INTERVIEW WITH RUBBIE A. GREENEWALD:

"A project's size doesn't determine its needs. All projects require the same planning principles, and the same types of management techniques and services. The size merely dictates the volume of work necessary in each of these service areas. For example, all programs need budget development and require conceptual estimating to get there. A project under $1 Million requires the same processes of budget development that an $800 Million project requires. The complexity of the larger project requires more time and effort in this stage, but the process works the same in either case". The larger project will have a larger CM staffing requirement, and may have personnel who are specialists in one particular element of the program. The smaller work requires personnel with multi-skilled backgrounds; for example, managers who are also skilled in the latest scheduling and estimating techniques and serve all three functions, as opposed to a manager who has both a skilled etimator and skilled scheduler on his staff. The Pittsburgh Airport had numerous contract packages, each of which was assigned to a management team for the construction phase. Each team consisted of a Project Manager, several assistant managers, inspectors, contract administrative and clerical support. A small project may have one manager/ administrator and share inspection and clerical support personnel with other projects.

At Century we want to remain flexible to service the client's smaller projects, using the latest techniques and principles the industry has to offer. This is not an easy market. Owners are not used to CM services being available to them on projects of a smaller scale. But they often don't have the expertise in house to provide the services they need to make certain that their Architects and Professional Engineers are providing the best service. They then rely upon those same "professional design services" to provide contract administrative services. As one of my colleagues, who worked for years in public education administration, once said, 'Isn't that kind of like the fox guarding the hen house?' Other clients rely upon a general contractor to coordinate their project. Where the owner has owner furnished equipmnet, and/or has separate prime contracts for other elements of the project, the coordination of such other elements will fall through the cracks, and the extra money required to handle these matters will come from that owner's pocket.

CM is truly a service that "pays for itself" by creating the coordination controls and data gathering and processing necessary for any owner to know the full scope of the project and the right budget and schedule for that scope of work. As a CM, we will become that Owner's right arm.

Where the owner is already staffed to provide for its own CM services, Century can provide specialty services to upgrade their in house skills, or provide certain team members, on a contract basis, to provide short term manpower without increasing in-house overhead and payroll budgets."

Another area of growing concern is the conversion from old facilities to new facilities. The existing maintenance staff may be operating and maintaining a facility with technology that is over 50 years old. Even if its only 20 years old, the recent technologial advances in building systems and equipment require a retrained workforce. I did a lot of work developing the materials and training for the new facilities at Washington D.C.s National Airport, which recently opened. The program was successful enough that the National Institute of Building Services had the Airport Authority, the project's Program Manager and myself provide a day long symposium (September 19, 1996) on Facilities Maintenance Planning and Programs for a an audience of many of the Governmental Agencies in D.C. This issue will become more and more critical within the next several years. At Century, we can help start this planning process early in the capital expenditure program."

For more information on how Century CM can help you with your upcomming capital expenditure program complete the form below: