team to ensure that the employees or the workers who are involved in the project work are properly skilled and efficient (PMBOK guide, 2000). In order to execute proper human resource management, proper organisation planning is required. It also needs proper acquisition of the staff and efficient team development. In an engineering and construction industry different types of activities are performed and therefore in this industry different types of employees and workers are also required. The project management team of an engineering and construction industry must ensure that none of the employees or the workers face any difficulty or problem in the construction site (Hughes et al., 2004). Proper co – ordination must be kept among them. All the employees and workers must be properly trained, skilled and qualified for the job for which they are recruited.
The project management team or the project manager is also responsible for ensuring proper generation, dissemination, collection, disposition and storage of the information of the project (PMBOK guide, 2000). It requires proper communication planning, reporting of the performance, distribution of the information and the closure of the administrative information. As an engineering and construction industry contains a lot of activities and all the activities are inter – related with each other, proper information is required for executing the entire project work successfully (Heerkens, 2002). Therefore in engineering and construction industry communications management is very important.
The project management team needs to identify the probability of all the possible risks. After identifying the risks they are also analysed and according to the chance of occurrence the required actions are taken (PMBOK guide, 2000). It includes a risk management planning. First of all the risks are identified. Then they are analysed qualitatively. Not only qualitative, but after this a quantitative analysis of the identified risks are also done. A risk response planning is also made in this portion of the project management methodology. Then they are properly monitored and controlled. In an engineering and construction industry, there are different types of risks that can take place. The risks in the engineering and construction industry are classified into several classes and these are known as technical risks, logistical risks, management related risks, environmental risks, financial risks, and socio – political risks (Deeprose, 2002). The technical risks include several factors like improper investigation of the construction site, incomplete design, improper specifications, and the uncertainty and unavailability of the source of the materials. The logistical risks include the factors like inadequate transportation facilities and unavailability of the equipments and spare parts that are used in the engineering and construction industry. The management related risks include the risks of uncertain productivity and different types of problems in the industrial relations. The environmental risks include the risks like natural disaster and seasonal and weather problems (Lambeck and Eschemuller, 2009). The financial risk is the risk that must be analysed properly. It includes the risks like local taxes, inflation, payment delays, and repartition of the funds and the fluctuation of the foreign exchange. On the other hand the socio – political risks include the risks like the insistence on the use of the domestic or local agents and firms. The problems of the restriction of the customs in importing a foreign material are another important risk factor and it is also included in the socio – political risks. In construction project there some common sources from which different types of risks can take place within the organisation and these common sources of risks are given below (Deeprose, 2002):
Alteration in the requirements and scopes of the construction project
Errors in the design
Design omission
Roles and responsibilities are not properly defined
Inadequate skilled staff
Subcontractor
Insufficient experience of the contractor
New methods and technology
Uncertainty regarding the primary relationship among the project participants
Force majeure
Unfamiliar with the new methods and technology in the construction industry
The project management team describes the methods that can be used for acquiring goods and also different types of services from the outside of the organisation that is performing (A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide, 2000). There are several activities that are to be performed in order to make the procure management successful and effective. It includes the activities like procurement planning, selection of source, solicitation, planning of solicitation, administration of the contract, and the close out of the contract (Harbhajan Singh, 2009). In case of an engineering and construction industry there are four main principles of the procurement processes and these are known as general contracting, design and build, construction management and the contract management. In case of general contracting, it is the traditional or conventional procurement method. In this method the contractor works with the employer (Tang, 2003).
Conclusion:
It can be concluded from the report that the project management methodologies are very important in an engineering and construction industry. The project management team and the project manager of an engineering and construction industry must be effective and efficient in order to make the entire construction work successful. From the report it can also be understood that the project management team can improve the efficiency of the entire construction work significantly.
References
A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide), (2000).
Collins, R. (2011). Project management. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Deeprose, D. (2002). Project management. Oxford, U.K.: Capstone Pub.
Harbhajan Singh, (2009). Construction project management. Chandigarh: Abhishek Publications.
Heerkens, G. (2002). Project management. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Hughes, S., Tippett, D. and Thomas, W. (2004). Measuring Project Success in the Construction Industry. Engineering Management Journal, 16(3), pp.31-37.
Kent, D. and Becerik-Gerber, B. (2010). Understanding Construction Industry Experience and Attitudes toward Integrated Project Delivery. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 136(8), pp.815-825.
Kerzner, H. (2001). Project management. New York: John Wiley.
Lambeck, R. and Eschemuller, J. (2009). Urban construction project management. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Tang, S. (2003). Modern construction project management. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
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