11 WAYS THE PROJECT MANAGER CAN DESTROY A PFI PROJECT.

The project manager is the front line management representative protecting UiTM interests on this PFI capital construction project. He or she can easily destroy UiTM chances of a successful project by failing in any one of the following management duties:

1. Failure to maintain accurate control over change orders.Work being done without authorization (or funding),or material substitutions being made without technical evaluation, or schedules being stretched with extended overhead costs undocumented.
2. Failure to keep the boss and end users apprised of the status of construction, including anticipated delays in completion, and cost increases.No reaction time or options available for the boss, when everything is done after the fact.
3. Failure to review the plans and specifications prior to issuing request for information. Value engineering after the bids are submitted results in pennies being saved on the dollar value of the revised work.
4. Failure to identify and expedite long lead time material and equipment.Normal schedules are impossible to meet with unusual material requirements.
5. Failure to ensure that contract documents such as Performance; Payment Bonds; Workman’s Compensation Insurance; Builders Risk Insurance, and Contracts are properly executed before work starts.When a workman is killed or injured on your site the lawyers look for the party with the “deep pockets” to sue, which is usually the owner.
6. Neglect to visit the job site regarding safety and quality of work.No one else visits the work daily with your focused interest on long term work quality, and the safety of the campus environment.
7. Failure to insure that all required testing is accomplished.Without a testing submittal plan, you won’t even know what tests to look for, nor will you know what the required test results should be.
8. Ignore situations, which could result in contractor claims.Time does not heal issues, problems just fester, grow bigger, and become harder to resolve due to facts fading and contractor claims becoming dogmatic.
9. Late response to contractor inquires and submissions requiring approval. Time is something you cannot buy more of at the end of the project when deadlines are due, so don’t waste this crucial resource early in the project be letting everyone slip due dates for submittals and requests for information.
10. Failure to promptly review and forward contractor payment requests.Contractors operate on a very tight financial basis with just-in-time cash flow to subs and material suppliers.  If they don’t get paid promptly, then the whole contracting financial house of cards can crash on your head, when the work stops, and bonding companies eventually finish the project.
11. Insufficient attention to detail when closing out the contract.Like a circus leaving town, the contractors move on to other projects, and their crews rapidly leave the worksite.  Finishing the last 5% of the work takes 80% of the Project Manager’s energy.  On poorly managed projects with inadequate quality control during construction, it may not be possible to overcome all of the defects during the final punch list inspections made during the last few days of work. Don’t overlook the user concerns such as Keys, Maintenance Training, Spare Parts, Operating Manuals, Final punch list completion, and Warrantee contacts).