# data[].attributes.body
A10 - The twists and turns of project management.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Title: Challenging Classic Project Management: Turning Project Uncertainties into Business Opportunities (Fee or subscription required)

Authors: Thomas G. Lechler (Stevens Institute of Technology), Barbara H. Edington (St. Francis College), and Ting Gao (Stevens Institute of Technology)

Publisher: Project Management Journal, vol. 43, no. 6

Date Published: December 2012

When companies take on major projects, unexpected hitches are inevitable. But this paper finds there's often a silver lining to surprises, even those that first appear to be setbacks. The trick is for managers to recognize their potential for opportunity. In fact, when firms exploit uncertainties during a project development cycle, they typically boost the end value of the initiative far beyond initial expectations.

Researchers and managers alike have long lumped together uncertainties and risks as pernicious threats to a project's likelihood of success. But this traditional view of project management ignores the positive potential inherent in uncertainties-the "unknown unknowns" that aren't anticipated prior to a project's launch, as opposed to the known risks that can and should be gauged beforehand and factored in.

To better untangle the effects of the unknown from known risks, and to explore how companies can take advantage of the curveballs that come their way, the authors of this paper conducted in-depth interviews with the project managers responsible for 20 major initiatives. The projects were varied; target schedules ranged from eight months to three years and budgets were set between US$500,000 and $69 million. More than half centered on product development or IT; the others included construction, R&D, and business realignment projects, as well as the launch of clinical trials, market prediction models, and feasibility studies. And each of the projects was buffeted by as many as three troubling episodes caused by uncertainty.

During the 90-minute interviews, the managers assessed the impact of those episodes-whether or not they had been exploited positively-on the ultimate value of the project. With the benefit of hindsight, they described any missed opportunities that could have been turned to their advantage. The managers also provided information on the initiative's complexity and scheduling, the project's proposed and final budgets, and the company's stakeholder structure.

In 12 of the 20 cases, the managers spotted the uncertainties and worked with them. And when they did, the results were positive. Exploited uncertainties "led to a redefinition of a project's initial baseline," the authors write, and resulted in the companies' implementing new technologies and processes or identifying future projects.

To guide project managers to a "broader range of potential opportunities," the authors identified four categories to look for.

The first involves technical innovation. As an example, the authors cite the experience of one company that faced a new regulatory requirement that would have raised the cost of an ongoing project by $2 million. The executive team got around this hitch by pushing for the development of an inexpensive testing solution. That innovation not only brought the company into compliance with the new rule, but also saved money and established a lower-cost platform for future projects.

The second type of opportunity involves implementation processes. One manager in the study described a project that suddenly faced constrained technological resources. Rather than abandon or scale back the project, the company created a less-specialized building process that saved time and money. It also cut down on post-implementation problems, which dropped from an average of three or four action items to one.

The third category is new business. When the original outside sponsor of one initiative retired and support for the project waned, the study recounts, the initiative's managers engaged in widespread networking to find a new backer. The effort paid off with a replacement sponsor who not only provided funding to revive the project, but opened additional business avenues by appealing to an even larger audience.

Finally, in several cases, work done in one project had value beyond its initial scale, pointing the way to similar future projects. For example, one of the companies solved a software implementation problem that afflicted a particular department. Once the fix was identified, it was quickly applied to other departments, improving efficiency and heading off new glitches.

Uncertainties, the authors found, can be grouped into six primary types.

Contextual turbulence: external changes set off by shifts in the markets, for example, or new legal or regulatory rules

Stakeholder fluctuations: shifts in the fortunes of customers, vendors, investors, and others

Technological uncertainty: factors that can affect the functionality of products in different markets, among other challenges

Project uncertainty: unrecognized complexities that crop up after a project has started

Organizational uncertainty: ripple effects from unexpected corporate mergers or spin-offs, for example

Malpractice: significant deviations from accepted project management standards

Not all uncertainties led to good outcomes in the study group, of course. In its postmortem, one company that had been in the malpractice group bemoaned the lack of a tracking system that would have facilitated a root-cause analysis of implementation problems. The system should have been in place under existing company procedures. Another project suffered from frustrating staff redundancies created by a "surprise" merger.

But when project teams are able to seize unexpected opportunities, their impact is "wide and deep," the authors write, typically resulting in trimmed budgets, leaner schedules, and higher quality for ongoing projects as well as potential benefits down the line. Nearly 75 percent of exploited opportunities led to an uptick in the satisfaction of internal and external clients, the authors found, and 58 percent were linked to increased financial returns.

Nevertheless, the authors note that taking advantage of project-related opportunities is rarely straightforward and requires "exceptional and innovative decisions" that are often possible only when all key stakeholders of a project confer. "In these situations," the authors write, "project managers should take the role of champions and use their communication skills to bring these opportunities to the decision-making level."

