The best-laid plans for any project will not succeed unless there are tools in place to manage and monitor the work as it progresses. KWAME’s Project Controls System is this tool we use for the completion of projects, on-time and on-budget.
KWAME designs a system to meet the planning, tracking, reporting and control needs of the Owner and other project stakeholders. This system provides the team with timely information allowing for informed decisions to be made regarding project scope, cost,
and schedule – minimizing overall project risk and leading to the on-time and on budget delivery of a high quality project. KWAME’s project control system includes:
- Critical Path Method (CPM) Schedule Development & Analysis
- Cost Control
- Document Control
- Quality Control
CPM SCHEDULE DEVELOPMENT & ANALYSIS
An effective schedule clarifies complex projects and resolves various issues before a commitment of labor, materials and facilities is made. The Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule relates and organizes major activities into a series of management events, and becomes the primary controlling document for the entire project. By identifying the discrete work activities required to complete the project as well as the relationship of those activities to one another, CPM scheduling allows for the determination of what activities are critical to completing the project – those that must be performed on their early start and finish dates to avoid any delay to the project’s completion. Therefore, non-critical activities have the ability to be delayed in their start and/or finish by some defined amount of time, commonly referred to as “float,” without the risk of delaying the project.
Master Schedule – The master schedule represents a summary-level project schedule – the purpose of which is to identify all of the major design and construction phase deliverables for the project -as well as individual work breakdown structure components.
Design Schedule – The design schedule is a detailed schedule identifying key design components and critical design milestones necessary for the timely completion of a project’s design phase.
Construction Schedule – The construction schedule is one of the most powerful management tools at the service of the construction manager. A well-planned and realistic schedule that takes into account as many variables as possible will help keep a construction project moving along smoothly, alert the construction manager when the project could miss critical milestones, and assist in making the needed adjustments when unforeseen circumstances arise.
COST CONTROL
Cost control is a key component of project systems control. Architects, construction managers, must demonstrate more effective cost management in the delivery of projects which is aligned with the owner’s financial and economic objectives. Owners expect their design and construction team to manage project costs in an accurate and responsive manner. Accurately defined budgets early in a project with the project completed according to the required scope, quality and performance within that budget are essential to any project. KWAME takes pride in controlling project costs and completing projects within budget. Project cost risks can generally be classified within one of the following categories:
- Owner Driven Changes
- Design Errors & Omissions
- Contractor Mistakes
- Unforeseen Conditions
KWAME’s cost management system works to ensure that Owner changes are minimized through proper project scoping and thorough stakeholder communication. Architectural (designer) are held at-risk for cost overages due to design error. Contractors are at-risk for mistakes, project contingency plans/funds and addressing unforeseen conditions.
Cost Estimating – KWAME uses our extensive local and national experience in professional fees and construction costs, as well as our historical databases, in order to systematically develop all aspects of the program/project costs.
Procurement Strategy – KWAME works within our client’s established policies and procedures, stated procurement goals and stakeholder requirements to ensure that the project procurement strategy supports the Team’s cost, schedule and quality goals.
Project Accounting – KWAME’s utilization of Project Accounting provides our Project Managers with the ability to accurately assess and monitor project budgets and ensure that the project is proceeding on budget. Project managers can quickly address any cost overruns and revise budgets if necessary.
DOCUMENT CONTROL
Clients are demanding that designers, construction managers and contractors relate more strongly with their financial and economic objectives, and demonstrate more effective cost management in the delivery of projects.
Regardless of location or financial situation, Owners expect their design and construction team to manage project costs in an accurate and responsive manner. They expect that an accurately defined budget will be prepared early in a project and that the project will be completed according to the required scope, quality and performance — all within that budget.
KWAME will control your costs and complete projects within budget. Project cost risks can generally be classified by one of the following categories:
- Owner Driven Changes
- Design Errors & Omissions
- Contractor Mistakes
- Unforeseen Conditions
KWAME’s cost management system works to ensure that Designers are at-risk for cost overages due to design error, Contractors are at-risk for their mistakes, project contingency plans/funds address unforeseen conditions, and Owner changes are minimized through proper project scoping and thorough stakeholder communication.
Reporting – Immediate accessibility of project data is critical to prevent delays which can result in budget overruns. The availability of project reports provides a tool for analysis and decision-making on tough construction issues.
Change Management – There are always contract modifications even with the best sets of construction plans and documents. KWAME proactively manages changes and keeps all stakeholders abreast of the impact of additional project in an effort to maintain a positive cash flow.
Document Management – Centralized document management and control allows project stakeholders to access information quickly. As with any system, proper planning at the early stages will save substantial time and money later. Intelligence in the document numbering system allows documents to be tagged and filed in an organized manner which makes data retrieval around major issues much easier and more efficient.
QUALITY CONTROL
As with cost control, the most important decisions regarding the quality of a completed facility or infrastructure improvement are made during the design and planning stages rather than during construction. It is during the pre-construction phase that constructability review, material specifications and functional performance are established.
KWAME establishes the foundation for project quality by ensuring that a strong foundation is in place. Quality control during construction consists largely of insuring conformance to these
original design and planning decisions.
Constructibility Review – KWAME thoroughly evaluates the construction documents for clarity, consistency, completeness, and ease of construction in order to support the achievement of overall project objectives.
Performance Review – Our project managers systematically monitor the performance of the entire project team against established financial, time and quality metrics in order to anticipate and mitigate potential project issues.
Construction Inspection – Our inspectors serve as our client’s eyes and ears on the construction site. They are experts in the verification of methods and materials, site safety, project phasing, contract compliance and other elements key to successful project delivery.
