American project management is based on free market economy. The American market drives down construction costs and because of this there is a big improvement in efficiency. Every person has a specific role to play in each and every project. Most projects involve highly skilled specialist contractors who design the components that they apply, who are well experienced in using the techniques involved in their erection.

Americas skyscrapers and high rise buildings claim a big percentage of building works, which are built more for the customers profits than for them occupying the space. In contrast to the United Kingdom, clients in the United States usually take on the role of project manager. Most clients are developers and are therefore very knowledgeable of the processes involved in their project and of the relevant planning authorities. First and foremost the cost and speed of the project takes prescedence over quality.

This means that they are able to make key decisions and have very clear ideas of what they want and what is needed for their objectives to be met. They assess the feasibility of their project and raise the finances. They maintain a strong influence throughout the life cycle of the project and are responsible for making sure that the project objectives are met.

Architects in America have a much smaller role in the project than they do in the United Kingdom. Their job is to make sure the client gets the most cost effective solution to their objectives. In America the design of the buildings components lies with specialists and not in the hands of the architects. American architects have a vast amount of knowledge of the property market they work in. they are knowledgeable of building costs, rental values, interest and inflation. Most projects will have four architects assigned to it. They will be a conceptual designer, senior designer, project manager and technical co-ordinator.

Architects and project engineers get together to develop the design, which enables them to define the technological aspects of the building. They are responsible for ensuring the building can be erected safely and efficiently. Engineers must also try to maximise the useable floor space in the design to obtain a top rental income for the developer. Projects in America often have a short time scale in which they need to be completed. This leads to the highly competitive firms of specialist contractors using building components that they have used many times before and they know have a short delivery time. By the specialist contractor using their own component design a lot of the conflict between them and the architects is eliminated.

The specialist contractor knows how the parts work and is not relying on the innovative ideas of the architects. By using methods that are tried and tested, American projects are a lot more accurate in their time and cost estimations. The work of the specialist contractors is co-ordinated by a construction manager. Construction managers are often employed from the design stage as consultants, to advise on issues of construction processes.

American project management is divided into three sections. The first is the design stage, which is co-ordinated by the architects and engineers along with the client. This is followed by the manufacturing stage and the construction stage, which are both co-ordinated by the construction manager. Each stage is seen as a separate package of work. At the start of each section “kick off” meetings are held. These meetings take place to ensure that everyone involved in the stage knows what they have to do. Responsibility for the project passes from one person to another during the project but there are times when there are overlaps in responsibility.

Successful project management in America can partly be because of the fact that their client’s are very knowledgeable of the industry and therefore demand high quality from their project team. However due to the speed demands and sticking to tried and tested methods, most of the time American builds tend to lack innovation of design and a touch of flair.

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