How to manage engineering projects carried out by construction firms rather than contractors
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There is a lot of information in that forum about how construction companies manage their projects; I would like to ask about how project owners manage their construction projects. Like many organizations, there are some maintenance, renovation, and expansion projects carried out each year; these are usually handled by the planning department, with external construction firms carrying out the actual work. The specific methods of implementation may vary from one company to another. I would like to hear about everyone’s approaches here.
Generally, this is how it works: the project owner also has a dedicated management agency for the project, which creates a database of contractors capable of carrying out outsourced work in order to select qualified construction teams from various specialties. Depending on the scale of the project, bidding or negotiation may be used to choose the team that will carry out the work
Our **project has just entered the stage of installing underground pipes; we appreciate your guidance.
The general process for renovation, expansion, or new construction projects here is as follows: 1. A preliminary decision is made by senior management. 2. Our own equipment engineering department and design institute went out for research to prepare a preliminary report. 3. After the senior management analyzed the situation and the report, two departments conducted preliminary discussions with relevant domestic entities based on the actual circumstances. 4. Determine the process flow and preliminary approach for the project based on the feasibility analysis report and project feasibility study. 5. Determine the general contractor, supervision unit, and design unit from multiple entities. 6. We have assigned various professionals to form an engineering team to participate in all stages of the construction. 7. Our party takes the lead in all aspects such as normal design, drawing review, construction, and acceptance, being fully involved in all matters, and sometimes managing the subcontractors directly.
As the contractor, I believe that project management by the client mainly involves the following aspects: 1. Cost control. Today’s design firms are not as good as they used to be; does that lead to changes?； In a few projects I’ve worked on, the design drawings kept changing over and over again, which was a waste of time and money ； Therefore, cost control should start with the design phase; choosing a good design firm and creating high-quality drawings can help the project owner save a significant amount of money. 2. Material procurement management: Materials are an essential part of project implementation; whether the materials arrive on time and whether their quality is satisfactory directly affect the project schedule and costs. 3. Quality control: These days, the quality of construction projects is generally not very good. Although the client hires supervisors to oversee the construction quality, unwritten rules lead to a rapid deterioration in the relationship between the contractor and the supervisors. 4. Progress control: Progress is an important indicator of whether the objectives of a project can be achieved. Although it is the construction manager who is responsible for ensuring progress, it is often the project owner who dictates the pace of work to the construction party. Therefore, the project owner should have a clear timeline in mind when undertaking a project.
Our company is small; it’s not practical to establish a dedicated project management team.
We are also following the process mentioned on floor 4; next comes the part related to on-site management, which is what this post aims to focus on – namely, who is responsible for organizing, managing, supervising, and driving things forward at the site. The various departments in our organization, such as planning, production, safety, finance, and the project-related units (the actual grassroots production units), shift responsibility for these issues among themselves and engage in bureaucratic wrangling. Let’s continue with everyone’s opinions.
In general factories, the Infrastructure Department (or Equipment Department) is responsible for managing the preliminary contracts and procurement related to construction projects. Once the actual construction work begins, it is usually the production workshops that take charge, with the Infrastructure Department and similar units acting only as coordinators
The principle is the same: someone who is involved in construction management will do a better job than someone who only focuses on construction work itself. The most important thing is the disbursement of progress payments; it is not the only factor that affects the quality and pace of construction, but it is the key to success in the end.
The coordination of project management tasks by the construction unit should be handled by the Infrastructure Department (Section); if your unit does not have such a department, then the Planning and Programming department can take charge. By the time the main structure of the project is completed, the departments responsible for use (production) can be organized to participate in the acceptance process. For specific details, refer to: GB/T 50326-2006 Code for Management of Construction Projects.
This is a rather broad question. Project management is a comprehensive discipline that combines theory with practice; it cannot be explained clearly in just a few words. As the saying goes, one has to figure things out on their own by trying and learning. No matter how well others explain it, if you don’t try, you won’t be able to do it. None of the minor aspects in project management is as simple as it sounds. For example, when it comes to project planning, to develop a plan that is targeted and appropriately suitable, one can be considered an expert in project management.
GB/T 50326-2006 Code for Management of Construction Projects
It is essential to carry out thorough preliminary preparations, including making plans, conducting analyses, preparing contingency plans and implementing controls, clarifying relationships, and establishing an orderly sequence；
I believe it’s absolutely crucial not to let people who don’t understand engineering manage projects. One must learn while doing, just like the little horse crossing the river; otherwise, a very high price will have to be paid as a \"tuition fee\", and the investment by the project owners will keep increasing； Be sure to have experienced and capable people manage the project. The company I work for is a typical example.
Special attention must be paid to the installation quality of underground pipes; backfilling should only take place after pressure testing, otherwise leaks will occur after backfilling and the pipes will need to be dug out again； Another factor to consider are the geographical location and climate conditions in the north and south. We are a company based in the north; one of the chemical companies adjacent to us was designed by a design institute from the south, which failed to take into account the cold climate of the north. As a result, the burial depth was too shallow, and this issue was only discovered after construction was completed. Revising the design was necessary, which affected the project schedule ；