Good project management is the key to successful building restoration projects. Here we look at the role of project management and the steps taken to keep projects on track.
The Role of Project Management in Restoration Projects
Project management includes restoration planning, organizing, directing, and project resource coordination before, during, and after the restoration is complete. It ensures the project goals are met, stays on budget, and maintains a safe job site from start to finish.
Benefits of Effective Project Management in Building Restoration Projects
Project management offers many benefits during the building restoration process, including:
Keeps the project on budget
Project management is all about finding efficiencies that improve productivity and safety, while reducing costs, including:
- Estimating and negotiating project costs through the tendering process
- Formulating an accurate construction budget
- Setting deadlines to reduce costs
- Reviewing spending on a regular basis to address challenges
- Ensuring there is a contingency fund to cover unexpected costs
- Looking for cost savings opportunities throughout the restoration process whether it is in materials, labour, or through other means
Keeping the project on schedule
Another critical element of project management is that it ensures there is a construction schedule and work timetables that keep the project moving forward. It prioritizes tasks and coordinates trades to optimize productivity. Not to mention, project management schedules keep trades on task and make sure all stakeholders – from administration to safety coordinators and contractors to designers – understand their deliverables.
Managing resources
On bigger-scale projects, you typically have a large team involved in restoration projects. Project management ensures all resources have a single contact for approvals, problem-solving, signs offs, etc. Proper resource management ensures:
- The job site is organized
- Approvals are made with proper authority
- There is a logical workflow at the site
Finally, resource management introduces appropriate methods that help streamline the process and ensure efficiency across all trades.
Communication
Project management ensures there is ongoing communication among trades, safety coordinators, owners, property managers, regulatory specialists, etc. for complete transparency throughout the project.
Quality Control
Safety and regulatory management ensures everything is built or installed to code while protecting equipment and workers from damage and injury. This also avoids delays related to correcting mistakes, shutdowns related to broken equipment, delays related to injuries, etc. Quality control also helps minimize waste.
Who is Responsible for Project Management?
A team of experts contributes to project management, typically under the guidance of three key players:
- Project Owner: This is the person funding the project. They have a very high-level role, making important decisions at the onset of the project. They provide the details of what is required, define what the project involves and approve the final tenders during the bidding process. They are rarely involved in the project once it gets off the ground, other than approvals and decision-making. However, some project owners are very hands-on. Â
- Project Manager: The project manager has intimate knowledge of construction and restoration processes. They are critical to project planning and execution. Their decisions impact the budget, methods, and success of the project. They provide ongoing guidance and instruction to the general contractor and report back to the project owner.
- General Contractor: This is the person awarded the job. They report to the project manager. Contractors oversee the trades and workers, provide the equipment, get required permits and licenses, and manage the personnel onsite.
Project management ensures every aspect of the restoration process is efficient, cost-effective, compliant, and safe. Â At WellDone Inc., a general contractor specializing in commercial and multi-unit residential buildings throughout the GTA, we specialize in restoration projects including conceptual budgeting, permitting, pre-construction planning, scheduling, progress reporting, field supervision, safety, quality control, and final inspection. Reach out to us today.