What is Construction Management?
Construction Management is a professional service that applies effective management techniques to the planning, design, and construction of a project from inception to completion for the purpose of controlling time, cost and quality.
Construction Management is a discipline and management system specifically created to promote the successful execution of capital projects for owners. These projects can be highly complex. Few owners maintain the staff resources necessary to pay close, continuing attention to every detail – yet these details can “make or break” a project.
What is “Agency” CM?
“Agency” CM is a fee-based service in which the construction manager is responsible exclusively to the owner and acts in the owner’s interests at every stage of the project. The construction manager offers advice, uncolored by any conflicting interest, on such crucial matters as:
Comprehensive management of every stage of the project, beginning with the original concept and project definition, yields the greatest possible benefit to owners from Construction Management.
What is “At-risk” CM?
“At-risk” CM is a delivery method which entails a commitment by the construction manager to deliver the project within a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). The construction manager acts as consultant to the Owner in development and design phases, but as the equivalent of a general contractor during the construction phase. When a construction manager is bound to a GMP, the most fundamental character of the relationship is changed. In addition to acting in the owner’s interest, the construction manager also protects himself/herself.
What is Program Management?
Program Management is the practice of professional construction management applied to a capital improvement program of one or more projects from inception to completion. Comprehensive construction management services are used to integrate the different facets of the construction process – planning, design, procurement, construction and activation – for the purpose of providing standardized technical and management expertise on each project.
What is the CMCI?
CMCI is the Construction Manager Certification Institute. It is sponsored by CMAA and is the organization which oversees the certification program. It has several goals:
What is Certified Construction Manager (CCM)?
The Certified Construction Manager (CCM) is someone who has voluntarily met the prescribed criteria of the CCM program with regard to formal education, field experience and demonstrated capability and understanding of the CM body of language.
Why should I use a CCM?
CCM certification tells you as an owner that you are engaging a professional CM practitioner with the demonstrated knowledge, experience and judgment necessary for sound, professional construction management.
What is Design-Build?
The design-build (D-B) project delivery system has grown in popularity, and is seen by some in the industry as the perfect solution in addressing the limitations of other methods. For an Owner, the primary benefit is the simplicity of having one party responsible for the development of the project. While the other systems often give rise to disputes among various project participants – with the Owner acting as referee (or party ultimately to blame) – in D-B many of these disputes become internal D-B team issues which do not affect the Owner.
Under this system, the Owner contracts with a D-B team, which performs the complete design of the facility, usually based on a preliminary scope or design presented by the Owner.
At some point early in the design process, the D-B team will usually negotiate a fixed price to complete the design and construction of the facility. Once underway, the D-B team is then responsible for construction of the project, and for all coordination between design and construction. Since the construction team is working together from the outset, D-B offers the opportunity to save time and money. However, the advantages of the system are offset by a significant loss of control and involvement by the Owner and stakeholders. Accordingly, it is difficult for the Owner to verify that it is receiving the best value for its money, without a great deal of confidence in the D-B team.
