Scope Management: A Tool for Change Management in the Construction Industry

Project success in the construction industry, as with any business development in any other industry, is about delivering results. It requires meticulous planning of the work required to achieve project objectives according to agreed client baseline requirements, timeously and within budget. It also requires professional, independent and experienced orchestration of these two key success factors: setting and managing progress goals and devising...

Read More

How to Manage Construction Project Risk

The management of risk is one of the most complex aspects of a construction project, more so, when it comes to large projects. Right from the beginning, from the inception phase, risks must be identified, assessed and methods must be applied to mitigate them. One thing that is certain is that each construction project is a bespoke process. From typology, geology, design and materials used to the workforce required to ‘assemble’ a project in all...

Read More

Urbanisation and The Hidden Implications of City Developments

Urbanisation is a widespread global trend with unmistakable local impact. According to KPMG, “it is estimated that by 2050, more than 70% of the world’s population will live in cities, representing a growth of 95% globally and 257% for sub-Saharan Africa”. This rising influx of people to city centres will continue to place enormous pressure on infrastructure, which will necessitate further growth and development. Beyond building structures Buffered...

Read More

Why Choose a Career in Construction Development Project Management?

Choosing the right career in a world that is constantly changing, where some industries and roles might not exist in 20 years from now, is daunting. The truth is, for the most part we have no real idea of what things will be like in the future. That said, we can assume with a fair degree of certainty that there will always be a construction development industry: the need for building structures has existed since humans first walked the earth. Like...

Read More

Does A Construction Development Project Manager Add Real Value?

The Construction development industry has existed since the beginning of civilization and, like other industries, has evolved and grown over time. Historically, the “master builder” was the carpenter or stone mason, who performed the tasks of project manager, architect, quantity surveyor, engineer, and builder. In fact, the master builder oversaw the entire building process. Over the years there has been an evolution of additional complexities...

Read More

How ‘BIM’ is Revolutionising the Construction Industry (Part 3 of 3)

Is BIM the future? It goes without saying that with any construction project, meticulous record keeping of every exchange, decision and approval is imperative. Without detailed records the volume of information (data) produced becomes overwhelming and unnecessarily confusing. The negative pitfalls are endless. Building information modelling (BIM) is without a doubt a more efficient and visually effective method of managing data. The benefits...

Read More

How ‘BIM’ is Revolutionising the Construction Industry (Part 2 of 3)

A South African and African context Building information modelling has taken giant steps in a relatively short space of time. Its global growth and adoption rate has been massive. In South Africa the overwhelmingly positive benefits of BIM are driven by consulting engineering and project management companies like WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Consulting Engineers and MDA Projects pushing beyond merely producing ‘pretty pictures’. In some...

Read More