To be sure, it is also necessary to recognize the opportunities in the first place. Many interviewees had difficulty identifying uncertainties and confused them with either risk scenarios or normal aspects of the project itself. This led to the unexpected insight, the authors write, that senior management has a crucial role to play in exploiting opportunities-by making sure to assign project managers with a business background to big and complicated initiatives that are prone to uncertainties.

On a broader level, it's vital for the executive team to think about large projects in a different way, the authors advise. Senior leaders should abandon the classic risk management technique of simply sticking to the established goals. They should replace that technique with a more nuanced approach that embraces the potential for value creation.

"In situations of uncertainty," the authors write, "the adherence to a baseline that was defined without the knowledge of uncertainty could lead to neglected opportunities, forsaken value opportunities, and consequently the potential for project failure."

Bottom Line:
In the life cycle of a project, not all surprises are bad news. When managers can turn uncertainties into opportunities, the end value of the project (including its budget, schedule, and quality) typically exceeds initial expectations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Embracing the Twists and Turns in Project Management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Title: Challenging Classic Project Management: Turning Project Uncertainties into Business Opportunities (Fee or subscription required) Authors: Thomas G. Lechler (Stevens Institute of Technology), Barbara H. Edington (St. Francis College), and Ting Gao (Stevens Institute of Technology) Publisher: Project Management Journal, vol. 43, no.

# data[].attributes.body
A9 - Successful Construction Project Management requires a wide variety of skills and certain traits of a person.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This article was written exclusively for ForConstructionPros by small business loan provider Balboa Capital.

As a construction business owner, you know that your construction project manager can greatly affect the success of your business. You want to work with someone who has an in-depth knowledge of the construction industry as well as strong leadership and decision-making skills. Additionally, having experience dealing with finances and budget management can help to save time and enable projects to be completed on time and on budget. The project manager will need to know what types of construction equipment to acquire and how much to spend on different aspects of the project. Successful construction project managers must be able to coordinate and oversee an entire project from start to finish, while taking the appropriate precautions to minimize risks in the field and maintain the team's safety.

Successful construction project managers should have a wide variety of skills and experience to help them to lead a team and oversee various projects. For starters, a good educational background can prepare them for the construction industry. Common types of degrees that are pursued include architecture, building sciences, construction management and engineering. This provides the foundation for a future career path in the construction industry and provides a good understanding of the theoretical ideas of construction practices.

To be successful in the industry, a construction project manager also needs the right experience.

There is no substitute for work experience in the field. Construction project managers combine their educational background with real-world knowledge to oversee their teams and carry out projects. When at a construction site, project managers will be exposed to situations that they may not learn about in classrooms, and being able to make decisions and react in a timely manner will help them excel.

With today's technology, computers and construction-specific software are constantly used to assist and expedite many different construction projects. Knowing how to correctly use software can significantly cut costs and help to keep the team - and project - on schedule. In order to fully take advantage of your software's capabilities, the project manager should be experienced and knowledgeable enough to thoroughly train his or her team members. Great construction project managers will support the team wherever they can and help its members to succeed by using all the tools at hand.

Managing a project and a full team of diverse individuals is not an easy task, but those who prepare accordingly and take the appropriate actions know that doing so will significantly increase the chances of success on a project.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Know the Skills of a Successful Construction Project Manager

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This article was written exclusively for ForConstructionPros by small business loan provider Balboa Capital. As a construction business owner, you know that your construction project manager can greatly affect the success of your business. You want to work with someone who has an in-depth knowledge of the construction industry as well as strong leadership and decision-making skills.

# data[].attributes.body
A8 - Effective Project Management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I served as the VP of IT Operations for a successful healthcare company in Portland, Oregon many years ago.

I remember one of the first problems we tried to solve was the issue of delivering projects. I suggested to the CIO that we should hire a project manager and consider setting up a PMO shop. The CIO was skeptical. He didn't see how a project manager would help us. I was a little baffled by his response, so I pushed forward. My feeling was if we could put discipline into the process of planning we would execute.
Related Article: Anatomy of an Effective Project Manager
I hired a project manager on a short contract. After 3 months I had to explain to the CIO that we haven't seen much of a change. The reason why is the same reason that causes complex PMO structures to fail regularly in large organizations.

Problem: Just Another process layer

First, the project manager did his best to implement some project management process. However, the process was academic. The project manager spent considerable time crunching data and developing wonderful looking charts and plans. His timelines and Gantts looked inspiring. So what was the issue? He was not connected to the actual work - he had no responsibility or empowerment to execute. As a result, he was simply pushing information around in his project management tools and no real work was happening, even when he tried to help task-workers, he couldn't because he did not have authority or technical knowledge.

Because the project manager was only a process layer, he directed no real work. In the end, who was right - the CIO or me? Both.

The CIO was right because his instincts told him that a formal project manager added extra process and would not be effective in an agile environment - though he could not express these thoughts in advance.

I was right in that project management as a discipline was important to getting real work done on time, within cost, and within a stated scope. I also knew that instinctively.

What is the reality?

