History of Project Management, by Corinne Maddox, CCM, CFM

The construction industry has dramatically changed since I started my PM consulting business in 1995. At that time, architects led projects and drew on paper, and "cut & paste" meant using an exacto knife and spray adhesive. Pencil sharpeners and pen bar systems were the hot technology. As design and construction became more complex, project teams became more specialized and more competitive. Learning CAD was more important than learning how to build, which led to a decline in drawing quality and completeness. Sophisticated contractors learned how to maximize their profits, and project managers were hired to guide owners though the maze of pitfalls and coordinate the growing array of specialists. With the computer age came computerized scheduling and cost management, web-based document control and collaboration, and Building Information Modeling. Now project managers can choose from dozens of construction delivery methods, and ultra-fast schedules are commonplace. Yet with all the advancements, materials and construction techniques have not changed substantially in 50 years. Construction is still the only major industry with a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted product, and it takes the expertise of the entire team of design, construction and PM professionals to achieve success.