Critical success factors of engineering project management in construction

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the critical factors of success in construction project management (CPM). The main goal of the Construction Project Management is to provide superior service that seeks to achieve the successful completion of the projects of the customers. Many previous researches have discussed the importance of Construction Managers and Project Managers skills, however, the combined dual role of CPM as a discipline or profession remains under researched. It is a service of Construction Management that will take care of bids, negotiations, contracts for works, equipment purchases, budget control, cash flows and coordination of work, tasks in which everyone works closely with the team of Monitoring and Control Works. This paper includes the factors for the effectiveness of Construction Project Management, which are very critical for the effective implementation of CPM. For the effective construction project management, the proposed theory is a valuable diagnostic tool.

Critical success factors of engineering project management in construction

Introduction

From the 90's began a process of conversion of organizations to a more horizontal configuration, i.e., companies now have greater focus on its core business and come to define support activities as secondary. This process was not limited to industry, but it also has a major influence on the construction and engineering sector.

The “flattening” was accelerated by the imposition of competitive pressure and, consequently, by seeking to improve processes, which led companies to decide for outsourcing of core activities. The main objectives were to transform fixed costs into variable, increase operational efficiency, and also exploit the knowledge of experts in all disciplines: designers, consultants, materials manufacturers and service providers.

Background to the study

The study background represents engineering project management in construction. For the more modern approach, the term engineering project management in construction is now understood as a means of working from a quick route, direct, compressing and accelerating the construction process. From this perspective, we can define engineering project management in construction as a management methodology that aims to streamline and work concurrently every step of the construction process, from conception, feasibility study, location of the land (or property), legal and project licensing, planning, design and detailing, supply and logistics, and also managing the implementation of an enterprise or a lot of simultaneous actions that are part of the same project (Ekstedt, 1997).

Significance of the Study/ Aims

The significance of the study aims at standardization and streamlining of design and construction, avoiding clutter and overload in the use of resources in non-essential to the project. It further aims to develop speed, efficiency and economy of scale generated by optimizing processes and use of resources. It further aims to identify predictable performance and quality, as a result of standardization and rationalization, improving reliability processes of construction and management of projects.

Problem Statement

The lack of a methodology for engineering management in construction is known for the building industry: construction delayed, completed projects with values well over budget, dissatisfied customers and ...