Does Construction Management improve quality standards?

Quality and procurement have a direct relationship for any service or project: a client or customer carefully considers whatever they are purchasing with the aim of ensuring the right balance between cost and quality.

In construction – with its often-complex phases, factors, legislation, materials, and trades – the method of that procurement is a key element in ensuring the success of a project and its quality standards.

Traditionally, construction projects are procured via Traditional Contract (which separates the design and construction elements of the project) or Design & Build (with one contractor responsible for the design and for the construction).

Construction Management is an alternative and increasingly popular choice of procurement route that keeps a project running quickly and efficiently by appointing a Construction Manager who acts on behalf of the client to deliver the project.

What is Construction Management?

Construction Management is a flexible procurement route with every aspect of the project (known as trade packages) sub-contracted to the most qualified supplier.

A Construction Manager is appointed by the client to procure, manage, and administer those specialist sub-contractors on their behalf.

To learn more about Construction Management, click to watch Jamie Barrett’s video, A Deep Dive into Construction Management.

Benefits of Construction Management

The holistic approach of Construction Management has many benefits across efficiency, cost, and quality:

• The client retains more control and reassurance. The direct relationship between the Construction Manager as the client’s representative and the sub-contractor makes for a more collaborative approach.
• Construction Management enables projects to get started more quickly than alternative methods of procurement.
• Construction Management allows design and construction to run simultaneously: later phases of the project can be designed while the earlier phases are in construction. This also enables a flexible process where the design can change and evolve throughout the construction process.
• When clients have limited resources and capacity, the Construction Manager will manage the sub-contractors and negotiate agreements with suppliers on behalf of the client.
• Construction Management can bring cost savings by appointing sub-contractors directly rather than via a main contractor.
• The sophisticated supply chain management of Construction Management ensures that high-quality and well-suited specialist contractors are appointed specifically to each part of the project.
• The collaborative approach of Construction Management creates a non-adversarial environment with the appointed Construction Manager co-ordinating the whole team to get the best from all suppliers.
• The Construction Manager is generally also the Principal Contractor under CDM regulations, making sure the project is safe and compliant with health and safety regulations. 
• Construction Management can be particularly effective when procuring complex projects with specific requirements including brownfield sites, residential or commercial projects, international projects, renewable energy and infrastructure projects, and agriculture and heavy industrial projects.
• Construction Management is also a highly efficient option to recover stalled projects allowing teams to mobilise quickly after appointment. 

Construction Management and Quality

Construction Management introduces new levels of quality control and expectations of quality in a project. It introduces benchmarks of quality assurance with high vetting processes for each stage of the project.

Because every aspect of the project is subcontracted to the most qualified supplier, Construction Management focuses on specialists for each individual works package, resulting in select high-quality elements that work together to significantly improve the overall quality of the project.

The appointed Construction Manager is a quality controller, regularly reviewing the overall project’s quality with checks and inspections and making sure the trade contractors are delivering to quality benchmarks. The Construction Manager gives the client continual assurance on quality with regular communication, updates, site reports, and quality assurance documents.

How Evolution5 can help

Improve the quality and efficiency of your construction project. By choosing Evolution5 to deliver Construction Management services for your project, you will benefit from our broad knowledge, experience, and expertise gained from contracting and consulting to integrate with your professional team and take the lead in procuring and managing trade contractors.

We can appoint your project with a dedicated Construction Manager from our technically qualified, skilled, and highly experienced team with extensive, hands-on experience in construction. Our clients benefit from a breadth of knowledge and first-hand experience in Construction Management and procuring and managing trade contractors.

Evolution5 is a professional consultancy offering project management, construction management, employer’s agent, and contract administration services for projects across London and the South East.

If you have a construction project and would like to explore how the team can help you, click the button below or call 023 8040 5073.