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INTRODUCTION TO PRINCIPLES

OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
1. Introduction
Characteristics of the construction industry
Definition and development of management
Major stakeholders of construction and their
responsibilities and contributions
2. Construction project management
Introduction and definition
Project lifecycle
Project management process
3. Introduction to knowledge area of project
management
Project integration management
Project time management
Project cost management
Project quality management
Project procurement management
Contact administration and project claim
management
Characteristics of the construction
industry
Generally the construction industry is labeled
as a conservative industry which adopts new
technologies and practices at a slower rate as
compared to other industries such as the IT,
manufacturing and the automotive and
invests very little in capital, research &
development and training (Egan 1998).
Moreover, construction is overwhelmingly known for
following a fragmented and sequential project delivery
system where by projects are incepted by clients, designed
by consultants and implemented by contractors mainly in a
very fragmented manner.
The strategy of the conventional processes of sequential
project delivery system is meant to minimize risks and
changes through thorough descriptions of specifications
and contracts. This sequential separate system of project
delivery, however, is believed to be an effective barrier to
using the skills and knowledge of contractors and suppliers
in design and planning of the projects (Latham 1994).

The conventional procurement system, which assumes that


clients benefit from choosing a new set of project team
selected competitively for every project they engage on, is
also believed to be a major obstacle for the advancement of
the industry. This aggressive separate procurement system
inhibits learning, innovation and development of skill. It
prevents parties from developing a synergy on past
relationships and also leads to the adversary and
confrontational supply chain relation that the industry is
known for as the fierce competition on price forces parties
to lower their quoting to win the project with a believe that
they will compromise through change requests-hence
destabilizing the industry (Egan 1998).
Unique characteristics of
constructions
Nature of Production
Work place changes all the time (different
partners are formed)
Mostly exposed to weather changes
Temporary duration for workers
Unique characteristics of
constructions
Nature of Product
large,
heavy,
durable,
expensive,
heterogeneous,
and immobile
Demand for the industrys products
The structure of the industry
The Workforce

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