When we tried to put the project discipline at the wrong place in the organization we did nothing more than implement a process layer that nobody paid attention to. The solution was (and is) to change our thinking and realize that each line manager, each line supervisor, each team leader needs to understand that they are the "project manager." Empower the line leaders with project management disciplines at their level and work moves faster.

When you make the line leader the project manager you get two solid business results: (1) Reduced headcount footprint, and (2) Empowered the technical leaders with specific, light-weight, project processes that enabled them to do their business better.

Bottomline 1 - In most cases, the most effective project manager is the person directly responsible for the project - don't add a layer of leadership.

Bottomline 2 - Keep the processes lean. If you roll out a full-blown PMP and PM solution to a busy line leader, you won't get any traction. Give them practical tools and teach them the components of the theories that help them get their work done. Line leaders crave speed to market. They crave agile performance. They crave success. The right level of project discipline at the line-level accomplishes those three things.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Project Management | Effective Project Managers Get Real Work Done

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I served as the VP of IT Operations for a successful healthcare company in Portland, Oregon many years ago. I remember one of the first problems we tried to solve was the issue of delivering projects. I suggested to the CIO that we should hire a project manager and consider setting up a PMO shop.

# data[].attributes.body
A7 - Talks about setting goals and expectations, knowing the whole project before starting, strategy, execution, success.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Project management seems so straightforward. You set a deadline. You set a budget. You select the right people. The project gets done.

In reality, project management is rarely straightforward. The wrong people are assigned to the project. People don't know what is expected of them or get conflicting information. The scope changes. Deadlines aren't met. Put more succinctly: Stuff happens.

So what can businesses, and project managers, do to improve the odds of projects being completed on time and on budget? Dozens of project leaders and project management experts share nine secrets to successful project management.
[ Find out how to pick the right project management methodology, beware the most common project management mistakes to avoid, and gear up with the 15 essential project management tools. | Get the latest insights by signing up for our CIO newsletter. ]
1. Ensure that you have full project details before starting. "Creating a completely detailed project scope approved by all stakeholders is a necessity," states Adam Balkwill, technical director, Garfield Group, an integrated marketing agency.

"The scope should include interim milestones, with deliverable dates and a budget worksheet that represents all time involved. If the initial project writeup has enough detail, the better you and your client will interact through its production," Balkwill says. "Change requests will happen on every project, but this allows you to manage the client when something is out of scope."

2. Have the right (and right-sized) project management team in place. In order for a project to be successful, you need to have the right project team in place, people whose skills and experience can benefit the project, from the project manager on down. It also helps to "limit the number of people involved," says Josh Meah, COO, JackMyRep.com, a reputation management company.
[ 7 Must-Have Project Management Skills for IT Pros ]
"Amazon.com uses the 'pizza' team methodology based on the idea that a team shouldn't be larger than 6 to 10 people," he explains. "A manager really can only handle so many direct reports without losing grasp on either the vision for the project, details of the work involved, and personalities and personal requirements of their organization and staff," he says. "So, to maximize effectiveness, limit the size of your project management teams." And involve people whose skills match the project requirements.

3. Set expectations -- and milestones -- up front. "Set relatively (based on risk) frequent milestones and check in often to ensure projects stay on track," advises Pat McGuinness, chief technology risk officer, GE Capital. "If you only set longer-term or high-level milestones, you won't realize a project is in trouble until it's too late. My team at GE Capital schedules multiple project benchmarks and iterative reviews to make sure the money being invested in an IT project is being used efficiently and that project goals are being addressed."

"When [everyone] on the team clearly understands the [scope] from the beginning, you eliminate the ambiguity that can derail a project," adds Juan Velasquez, marketing specialist, Do It Wiser, a provider of toner cartridges and green office supplies. A good way to do this," he says, is to hold a kickoff meeting, where everyone involved attends. Kickoff meetings "help to set expectations," where you can "discuss the project in detail," create a workable roadmap and assign people roles and responsibilities.

4. Be clear about who is responsible for what -- and deadlines. "When multiple people are collaborating on the same task, assignments, deadlines and other important details often get lost in translation," explains Fred Mouawad, founder and CEO, Taskworld, a task management platform. To avoid confusion, "determine which team members are responsible for which pieces of work [up front], and enforce accountability. An online task management program is a simple way to do this."

"It's important that each member of your team understands what is expected from them," adds Brandon Seymour, owner, Beymour Consulting, an SEO and inbound marketing firm. "This includes the full scope of the project and a precise timeline of when tasks need to be completed." Because every project is different, "it helps for all of the key players to have a solid understanding of how each of their efforts contributes to the project as a whole. Project milestones and benchmarks are great for managing these expectations and keeping teams on track with deadlines."

5. Don't micromanage. "Meet regularly with the team members who will be working on the project. However, allow them breathing room to work without feeling micromanaged," says Shilonda Downing, owner, Virtual Work Team, a virtual assistant company. "Creating a balance here is key to ensuring that work is being done and that team members feel empowered to do their best work."

