At any given time of our lives all of us will undertake some
form of a project. It could be building
a bird house with your kids, a coffee table in the garage, designing the next
smart phone technology, balancing the government’s budget or working on a
$100,000,000.00 mixed use development in the heart of town. Developing and executing any given project is
what is providing change to our world on a daily basis.
In any of these cases you are engaging in a temporary
activity which is designed to produce a unique product or result. Therefore a project is temporary and
has a defined beginning and an end with a defined scope and resources. All projects must be expertly managed in
order to be completed as defined, on time and on budget.
Project managers are the people in charge of projects. They utilize their knowledge, skills and
techniques to accomplish these goals and complete projects effectively and
efficiently. Projects in general can be
broken down into four main categories:
1.
Conceptualization
– This is where the development of the initial goal, specifications and scope
of work are defined.
2.
Planning
– This is where detailed specifications, schematics and schedules are
formed.
3.
Execution
– This is where the product is created and the actual work performed.
4.
Termination
or Close-out – This is when the completed project is handed over to the
client. At this point all resources for
this project are re-assigned to other or new projects and project is formally
closed-out.
In the design and construction industry the same concept
applies with a few variations. In the
design phase of the project the breakdown may look like this:
1.
Design
Consultation – This is where the designer meets with the client to discuss
the client’s goals, needs and wants.
During the design consultation the designer can propose ideas, solutions
and/or budget parameters. Simple
schematic drawings may also be developed along with a rough or general cost
estimate.
2.
Pre-Design
and Existing Conditions – This is where the designer can examine existing
site conditions, do a site analysis, and conduct code search. The designer can also field measure existing
spaces to be remodeled and create sketches, plans, elevations, etc.
3.
Schematic
Design and Design Development – This is where the designer will develop all
concept plans with a detailed scope of work to be performed. During this time the client will review the
schematics and may or may not propose changes to the designs.
4.
Construction
Documents – This is where the construction documents are prepared per
scope. Construction documents are
referred to as the final drawings and specifications from the designer, which
provide detailed instructions for the construction of the project.
A project manager’s experience, knowledge, skills and
techniques will allow him or her to undertake and deliver any given project
with the discipline required to manage the resources, time, and budget.
In the next blog we will review the project management
process in detail. NKB Design &
Management believes every client and every project is just as important as the
other, no matter the size, budget or scope.
Let us know how we can help you with your next project.
