Importance of Construction Management In Civil Engineering
Heartly speaking, no enterprise can survive without management,
if it possesses huge money, excellent machinery and expert manpower, because
without management, it will be all
confusion and nobody will know what to do and when to do.
- · In construction management, management which guides and controls the
activities of and manpower for the optimum utilization of company resources,
such Five M’s man, material money,
machines and methods.
- · In construction management, management creates a vital, dynamic and life
giving force to the enterprise and it helps in the construction management concept.
- · Also In construction management, management coordinates activities of different departments in an
enterprise and establishes team spirit among the persons.
- · In construction management, management provides
new ideas and vision for the organization to do better.
- · Construction management tackles
business problems and provides a tool for the best way of doing things.
Management only can meet the challenge of change.
- · Construction management provides
stability to the enterprise by changing and modifying the resource in
accordance with the changing environment of the society.
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| Construction Management |
Characteristics of construction management
The various characteristics of construction management are as follow :
- Management is goal-oriented. It achieves the Management organizational goals through co-ordination
of the efforts of the personnel and it is very important in the construction management field.
- The management works as a catalyst to produce goods using labor, materials, and capital. Management is may
be a distinct process comprising of functions like planning, organizing,
staffing, directing, and controlling.
- Management represents
a system of authority a hierarchy of command and control. Managers at
different levels possess varying degrees of authority.
- Management is a
unifying force. It integrates human and other resources to achieve the desired
objective.
- Management harmonizes
the individual's goals with the organizational goals to minimize conflicts in
the organization.
- Management is a
multi-disciplinary subject and its importance in construction is very important.
- Management is universal in character. It is widely used in construction management. The principles and techniques of management are equally applicable in all engineering fields.
Functions of Construction Management
Functions is most important part of construction management. Without such functions, any construction work will not be started. The following functions are given step by step and this function plays a vital role in the construction industry. The various function of construction management are as follow :
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| Functions of Construction Management |
(A) Forecasting:
Forecasting is necessarily preliminary to planning.
Forecasting estimates the future scope of work. Forecasting begins with the cost of the project, finance available, method of payment/ profit, rate of interest,
government subsidy, and environmental concern. Many manufacturing firms produce
their material in advance to meet future demand.
Advantages of Forecasting :
- ·
Over reduction and
short supply of raw material can be avoided if there is the proper production
policy. Accurate forecasting can reduce the cost of production.
- ·
It gives proper
control over inventory.
- ·
It sets the sales
target.
- ·
It gives a clear idea
about future financial requirements
- ·
in advance.
- ·
It gives an idea about
expansion of the existing unit.
- ·
It helps to plan the
long-term financial requirements.
(B) Planning:
A manager anticipates the future and discovers alternative
courses of action open to him by a process. Planning is a rational, economical,
systematic way of making decisions
today, which will affect the future. Without proper planning, the activities of
enterprises may become confused, haphazard, and infective. Prior planning is
extremely essential for utilizing the available facilities (men, material, money,
machines, methods, etc.) to the best of advantages.
Now-a-day's computers and
software based on CPM and PERT such as MS-Project and Primavera are used for
planning construction projects. The main functions of the management are to
plan and to take correct decisions. This important activity covers the following
sub-activities:
- ·
To determine the
company's objectives.
- ·
To formulate correct
polices.
- ·
To prepare cost and
performance standards and include them in the company's budget.
- ·
To prepare short-range
plans and to measure the achievements of the company.
(C) Organizing :
Organizing is the process by which the structure and allocation of a job are determined. Organizing involves
calculating activitæs, their grouping, organizing people, materials, jobs, time, etc. and establishing a framework in which responsibilities are defined and authorities
are laid down. There are two types of organizations viz.
(i) Formal
organization
(ii) Informal
organization
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(D) Staffing :
Managers select,
train, promote, and retire their subordinates by a process. Staffing is a
continuous process. It involves the development and placing of qualified people within
the various jobs in the organization.
(E) Directing :
It is the process by
which actual performance of subordinates is guided towards the common goals of the company.
Directing involves the following function such as
(i) Leadership
(ii) Communication
(iii) Motivation
(iv) Supervision
(i) Leadership :
Leadership is the quality of behavior of persons, whereby they inspire
confidence and trust in their subordinates, get maximum co-operation from
them and guide their
activities in an organized effort. Leadership is more important than personal
ability and skill.
(ii) Communication
(May 121) :
Communication is the process by which ideas are transmitted,
received, and understood by others for effecting the desired result. A verbal, written order,
reports, instructions, slides are the various types of communication.
(iii) Motivation :
Motivation means inspiring the subordinates to work or to achieve company objectives
effectively and efficiently.
(iv) Supervision :
supervision is an important function of directing, which measures whether work
is going on in proper sequence, quantity, and quality.
(F) Coordinating :
Coordinating means
achieving harmony of individual effort towards the accomplishment of the company
objective. Co-ordination involves making plans co-ordinate the activities of
subordinates regulate that their activities on the job and regulate their
communications.
(G) Controlling :
The process, which
measures current performance, and guides it toward some predetermined goal is
called control. Controlling is necessary to ensure that orders are not
misunderstood, rules are not violated and objectives have not been unknowingly shifted.
Control means control of the person and other things such as time, quality, speed
and project cost, etc. It is a continuous process that measures the progress of the operation.
(H) Decision-Making :
Decision-making is the process by which a course of action is consciously chosen from available
alternatives for achieving the desired result. The outstanding quality of
a successful manager is his ability to form a sound and logical decisions.
The following
important decisions, which the manager of an organization is supposed to take,
such as :
- ·
Marketing decision
- ·
Cost price decision
- · Capital investment decision
Management Objectives :
Management objectives
are as follows :
- •
Clearly defined and
communicated.
- ·
Reasonably attainable.
- ·
Based upon the overall
organizational goals.
- ·
Containment of
expenditure within budget and time.
Classification of Construction Management Objectives :
Management objectives are also important to study and implement on the field which is classified as follows :
1. General objectives
2. Specific objectives
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| Objectives of Construction Management |
1. General objectives :
• General objectives
contain the following terms :
- •
Nature of the project,
- •
Continuous supply of
capital,
- •
Growth of the company,
- •
Increase in work,
- •
Economic objective
such as Profit, Low-cost production,
- •
Environmental
objective,
- •
Social objective,
- •
Human objective,
- •
Time scale, etc.
2. Specific objectives :
Specific objectives
contain the following terms :
- ·
Nature of work to be
done.
- ·
Types of the project to be
selected.
- ·
Market standing
(local, national, international).
- ·
Product and service
diversification, if any.
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