6. Make sure you have a good system in place for managing the project, one that everyone can and will use. "Email seems the most obvious form of communication when managing a project, but it can hinder progress," says Chris Griffiths, CEO, DropTask, a visual task management solution. "Trawling through email threads for previous correspondence is a huge time waster. Using software that keeps all project information and communication in one place not only saves time, [it] maintains a productive workspace."

"Our team and clients are located across the country, which means we can't share physical files," explains Amy Driehorst, lead project manager, Weaving Influence, which connects authors to online audiences. So "we use a digital project management application that not only allows us to manage all aspects of the project through task lists, but also serves as an online filing cabinet housing all the documents associated with the project as well as a discussion board," she explains. "The ability to [easily] add clients to the project allows for smooth communication and sharing of information."

7. Keep team members motivated by rewarding them when milestones are reached. "It is useful to set milestones while planning projects," notes Ajay Kaul, managing partner, AgreeYa Solutions, a provider of business software. To ensure projects stay on track, "recognize team members whenever a milestone is met. Celebrating milestones can be a great way to track progress while keeping team members motivated."

8. Hold regular project status meetings or calls, but keep them short. "Frequent communication with all members of the team as well as the client is the best way to ensure a project is on track," says Driehorst. "This is especially important in a virtual environment, where [you] don't have the luxury of popping into a colleague's office to check the status of a task. I find scheduling regular calls in addition to all the other forms of digital communication we use ensures open and clear communication for all concerned."

While keeping everyone up to date on the project's status is essential, "you need a way to communicate everyone's status to the rest of the team without getting bogged down by the details," says Martijn van Tilburg, CEO, 10,000ft, a project and resource management solution provider. To avoid participants tuning out, "keep status meetings short and sweet [by limiting] everyone to [for example] 90 seconds of talking. This encourages team members to focus on the most relevant details about the past week."

9. Build in time for changes. "In technology, projects don't ever seem to follow specifications exactly," notes Samit Shah, cofounder, EventEdge, which builds custom event apps. "To avoid pain points and save time, build in extra time for specification changes and requests. You will be thankful."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Project management seems so straightforward. You set a deadline. You set a budget. You select the right people. The project gets done. In reality, project management is rarely straightforward. The wrong people are assigned to the project. People don't know what is expected of them or get conflicting information.

# data[].attributes.body
A6 - Harvard Business Review wrote an article about the dirty little secrets of project management.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Why don't more project managers sound an alarm when they're going to blow past their deadlines? Because most of them have no earthly idea when they'll finish the job. They don't even think it's possible to know. Too many variables. Too much that's out of their control.

That's the dirty little secret of project management. As the lead developer on one big software project put it: "Everybody knows the schedule is a joke, and we pay no attention to it. It will be done when it's done."

It's funny, though. Big, successful companies that manage huge projects like highways and dams and office parks have to deal with many more variables than a software development team. Yet they usually know how far along they are at any given time, and they keep their customers in the loop. That's how they get to be big, successful companies.

Granted, they have fancy project management software to help them stay on top of the schedule. But a good project management system - one that can tell you exactly where you are in the project, when it's likely to be done, and by how much you will overshoot or undershoot your budget - doesn't need expensive software. At Setpoint, which builds roller coasters and factory automation systems, we used to manage multimillion-dollar projects with a whiteboard and a calculator.

The fact is, your system can be very simple as long as it helps you do the following:

Track key variables. Keep a close eye not just on milestones but also on factors that have an impact on profitability. The biggest variable to watch? Labor hours compared with budget, which gives you a pretty good idea of your percent complete at any given time. You'll also want to track materials costs, change orders, and your subcontractors' progress. Trouble in any of those areas can throw a project out of whack quickly, so it's important to track them on a weekly basis.

Keep your team informed. We recommend regular weekly meetings, with the key numbers posted on a whiteboard or computer desktops so that everybody can see them. With the numbers up there, potential trouble spots surface quickly. A few years ago, we learned that one of our project managers started surreptitiously building extra time into the schedule. If we had let that continue, it would have messed up our profit projections for his projects. Team members brought the issue to our attention after the first weekly meeting - they could see that the numbers on the board didn't square with the agreed-upon timetable.

Update your stakeholders and customers. All customers want their jobs finished on time and on budget - or preferably faster and cheaper. But if they can't have that, and sometimes they can't, what they really want is to be kept informed along the way. (Ditto for senior managers - they don't like surprises, either.) Share bad news as well as good so they're never outraged by enormous last-minute changes.

Here's an example: Setpoint was building a small coaster for a major amusement park company. This was just one piece of a major park upgrade with a very aggressive schedule and dozens of contractors in the mix. As we got deep into our project, we ran into several issues - big (and unanticipated) coordination snags on the jobsite, changes in the specs for riders per hour, and others. We knew these issues would delay the final product by six weeks. So we immediately notified the customer and adjusted our delivery dates months ahead of time.

