MULTIPLE PROJECT

MANAGEMENT
Presented by

Asia Rehman
 Introduction

• Why do you want to be a project manager?

 Realities of Construction

• A 40-hour work week…dream on.

• Your career choices during the first five
years after college will have the biggest
impact on the next forty years.
• You must enjoy traveling.
• Gain field experience wherever possible.
• Your greatest tool for being a success in
construction- COMMUNICATION.
 More Realities of Construction

• Sometimes it isn’t what you know but who

you know.
• Don’t burn a bridge if you don’t have to.
 Degrees Required to be the
Ultimate Project Manager
• Building Science
• Architecture (design – build)
• Accounting (budgeting, financial statements, cost
reports)
• Business
• Engineering (design-build)
• Law (numerous contracts)
• Public Relations (establish and maintain relations
with Owners, Architects, Subcontractors)
 Degrees Required to be the
Ultimate Project Manager
• Psychology (to understand what these people
are thinking)
• The # 1 Degree required to be the ultimate
Project Manager: Common Sense
Why are construction firms assigning
multiple projects to project
managers?
• Increased volume of work
• Decreased number of skilled project
managers
• Increasing project manager salaries
• Profit margins not necessarily increasing
with volume.
 As project managers supervise an
increasing number of projects, is their
workload decreasing?
• Yes…and no.
• Yes
– Information technology (computer, e-mail,
internet, etc.)
– Superintendents have increased management
abilities.
 As project managers supervise an
increasing number of projects, is their
workload decreasing?
• Yes…and no.
• No
– Project managers still have to perform most of
the same duties
• buyout, budgeting, subcontracts, schedules, collaboration with
superintendent, submittals, documentation, closeout
– Owners and architects desire shorter
completion schedules.
 Total Quality Management

• The ability to distribute job responsibilities

“down the ladder” to the lowest possible
level.
• Superintendent assumes responsibilities that
are usually reserved for the Project
Manager.
– Communication with subcontractors, architects
– Conflict resolution- plans, design, changes
Tools to Make a Superintendent more
Effective
• Technology
– Internet (ex: weather forecasts)
– Spreadsheets (pay requests)
– Constructware (various management aspects)
– Digital Cameras
• Scheduling
– Primavera (P3) (update and maintain schedule)
• Budgeting
– Monthly updates
– Review of manpower plan
– Cost of tools and equipment
Keys to Multiple Project Management

• The project manager cannot do it all.

– Delegate and oversee
• Document all correspondence between
players
– Superintendent to subs
– Subs to GC
– GC to Architect
Keys to Multiple Project Management

• Establish clear lines of communication

• Establish an aggressive but reasonable
schedule upfront.
• Partnering
• Stay “in the know”
– issues, conflicts, schedules, correspondence
 Future of Multiple Project
Management
• E-commerce
– Software for all applicable construction needs
• Submittals, RFI, FCR, Correspondence
– Plans and specs
– Video conferencing
 Future of Multiple Project
Management
• Design-Build
– Limits the number of projects a PM can manage
simultaneously.
– Increased number of design and construct firms
(GC w/ design capabilities)
– Increased need for professional certification of
PM
– Increased number of “paper napkin” designs
 Future of Multiple Project
Management
• Decrease in Self-Performed Work
– Increased number of small subcontractors
– Increased coordination
– Increased number of subcontractors per project
– Increased need for superintendents with
management abilities
– Increased number of BSC or college graduates
in superintendent role
 Future of Multiple Project
Management
• Increase number of multi-award contracts
– Federal government using IDIQ, MATOC,
SOC, JOC to “bundle” numerous small and
medium sized projects (up to $10 million
projects)