​The Pros and Cons of Having a Project Manager

Successful construction and building companies know that the success of their company and their work comes from having a project manager – there are, however, pros and cons when it comes to hiring a project manager. Access Doors and Panels shares both the pros and cons of having a project manager for all sizes of jobs, whether it is a remodelling job, install of access panels or a from the ground up project – a project manager can be beneficial to a project or a hindrance. As a supplier of access doors and panels, Access Doors and Panels understands quality in material but also quality in having the right people on site.

Decision Making

Project managers who work for large size construction firms and agencies sometimes have the role and responsibility of having to make decisions that can make or break the project. More often than not they will also have to deal with their stakeholders. For their counterpart – a project manager who works for a small or independent company, they are left with making the decision that is in the best interest of their company and the project. Depending on how long they have been a project manager, the decision falls on their plate. From decisions on whether to go with alternative building material, to how to handle delays in a project decision making can also include making decisions that could alter or modify the project progress. Project managers, depending on the size of the firm can be left with choices that sometimes are hard to make due to their repercussions and impact on the project. In a way this a con to the title of project manager, because without the proper support and guidance, it can be hard to make the right choice and if the decision is wrong – they can become the scapegoat.

Stress

With decision making comes a con that is experienced in any field – stress. While it is a natural reaction, stress can happen due to inexperience, lack of support or just this overwhelming feeling of meeting expectations and deadlines. Stress can impact a project manager both negatively and positively. Positively, stress can motivate and give the project manager a push to meet deadlines and to push the limits. When it comes to the industry, inexperience on a project can feel like they have all the time; however, apply stress, and suddenly it’s almost this renewed invigorating drive to push forward.

Stress that is negative though is when there is this overwhelming feeling that no progress is being made or that there are obstacles at every line of progression. For example, a project manager dealing with negative stress could happen when they discover that their supplier of access panels will be a delay in its arrival or that there isn’t enough of their order in stock, therefore, forcing the project manager to go with an alternative solution.

Budget and Pay

Having a project manager on hand means that there is someone on the site who can assist and address the problems as they happen; however, this also means that the job has to consider and factor this in the overall budget. Where a project manager can be a con is when their involvement in the project has not only increased the project budget but when they are not putting in the effort to make their time and value worth it. It is not to say that the first thing to look at when the budget is over that it’s a result of the people on site- as it is also the project manager who keeps things in check and ensures that the budget is as close to the bottom line as possible.

Project managers – and anyone who works in the industry understands that a path in this career is not one that makes six-figure salaries. Those who are in the field are passionate, dedicated and dreamers who find great pleasure in the finished build. In a way, it is this dedication that makes the budget and paying a pro for having a project manager on site.

Sharing responsibilities on-site

No project, no matter how big or small it is can be a success without the proper hands on deck. This means having the expertise hands and builders but also having the knowledge and experience that can ensure the project moves forward and within budget. Project managers provide the support and guidance to the workers on-site, from their training and their previous experiences – they share and take on responsibilities that sometimes are neglected or forgotten. From ensuring that the order of building materials such as paint or access panels have arrived, to providing the clients' expectations and needs are met.

At Access Doors and Panels, we share helpful tips on the industry and the benefits of having project managers but also quality building materials and more! For more, visit us at https://www.accessdoorsandpanels.com/