By the end of the project, we were behind by those six weeks. But because we had kept the customer in the loop every step of the way, we were on time as far as he was concerned. We even got an award at the end for on-time performance. The moral we took away from this? If your customer doesn't think you're late, then you're not late. If you need to change the schedule, do it as early as possible and give your customer an immediate heads-up so he can adjust his expectations.

We're not saying project management is easy. But if you have a good system, you can keep track of the difficulties and keep your customer informed and happy - even if you're six weeks late.

This is the first post in the authors' blog series on project management. The series draws on advice from their book Project Management for Profit.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Dirty Little Secret of Project Management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why don't more project managers sound an alarm when they're going to blow past their deadlines? Because most of them have no earthly idea when they'll finish the job. They don't even think it's possible to know. Too many variables. Too much that's out of their control.

# data[].attributes.body
C10 - Tishman Construction and Realty company is a very large company which was just purchased by AECOM. Current real estate assets are about $4 billion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tishman | Hotels | Realty | Real Estate Services | Home

# data[].attributes.body
C9 - Bonacio Construction is based out of Saratoga Springs, NY near Albany. The reason i am looking into this company is because we have been good family friends with the owner, Sonny for years now. They specialize in residential construction.

# data[].attributes.body
C8 - A.H. Harris Commercial Construction is yet another large construction company in the capital region, Albany area. I am looking at many companies around here because it will give me a good background on where i would like to apply for work on internship and upon graduation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I work with Credit Manager, Jen Mullins of the Plainville, MA A.H. Harris branch. It is always a pleasure. She is very professional and kind. We appreciate her hard work and dedication to serving our needs. Thanks Jen for always being the pleasant person on the other end of the phone!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A.H. Harris | Commercial, Industrial & Residential Construction Supply

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I work with Credit Manager, Jen Mullins of the Plainville, MA A.H. Harris branch. It is always a pleasure. She is very professional and kind. We appreciate her hard work and dedication to serving our needs. Thanks Jen for always being the pleasant person on the other end of the phone!

# data[].attributes.body
C7 - LeChase Construction is an upstate NY commercial construction company who also has offices down in Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, which is a beautiful area and where I would love to work and eventually live.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Contracting and Construction | LeChase Construction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
General contracting and construction management services for higher education, healthcare, manufacturing and housing clients in New York and North Carolina

# data[].attributes.body
A5 - Forbes wrote an article about how technology is disrupting the construction industry. Stating that technology is taking over, saying drones and 3D printers are taking over all of the required work for some construction projects. They are saying this is a bad thing, and i disagree. I find the technology extremely advantageous.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's a lot of buzz these days about drones, 3D printing and robots. It's easy to brush these technologies off as fads or luxuries until you understand some of the use cases that are being applied by integrating these emerging technologies. As each one matures, we are getting much closer to a world where structures can be built completely automated and unmanned. I have talked to a number of companies in this space and here's what I have found.
Agility at scale wins
Building large complex structures is a very expensive and time-consuming undertaking. The Freedom Tower in New York City took more than seven years to complete. Last year, The Guardian showed a video of a 57-story building being built in 19 days in China. Granted, this building is not as complex a structure as the 104-story Freedom Tower, but 19 days is still astonishing.

How are companies achieving these remarkable feats? They are combining multiple emerging technologies to gather data, automate processes and build structures with more precision, accuracy and speed. These technologies also enable investors to see value from their large investments much sooner than in the past, resulting in a faster ROI.
Automation enabled by data
Inspections play a crucial role in construction. Before a single piece of foundation is built, the construction site goes through a series of inspections to understand various data points about the soil, drainage, vegetation, surface space and much more. Once the construction process starts, many more inspections are necessary to ensure worker safety, compliance, quality, progress and many other critical data points. In traditional construction, all these inspections are mostly manual, time-consuming and sometimes even dangerous to execute. Imagine the risk of inspecting beams on the 34th floor of a building under construction.

Drones are now being deployed to expedite these inspections. They can cover a wide area in short time spans. They have very advanced lenses that can capture detailed, close up images, and send data in real time to computer systems and intelligent machines which can react in real time to the data received. There are many advantages to collecting digital data from drones. One large benefit is that the data lets builders perform pre-construction simulations, allowing them to test various hypotheses and designs and lower the risk of error before breaking ground for the first time. Another benefit, which I will expand on later, is being able to perform construction tasks remotely and unmanned.

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is also transforming the way complex structures are being built printing concrete structures at high speed. The 3D printing industry published the top 10 3D printed construction innovations, which I recommend viewing. One of the most amazing innovations was from Amsterdam based 3D printing company MX3D. Check out the video below of an unmanned robot 3D printing an entire bridge.

3D printing is also being used to print complex, curved, layered and artistic structures and objects that make up modern buildings. Creating these complex objects by hand and at scale is a massive undertaking, but with 3D printing the task becomes much more efficient.

