What is management, construction management

Definitions of Management

i. According to George R. Terry, "Management is a distinct process consisting of planning, organising, actuating and controlling, performed to determine and accomplish stated objectives by the use of human beings and other resources".

ii. According to Henry Fayol, "To manage is to forecast and to plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control".

iii According to Peter Drucker, "Management is a multi-purpose organ that manages business and manages managers and manages workers and work".

iv. According to Harold Koontz, "Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups”.

v. According to Mary Parker Fallett, "Management is the art of getting things done through people".






Construction Management

In its most common context, the term ‘‘management’’ relates to the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of a business enterprise. Business management is essentially a continuing and internal activity involving that company’s own personnel, finances, property, and other resources. Construction project management, however, applies to a given project, the various phases of which usually are accomplished by different organizations. Therefore, the management of a construction project is not so much a process of managing the internal affairs of a single company as it is one of coordinating and regulating all of the elements needed to accomplish the job at hand. Thus, the typical project manager must work extensively with organizations other than his own. In such circumstances, much of his authority is conferred by contractual terms or power of agency and is therefore less direct than that of the usual business manager.



Objectives, Functions and need of Construction Management

Objectives

The main objectives of Construction management are:

i. Completing the work within estimated budget and specified time.

ii. Evolving a reputation for high quality workmanship.

iii. Providing safe and satisfactory working conditions for all personnel and workers.

iv. Taking sound decisions at the lowest practical management level through delegation of authority.

v. Motivating people to give of their best within their capacities.

vi. Creating an organisation that works as a team.

Functions

The functions of construction management are:

i. Planning and scheduling: Planning involves the formulation of a number of alternatives realistic work plans for achieving specified objectives and finally selecting a plan which is best suited from the stand-point of available resources and constraints imposed upon the project. It essential cover the aspect of “what to do” and “how to do”

Scheduling is the fitting of final work plan to a time scale. It shows the duration and order of various construction activities. It deals with the aspect of “When to do if”.



ii. Organising: 

Organising is concerned with division of the total Construction work into manageable departments/ sections and systematically arranging various operations by delegating specific tasks to individuals. The relationships between various personnel are established and the organisational structure of the project is depicted by a simple flow chart.

iii. Staffing: 

Organising involves the division of project work into sections and staffing is the provision of people to fill the positions so created. Recruiting the right people, arranging staff training courses and carrying out proper staff assessment are all part of the staffing function.

iv. Directing: 

The directing function is concerned with training subordinates to carry out assigned tasks, supervising their work and guiding their efforts. The essence of directing lies in the ability to motivate people individually and as groups to utilise their creative efforts to achieving specified objectives.

v. Controlling:- 

Controlling is necessary for ensuring effective and efficient working. It involves a constant review of the work plan to check on actual achievements and to discover and rectify deviations through appropriate corrective measures..

vi. Co-ordinating: 

Since authority converges to the top of the organisational pyramid, it is necessary to bring together and coordinate the work of various departments and sections. This requires an efficient system of communication so that each department and section is aware of its role and the assistance to be expected from others. Regular meetings of departmental/ section heads with top management are fundamental to proper coordination, so that plans, problems and remedies are discussed for determining the best solution.