Construction is a series of actions undertaken by construction companies and consultants, which produces or alter buildings and infrastructure.
Construction actions can be described as a complex interplay of people, tools, equipment and materials, coordinated by communication and paid for with money. Construction actions include:
design and management decisions;
direct physical production of the facility on site;
project close-out/final accounting; and
rehabilitation and maintenance of existing facilities.
The sets of actions, which make up most construction projects, are so complex that there must be a sophisticated system of coordination to ensure the work is undertaken correctly. The actions which form any one construction project are extremely complex and diverse because:
they take place in widely different locations; and
may involve practically every technology yet devised by humans.
What is construction management?
Construction management is the practice of ensuring that construction actions are undertaken effectively and efficiently.
Construction management is the management of the physical construction process within the built environment and includes the coordination, administration and management of resources. The Construction Manager is the one point of responsibility in this regard.
Fellows, Langford, Newcombe and Urry (2002), viewed construction management in two dimensions – the management of the business of construction and of projects. They highlight that in practice, the two dimensions rely on each other. This view is acknowledged by Radosavljevic and Bennett (2012) who posited that construction management is at the centre of both company and project management as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Construction Management at the centre of both Company and Project Management
Contractor vs. Construction Manager
The contractor means any person or legal entity entering into contract with the client for the execution of the works or part thereof.
The construction manager can be said to be a professional who manages the building construction process – prepares production documents, involved with the day to day management of construction projects, have responsibility for supervising people and reports to the client and senior management.
The Objectives of Management
This is to ensure that productive efforts undertaken by a company/individual are efficient and effective:
Less time taken
Less waste (Lean principles)
Economic use of resources
Higher quality products
More value
Less accidents and fatalities
Satisfaction of client/employer
Products are sustainable e.g. green buildings, low impact design, and passive energy usage
Construction is a series of actions undertaken by construction companies and consultants, which produces or alter buildings and infrastructure.
The sets of actions, which make up most construction projects, are so complex that there must be a sophisticated system of coordination to ensure the work is undertaken correctly. The actions which form any one construction project are extremely complex and diverse because:
What is construction management?
Construction management is the practice of ensuring that construction actions are undertaken effectively and efficiently.
Construction management is the management of the physical construction process within the built environment and includes the coordination, administration and management of resources. The Construction Manager is the one point of responsibility in this regard.
Fellows, Langford, Newcombe and Urry (2002), viewed construction management in two dimensions – the management of the business of construction and of projects. They highlight that in practice, the two dimensions rely on each other. This view is acknowledged by Radosavljevic and Bennett (2012) who posited that construction management is at the centre of both company and project management as shown in Figure 2.
Contractor vs. Construction Manager
The contractor means any person or legal entity entering into contract with the client for the execution of the works or part thereof.
The construction manager can be said to be a professional who manages the building construction process – prepares production documents, involved with the day to day management of construction projects, have responsibility for supervising people and reports to the client and senior management.
The Objectives of Management
This is to ensure that productive efforts undertaken by a company/individual are efficient and effective:
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