Automated robots are being used to construct beams, lay bricks, drill, dig, paint and perform almost any task required to build structures. What is really exciting in this space is the ability to perform construction remotely and unmanned. Innovative companies have built solutions that allow smart robots to work synchronously to construct complex objects. All this can be done under the watchful eye of a technician from across the world over the web.

I recently talked to RoboticsX, a high-tech startup in Germany. Their vision is to change the world in the space and robotics industry. They say that "If Elon Musk is going to , our robots and systems will be the first passengers". RoboticsX is currently working on autonomous robotics that will allow for the construction of buildings and structures on Mars that will perform under changing environments and without constant supervision from earth. Their current focus is to perfect this technology and apply it to the "Digital Factory" to optimize manufacturing plants in what many call the Industry 4.0 way. These robots are being used in the automotive industry to manufacture cars, trucks and other vehicles and in the pharmaceutical industry to produce products. Peter Boras, CEO & co-founder, said they are testing scaling up to 3,000 robots collaborating at once. The image below shows two robots collaborating on the construction of a product.

Source: RoboticsX
Summary
The construction industry is being disrupted and we are still in the very early stages. The rates of innovation in a number of technologies have enabled pioneers in the construction industry to leverage technology to radically change business models for erecting large buildings and structures. Drones, big data, machine learning, 3D printing and robotics are some of the key enabling technologies leading the disruption. As machines get smarter and more capable each year, the vision of building on Mars becomes less of a fantasy and closer to a reality.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Technology Is Disrupting The Construction Industry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
VideoThere's a lot of buzz these days about drones, 3D printing and robots. It's easy to brush these technologies off as fads or luxuries until you understand some of the use cases that are being applied by integrating these emerging technologies. As each one matures, we are getting much closer [...]

# data[].attributes.body
C6 - Whiting - Turner, which has no relation to Turner construction is a much larger construction company based out of Baltimore, with offices all around the country. Mr Yando is a former employee of Whiting Turner and is an excellent company to work for

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since 1909, the firm has been guided by the principles of integrity, excellence and customer delight in the delivery of construction services.

# data[].attributes.body
C5 - Turner Construction out of Albany New York works primarily in the upstate New York area, from Albany to Rochester, to Buffalo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Turner has been a builder in upstate New York for ninety years. With more than 120 employees across the Albany, Buffalo and Syracuse offices, the northern New York business unit combines the accessibility of a local firm with the strength and resources of a national corporation to serve clients in the commercial, residential, hospitality, healthcare, K-12 education, higher education, science and technology, and public/justice markets.

# data[].attributes.body
A4 - Technology is a rapidly developing in our modern day world. It is only right the construction industry picks up on that. The use of laptops or now tablets right on the jobsite makes the work day easier for logging in information and everything.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Read "Globalization of Technology: International Perspectives" at NAP.edu

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read chapter Technological Advances in the Construction Sector: The technological revolution has reached around the world, with important consequences for...

# data[].attributes.body
C4 - Callanan Industries is one of the largest and oldest Construction companies around my home area. Based out of Schenectady, yet do work all over New York State. Specializing in Paving and road work, along with quarries.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
home - Albany,, NY - Callanan Industries, Inc.

# data[].attributes.body
A3 - Project Management is a risky yet rewarding job. Companies treat project managers who are on time and on budget very well and give very good incentives along with a great salary.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Risks are dependant on a multitude of things and serve as triggers. These dependencies help to identify and measure the impact of the risks; here are just a few of these dependencies.

Product and service offerings

Client, vendor, sponsor and project team expectations

Location

Industry norms

Buy-in levels

Cultural differences

Once the dependencies can be determined, it becomes much clearer which of the following risks are likely:

Cost overruns

Scheduling issues

Agreement/contract disputes

Technology deficiencies

Legislative and legal issues

Resourcing levels

Other Internal and external environmental concerns etc.

Should all risks be avoided?

Not all risks can or should be completely avoided. There will be times where this simply can't be done and other strategies should be considered. Getting to the point of knowing the best strategy can be dependant on many things such as priority, company policies, management outlook, external factors, stakeholder preference etc. To determine the best strategy, project and company leaders, team members and stakeholders should work through the following process.

Identify potential risks by first identifying the dependencies that might trigger them. Getting this step right is key to being able to accurately define the points of impact.

Evaluate the impact and rate the impact to the project success and overall company goals. Remember the project must ultimately serve a strategic business purpose.

Plan for the risk(s) as all projects will come with some risk. Determine the best risk management strategy based on the likely outcome and risk tolerance of the business.

Document the dependencies, risks, impact and risk management strategies, reasons for any decisions, the decision participants, and alternate solutions, if any.

Monitor and Control the risks throughout the entire project cycle, addressing and documenting any changes.

Respond as quickly and thoroughly as possible, communicating and documenting as things change.

Revisit dependencies, risks, status and resolutions with sufficient frequency.

