A professional PM can support Owners with a proven strategy to deliver the best possible projects, on time and within budget. Pressure falls on Owners, who will confront complex issues in every area from site preparation to technology infrastructure, from builder selection to the finishing touches before “opening day.” Handling these issues assures on-time delivery, within-budget projects that meet your needs. But it also puts huge demands on your time and requires skills and expertise few Owners possess.

The professional PM strives to give owners more effective control of complex construction, delivering high quality finished projects on time and within budget. The PM is your advocate, combining detailed technical knowledge with a commitment to meeting your needs. Not affected by any conflicting interest, the PM represents Owners in such crucial areas as:

• Release and use of funds throughout the project.
• Project scheduling.
• Control of the scope of work.
• Optimum use of other firms’ talents and resources.
• Avoiding delays, changes, disputes and cost overruns.
• Optimum flexibility in contracting and procurement.
• Assuring the project is built to specification to meet your needs.

Construction Project Managers provide specific expertise for all facets of the delivery process (pre-bond, planning, design, construction, etc.) without having to retain individuals on the payroll for specific tasks. By involving a professional PM from the earliest stages of your project, you maximize your chances to achieve a smooth and trouble-free construction process and a facility that meets your needs.

Once you determine the project, a PM can help you reach sound decisions in such areas as:

• General project characteristics and performance requirements.
• Site analysis and selection.
• Lead in forming a collaborative team of professionals.
• Coordination with ongoing activities and other public and community concerns to minimize interruptions.
• Development of a preliminary budget and comprehensive master schedule.
• Apportionment of general funding among a number of individual projects according to specific project needs.
• Establishment of a management information and reporting system to meet your requirements.
• Development of detailed and complete bid documents to assure timely, responsive and comparable bids, while avoiding questions and protests.
• Assistance in reviewing and analyzing bids and selecting contractors.

In the design phase,a qualified PM can help you:

• Ensure that design is both aesthetically successful and responsive to project goals.
• Perform life-cycle cost analysis and other reviews to maximize the return on your construction investment.
• Coordinate your technology implementation strategy with your construction plan to assure that your finished project will be truly equipped to support current and future needs
• Develop a detailed design schedule and supervise its implementation.
• Review design in progress to assure constructability with minimal changes and fewer problems in the field.
• Develop detailed component cost estimates at every design submittal.

During the bid process, your PM can:

• Conduct pre-bid conferences to clarify the project’s needs and assure responsive bids.
• Assure that all bid documents are clear and all questions are answered.
• Help you evaluate and compare bids.
• Recommend bidders for contract award.

While the construction is underway, your PM will be your eyes and ears—and most of all, your advocate. A professional PM will:

• Assure that all contractors, subcontractors and other participants fully understand the project’s design and requirements at every stage.
• Deliver timely and clear reports to you concerning construction progress, milestones, and other elements.
• Manage the change order process for maximum effectiveness while minimizing delay and costs.
• Monitor the construction process to anticipate difficulties, resolve issues early, and keep the work flowing.
• Administer progress payments to assure that work milestones are being met and that all current expenses are paid in a timely manner.
• Ensure that the contractor provides a safe workplace, both for project workers and, in renovations, for individuals who continue to use the facility during construction.
• Eliminate the need to retain increased staff after the "burst" of construction activities; thereby reducing future operating and payroll costs when the construction has been completed.
• Coordinate the final stages of construction, including contractors’ punch lists and similar tasks that must be completed often in a very compressed time period, before your project is completed.