Do Projects Need Professional Project Management? by Corinne Maddox, CCM, CFM

Some projects need a project management (PM) specialist more than others. Projects with unusual budget, schedule, quality, safety or site challenges will benefit more from PM services. Smaller tenant buildout projects with a few trades involved, minimal cost and a flexible schedule will generally be served well by an experienced facility manager or landlord overseeing a good architect and construction contractor. The more complex the project and the higher the cost and risk, the more value a professional PM can bring to the process.

Besides the complexity of the project, the owner's circumstances may determine the need for PM specialists, Frequently, large companies and institutions do not have the quantity of internal staff to handle peak workloads or major projects. On the other hand, smaller companies may not have the volume of projects to justify a fulltime PM professional. Sometimes owners do not have pay scales adequate to recruit PM's with the level of experience needed. Those situations would benefit by outsourcing PM services, when needed, to obtain the level of skill and manpower necessary. Another approach is to outtask specific project activities to a PM specialist, such as strategic planning, contract development, cost estimating, construction management, or move management. Whatever an owner's situation, he should consider the value of PM training and expertise to achieve the best results.