Rules of Thumb and Facts

For Planners and Project Managers

Success Factors in Construction Project Management

Studies show that project management, as an overarching function, serves as an optimal interface manager. It is a prerequisite for any project that is completed on time and with minimal conflict.
The type of project, the contracting model, and the client’s role significantly influence the nature and number of critical interfaces.
Digital solutions such as BIM and PKMS significantly reduce friction and data gaps.

Comprehensive planning before construction begins significantly increases certainty regarding schedules and costs, whereas planning during construction (simultaneous planning and construction) systematically leads to quality and cost problems.
Design freeze decisions made early on reduce the rate of changes in later project phases. This significantly reduces cost and schedule risks.

Budget overruns are among the most common project problems in the construction industry. Effective risk management has been shown to reduce them.
The majority of construction disputes could be avoided through more robust contract and risk management.
Cost and schedule overruns in large infrastructure projects—which are often accepted as inevitable—stem from inadequate risk management in the face of complex contractual chains.

KPIs highlight deviations early on, which can significantly improve the quality of project management for complex construction projects.
Lean construction studies show that short-cycle technical KPIs measurably stabilize costs and schedules and create transparency for the trades involved.

Arcadis: Complex Large-Scale Projects Delivered on Time and Within Budget

Nicole Baeumer: Optimized Interface Management from the Perspective of Construction Project Management, Illustrated with Two Real-World Examples

BuiltSmart Hub: Keeping Project Costs Under Control: Risk Management to Prevent Budget Overruns

BuiltSmart Hub: Key Metrics and KPIs in Construction—Control Mechanisms for Efficiency, Quality, and Project Success

David Oliver Kunysz: Cost Estimation in Chemical Plant Construction

Martin Fiedler (ed.): Lean Construction – The Management Handbook. Agile Methods and Lean Management in the Construction Industry

Institute for Construction Economics at the University of Kassel (Ed.): Construction Economics Series | Research 24

Wolf Plettenbacher & Klemens Wagner: Artificial Intelligence in the Construction Industry

Carina Schlabach: Key Performance Indicators for Managing Day-to-Day Operations in the Construction Industry