Project management & facilitation
Our skilled team of professionals have extensive experience on project management of various successful projects, both big and small.
Our Working Process!
1. PROJECT FACILITATION
Often our clients have great ideas. However, the implementation of such projects requires careful planning in order to obtain finance. Obtaining finance in this current economic climate is extremely difficult, but we at NFM strive towards contributing and assisting our Clients in this process.
We do this by using prudent, as well as, cost saving methods such as streamlining the use of efficient designs together with detailed cost engineering processes, appointing labour only sub-contractors where prudent, incorporating careful supervision and putting stringent management practices in place.
We provide overall guidance to our Clients by assisting in collating all documents required to apply for finance. This is crucial, as without finance, the Project can never get off the ground.
Our team of experts are geared towards ensuring that the Project has the best possible chance of getting out of the starting blocks. Further, we have built up relationships with fellow Consultant Firms who assist in the preparation of Feasibility Studies and Market Valuations, as well as designs of services and top structures.
2. PROJECT PLANNING
Once the Project has been given the go ahead, careful planning is required to ensure that the Project is a success.
We assist in setting project goals, defining the scope of the project and developing a project management plan.
The project management plan incorporates the following management tools:
- Identifying the cost, level of quality, the available resources at hand to ensure cost efficiency and setting up a realist timeframe for completion of the Project.
In addition we assist in setting up a scope of the encompassing works, which includes but is not limited to the following:
- Work breakdown Schedule, which includes Bills of Quantities, specifications, material tick sheets and working drawings.
- Outlining milestones in order to meet financial and progress obligations.
- Setting up a construction programme with timelines.
- Developing a communication plan which encompasses the Contractor, Client and Consultants to ensure direct lines of communication between the parties which will guarantee that all challenges and queries are dealt with quickly and efficiently.
- Setting up a risk management plan outlining all potential pitfalls that may occur during the construction period and mitigating these risks before they become a problem.
3. PROJECT EXECUTION
This is the Phase where all the project planning comes into effect and where deliverables are developed and completed.
The project execution stage is where all the action happens.
The contractor needs to start on site with materials ordered well in advance to compensate for lead times and to avoid any delays. We assist in this and our material tick sheets ensure that this process runs smoothly and timeously.
Our on-site representative will issue materials to the relevant contractors where required and from the start of the Project our controlled supervision will guarantee that the Project remains in budget, on time and within high levels of quality.
Bi-weekly progress meetings are arranged so that any challenges are addressed when they arise. Detailed minutes of the meetings will be available to all involved and this ensures that everyone is always up to speed with what is going on with the Project. The minutes also serve as a record keeping process in the rare case where conflicts may arise during the construction period.
Our assigned Project Manager will control all facets of the Project providing the link between Consultants, the Client and the Contractor. All information will be issued through our Project Management Office thereby avoiding confusion and eliminating any potential conflict, as the information will be clear and concise. Instructions from the Client will also always be relayed via our Project Manager.
In summary, there will be no excuse for any Team Member not being 100% up to speed with the Project throughout its duration thereby ensuring a successful Project completion.
4. PROJECT PERFORMANCE/ MONITORING
As already mentioned briefly above, our team will measure project progression and performance through
Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), such as:
- Meeting Project Objectives – we will constantly measure whether the Project is on schedule and within budget so that all relevant stakeholder objectives are reached.
- Quality Controls – we will regularly undertake checks on both labour and materials.
- Cost Controls – constant monitoring of material prices including procuring in bulk to obtain large discounts, as well as negating any material price increases due to market fluctuations. This ensures that the budget remains on track.
- Monitoring project performance: All changes in the Project will be noted and implemented in a cost effective and timeous process, negating the effects of unforeseen hurdles and changes in the scope.
5. PROJECT CLOSURE
This Phase represents the successful closure of the Project once completion has been achieved.
All necessary documentation will be drawn up so that both the Client as well as the Contractor are happy with the outcome.
Lastly, after completion of all projects we hold an internal “post mortem” outlining the project successes as well as challenges which arose. This ensures that lessons are learned and can be implemented for all future projects.
We understand that all projects have hurdles, challenges and failures but our team will strive to minimize these as best as possible. We are confident that the needs, requirements and expectations of all our Clients will be met to the best of our ability.
Our Ethos: on time, within budget and within high levels of quality.