Identify, discuss and document the lessons learned

We are all moving at such a fast pace that there may be temptation to skip this step, but it's critical for learning, improving and building on what you already know. At the end of the project, identifying, discussing and documenting any lessons learned serves a forward-facing role in being more prepared for the next project.

Who is charged with risk management?

Again, there really aren't any lone wolves in risk management, project outcomes impact everyone involved, and this makes each person accountable for playing a role in the execution of the risk management plan. That said, the project manager serves a pivotal role in identifying, documenting, communicating, preparing for, and managing the project risks.
Related Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Risks are dependant on a multitude of things and serve as triggers. These dependencies help to identify and measure the impact of the risks; here are just a few of these dependencies.

# data[].attributes.body
P8 - Construction and Project management is all built off of relationships and trusts. Contractors working under the owner and working for the project manager who works along side of the Architect.

# data[].attributes.body
P10 - Construction all begins in the planning stage with blue prints and meetings with the architect and owner to ensure the design is what everyone wants.

# data[].attributes.body
P7 - Heavy equipment is used a lot on commercial jobsites, ever since i was young i always enjoyed playing around equipment and using it.

# data[].attributes.body
P9 - Construction and Project management gives you the opportunity to work in various locations all over the country, building dream resorts, dream homes, and it exposes you to many new cities, areas, and cultures

# data[].attributes.body
V9

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Songdo, the Future City: MEGAPROJECTS (Part 2)

# data[].attributes.body
V8

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
National Geographic Megastructures China 's Mega Bridges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The World's Future MEGAPROJECTS (2015-2030's)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A documentary on the ten most ambitious mega-projects currently under development around the world, featuring: Dubai World Central Airport (United Arab Emirates); Songdo International Business District (South Korea); Tokyo-Osaka Maglev Train (Japan); Masdar City (United Arab Emirates); The Grand Canal (Nicaragua); National Trunk Highway System (China); International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor [ITER] - Fusion (France); World's Tallest Building (Azerbaijan); Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (India); King Abdullah Economic City (Saudi Arabia).

# data[].attributes.body
V7

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At over 828 metres (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa holds the following records: Tallest building in the world Tallest free-standing structure in the world Highest number of stories in the world Highest occupied floor in the world Highest outdoor observation deck in the world Elevator with

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Construction Management Degrees Career Options and Salaries

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Part 1 - Construction Management or Contract Management?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Digital Time Capture Webinar- October 21, 2010 www.digitaltimecapture.com

# data[].attributes.body
P6 - Residential Construction is extremely rewarding, knowing you are building someones dream and making that a reality

# data[].attributes.body
P4 - Modern style buildings look awesome and are so economically friendly it is such a cool concept and idea they have come up with and I am extremely excited to see what the future has in store.

# data[].attributes.body
P5 - Working in a team during construction is one of the most important things. Working with others, being goal oriented and dividing up tasks so everyone does their part

# data[].attributes.body
P3 - Being out in the field, "boots on the ground" is awesome, exciting and rewarding seeing your management skills and knowledge physically built that structure.

# data[].attributes.body
P2 - Project Management begins right at the design stage and is extremely important throughout the length of the project. Its exciting and Challenging

# data[].attributes.body
V5

# data[].attributes.body
V10

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
http://www.citytowninfo.com/employment/construction-managers Interested in a becoming a construction manager? Watch this video to learn what a career in construction management is really like. Provides an overview of day to day working life of a construction manager.

# data[].attributes.body
V4

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Day in the Life: Construction Project Management

# data[].attributes.body
P1 - Construction is all about relationships and if everyone on the jobsite and during the building process is getting along, trusting each other, everything will run smoothly.

# data[].attributes.body
C3 - Carver Companies located in Altamont, NY is less than five minutes from my house, I worked with them personally during my internship with DOT this summer, good company, and knowledgeable guys.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Founded in 1989, Carver Construction was the first in the family of Carver Companies. Originally a single crew digging cellars, Carver Construction quickly diversified into all types of developmental site work. Today we continue with our site work and Cellar Excavation roots...

# data[].attributes.body
C2 - BBL Construction Services is located in Albany, NY again also close to home home town, it is all about location, location, location.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BBL Construction Albany NY General Contractor - Construction Management Companies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our national design-build process saves time and money for project owners. Over 40 years of experience and satisfied customers. 518-452-8200.

# data[].attributes.body
C1 - Rifenburg Construction is a large commercial construction company located in the capital region of New York State, where I am from

# data[].attributes.body
A2 - Project Management is all about the process, the analysis, the procedure method, strategy, your time management, and goals. Which is all extremely exciting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Technological advancement has opened up many opportunities for the construction industry. However, the construction industry also faces many challenges: projects are becoming more and more complex; economic uncertainty; a myriad of stakeholders; extremely aggressive global competition; and high pressure to not just deliver successful projects but deliver them on time and within budget.

