CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

 

Seasoned Lumen PMC professionals provide advisory services or execution assistance in areas of site selection; constructability and red team operational reviews; safety planning & control; project environmental assurance; site document control; construction inspection; construction cost & schedule performance reporting; value engineering; risk management; the RFI process; and contract dispute prevention or resolution.

Because each construction project has its own unique set of constraints and challenges, a high degree of risk in the accuracy of cost and schedule estimating is inherent.  As a result, most of the unanticipated challenges triggering variation in planned activities become evident and impact the health of a project during its construction phase. Our advisory services involve methods to uncover and address deviations in the management process, or examine suspicious operations, and offer strategic mitigation tactics for improved implementation or recovery. We rely upon proven procedures often based upon a comprehensive list of known risk elements.

We review and advise on management of both pre-construction and construction phase capital project execution.  

PRE-CONSTRUCTION ADVISORY SERVICES

Prior to field mobilization our construction professionals analyze project planning and design phase operations to ensure certain key elements needed to mitigate risks and establish the best opportunities for project success are addressed. Our audit process focuses on the project delivery method, contracting strategies, plans for temporary facilities and the project teams’ approach to constructability of the design. We use proven tactics, including design audit; cold-eye review; expert judgement; and even participation or facilitation of special studies to ensure construction input adds value to project design and control functions.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AUDITS

Depending on the stage of development, our construction advisors use one of several approaches to investigate and advise on the health of a project.  For a troubled project in the construction phase an independent “cold eye” or “red team” review process is focused primarily on recovery tactics. We identify and evaluate potential change, including but not limited to possible realignment of the management organization, schedule flexibility and its potential for re-baselining, fast tracking or crashing, adequacy of construction resources including temporary facilities and equipment, and review the contracting structure for possible re-negotiation. Our deliverable is a comprehensive report with critical management information that identifies potential improvement options and provides cost and schedule impact of do-able recovery tactics for evaluation by the project’s principal stakeholders.

CONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION

We examine the site construction management organizational structure (functional or matrix) against optimum needs for the project’s characteristics, focusing on areas known to negatively impact cost and schedule. Examples include but are not limited to the structures’ ability to support management of functions such as stakeholder alignment; owner/contractor communications; liaison with engineering; resource management; execution of labor relations plans and policies; the owner/contractor/subcontractor responsibility matrix; and document management. Deliverables include observations, findings and recommendations for change or improvement.

CONSTRUCTION COST MANAGEMENT

We assess the overall cost management process beginning with the initial authorized construction baseline estimate. Specialists investigate and analyze the planning and execution of estimating, budget determination and control processes for the project, including data collection and reporting, to determine their fitness, and ensure allowances for worksite specific environmental factors are included. We focus particularly on the impact on cost control of site conditions, labor climate, jobsite and local facilities, and logistics requirements. Our deliverable is a comprehensive audit report addressing accuracy and completeness of the cost management program, identified areas of concern, and variances from planned objectives that enables improved understanding of project cost status and forecast accuracy.    

CONSTRUCTION TIME (SCHEDULE) MANAGEMENT

We review the overall schedule to assess compatibility with the construction execution plan. Construction activity definition and sequencing, resource and duration estimating, schedule control and progress monitoring processes are examined to determine fitness for managing a schedule suitable for the projects characteristics. Our deliverable is a comprehensive audit report describing the health of the project schedule, identification of problem areas or discrepancies, and recommendations for corrective solutions should improvements be judged necessary.

MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

Our advisory services involve an audit of a planning and performance processes for maintaining a consistent flow of equipment and materials in support of intended construction activities. Our approach involves a comprehensive review and assessment of project material control procedures from the interface with and transition from procurement and expediting through material receipt, quarantine, interim storage, preservation management, and ultimate disposition for installation. Our deliverables include a comprehensive report on findings with recommendations for elimination of observed deficiencies.

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Quality management specialists audit the project teams’ compliance with the quality management plan to evaluate the level of performance of specific construction related quality planning, assurance and control processes. Our audit process investigates and analyzes results of the project’s quality program and its compliance with the International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 9001 requirements for a quality management system.  Deliverables include an impartial report detailing focus areas, our methodology and findings, with recommendations for improvement or proposed details for a quality management plan update. 

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Construction safety specialists test a project’s safety and health program for its ability to prevent accidents causing personal injury, fatalities or property damage.  We compare the project’s safety policies and management processes to contractually mandated customer requirements, local regulations, industry standards such as project-relevant OSHA construction regulations and accident reporting requirements. If applicable we address OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard. Our deliverable is a report on management of the jobsite site safety program compared to the project’s planned safety implementation and control process, with recommended corrective actions or improvements.

INCIDENT INVESTIGATION

For accident investigation we work with management, counsel and regulatory personnel to investigate, analyze and pin-point work elements directly causing an incident and apply decomposition techniques including cause and effect diagrams, statistical analysis, and accident modeling tactics such as swiss cheese analysis to assess and evaluate findings for root cause determination.  Our deliverable is a comprehensive report detailing the incident and addressing both direct and indirect causes and why it occurred, useable for both internal improvement and insurance claims.

CONSTRUCTION RISK MANAGEMENT

Our advisors address construction risk management plan by investigating and analyzing its execution and control processes to ensure integration with the project team’s overall approach to risk management.  To confirm suitability of risks identified in a project’s risk register we rely on industry standard guidelines, hands-on experience, and a checklist of common construction risk elements we extend to include critical risks unique to the project. We focus on the validity of the risk management plan and the team’s compliance with its risk identification, analysis, response and control components.  Depending on findings our deliverable may be a comprehensive report with observations and recommendations for minor adjustment, or an outline of steps considered necessary to modify or re-address the project’s approach to its risk management process.

CONSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

We examine a construction project’s environmental management plan and assurance and control processes to ensure environmental objectives and responsibilities of owners and contractors are preserved during the work, and the impact on the surrounding environment is minimized in compliance with limits of legal permits. Our deliverables include a comprehensive and verifiable report on findings and observations with recommended corrective action for any defects observed in the plans managment process.

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

Using industry standard procurement management techniques and expert judgement we audit planning, conducting, controlling, and closure processes for management and administration of both prime and sub tier construction contracts. Our advisors address the project’s procurement documents; inquiry and selection criteria; contract formulation, negotiation and award practice; the contract administration process; and contract change and closure procedures. Our deliverable is a written report presenting strengths and weaknesses observed and recommendations for resolution of deficiencies.

CONSTRUCTION CLAIM MANAGEMENT

Whether making a claim or defending against it, our dispute management professionals provide independent and objective strategic analysis and advice for use in resolving time and/or cost differences of opinion. We emphasize the importance of vigilant record keeping and document management processes necessary to support or defend a claim; claim identification and preparation tactics; and quantification of damages. For delay claim causation and schedule analysis, we select and conduct the most appropriate of several industry standard as-built vs. as-planned methods. Deliverables may include an audit report addressing a project’s claim management process; facilitation of resolution leading to equitable settlement; a professionally drafted expert report in support of litigation; or expert testimony.