These and many other factors put a lot of pressure on the construction manager, as even the smallest of mistakes can cause a delay of the whole project schedule as well as additional costs. Utilizing project management methods effectively can help the building industry reduce the risk of failure and deliver projects more efficiently.

Managing costs, change and risks

The most important aspect in construction is the cost factor as it determines the financial success of a project and affects, and is affected, by other project variables such as scope, time and quality. Construction project managers need to plan the budget accurately but also need to constantly compare the estimated costs with the actual costs and adjust the budget plan accordingly.

Failure to do so can cause a lot of problems in the long run. Remember that it is much easier to deal with a 10% budget overrun in the beginning than a 50% overrun at the end, when it is too late to turn it around.

Changes and risks also pose as threats to the budget plan. For example, the subcontractor might increase prices or there might be delivery delays, both of which have an impact on the time factor in addition to the cost factor. There are risks that you can anticipate and control, but there are also unforeseeable events such as natural disasters or accidents. You cannot control these events, but you can prepare a plan B (or C or D).

A lot can and will go wrong in construction which is why comprehensive conflict and crisis management skills are necessary to complete projects successfully.

Time and task management

As construction projects are getting more complex and with a lot of stakeholders involved, it is absolutely essential to have a clearly structured task plan and schedule. The first step is to identify the more general tasks and then divide these tasks into more specific sub-tasks.

It is also important to remember to include tasks that precede the actual construction, such as removing vegetation to clear up the site.

As for the scheduling of the tasks, you should always prioritize tasks and factor in eventual dependencies as some tasks may run parallel whereas others can only start if the predecessor tasks are finished.

Also, include milestones and deadlines which serve as guidelines as well as motivation to the construction team. This may all sound like it is a given for experienced construction managers, but meticulous planning takes a lot of time and effort and is not something that is done just like that.

Evaluating efficiency and productivity

As construction projects are so diverse and productivity depends on so many different variables there is not one ultimate productivity measure. However, every project can and should regularly compare actual with target performance. This will help you identify unproductive activities and processes and find a solution to increase efficiency and effectiveness immediately.

Construction managers can take inspiration from software project management methods such as 'Scrum' which helps keep complexities and risks minimal. So-called 'sprints', which are essentially small projects that have a duration of no more than a month, keep the team focused, as at the end of each sprint they have to present a complete product or a specific result. This will ensure that the construction staff works efficiently and productively to meet these requirements.

Delegating and outsourcing

A great project manager always knows how to delegate and outsource tasks. Allocating the right people to the right jobs is extremely important, especially in construction. You need to assign people according to their skills and expertise - and their availability.

Managing resources means delegating tasks to the right kind of people at the right time, often across projects at different construction sites. This is a particular challenge in construction, as only some staff possess the certain skills or expertise needed for certain tasks but are needed at several sites often at the same time.

Resource management is essential to be able to keep an overview of who has capacities left and who can't take on any more work load. However, there are also tasks and activities that you can outsource such as bookkeeping and other administrative tasks. This can increase the efficiency of processes and operations while the construction manager can concentrate on key activities of the project.

Embracing collaboration and communication

Globalization has led to more rigorous competition for the construction industry, but it has also opened up the labor markets. Construction managers have access to a diverse and highly skilled global workforce. This allows them to design a more flexible and cost-efficient personnel plan and make use of a talent pool, which was not available to them before.

New collaboration and communication technologies support this trend of remote teams but also meets the increasing demands of clients to immediate and easy access to information updates regarding the construction project.

As there are so many stakeholders in a construction project, effective communication is vital for the project's success. In fact, most project failures are a result of insufficient communication between parties concerned. So to ensure that communication doesn't break down, you need to create a clear plan from the very beginning, outlining the communication process and the method, and make sure that everyone knows and sticks to it.

Designating one person as the communicator can channel the communication between teams and help avoid misunderstandings.
Andreas Tremel, Co-Founder and CEO of , is responsible for strategic development and product development as well as for the company's marketing and communication strategy. With over 15 years of experience in developing software solutions, Tremel has made InLoox's priority to build a PM software that would add value to the standard procedures of task management.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Habits of Successful Construction Project Managers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Technological advancement has opened up many opportunities for the construction industry. However, the construction industry also faces many challenges: projects are becoming more and more complex; economic uncertainty; a myriad of stakeholders; extremely aggressive global competition; and high pressure to not just deliver successful projects but deliver them on time and within budget.

# data[].attributes.body
A1 - I am a Team player and leader, you have to look at the big picture from the start of the project. You must budget your time and money properly to be successful

# data[].attributes.body
V3

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Time lapse of home constructed start to finish

# data[].attributes.body
V2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
University of Colorado Hospital Construction Time-Lapse

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
National Institute of Standards and Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Eleven Times Square — Time Lapse Construction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This video was taken over the entire construction period during the building of 11 Times Square in New York City.

# data[].attributes.body
V1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Construction Management Procurement Method When

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The benefits of the Construction Management Procurement Method