Nath

Just wondered what kind of projects your involved with, how many you've got on the go, at any one time, the values (approx) and how realistic are the given deadlines. Thanks

15D

4 projects on the go

1, Converting the former St Ledger stable blocks into 5 luxury dwellings. 2m budget. So far ahead of schedule and under budget

2, New build development of 12 town centre luxury appts in Doncaster
1.9m budget. Nearly completed 200k under budget (BRING ON THE BONUS!!!) and on schedule with just minor snagging left to do

3, Three new build 6 and 8 bedroomed mansions in Bawtry
1.6m budget. On budget and 2 weeks ahead of schedule

4, Ten townhouses in the village I live in.
880k budget. Slightly under budget but put on hold as 200k new build houses are hard to shift with the recent changes to the mortgage market (only 75% mortgages available on new builds)

Meticulous control of ordering and scheduling materials is the secret to a big job running smoothly. A good workforce is a close second.

Markb_s1

i do some project management stuff as part of my job..
currently involving several proof of concepts and minimal expenditure, but the good one at the moment is a complete build and fit out of a workplace recovery site for our company - budget was somewhere in the region of 6million. deadlines were realistic initially but suppliers have let us down in a few instances. not a big deal for me as i'm not responsible for managing the stakeholders' expectations, but they seem ok with the amended timescales so far.

edited to add, don't want to give the wrong impression.. i'm nto solely responsible for the project management of the DR site...

RsDarren

iTrader: (1)

I'm in my third year of development to being a M&E Project Manager (still got another 3 to go! ha). Each new project we get basically they give me more responsibility!!!

I have just finished building a new school in Oldham, Manchester which was just over a 12 month project period rough in the region of Ł4.5 M in cost to us alone. Think the job was Ł40 M total for the Main Contractor?

Just going through the finishing touches and procurement issues before we go onto site in the middle of May. We will be buidling a College this time, Burnley College & Uclan Centre! Ł9.9M project in 44 weeks!!!! Major headaches are prodicted!!! ha ha

Nath

Cheers all

I'm doing events at the moment (conferences, exhibitions, tours, weddings, corporate days out etc, etc) and I was thinking about moving into other fields but not sure if its worth me doing it or not.

I guess if I was to come out of doing events, then I'd probably be a assistant or one below until I prove myself...
I have heard a few horror stories. I was speaking to someone about a project in Bournemouth somewhere thats a year late and few Łmillion over budget

Anyone use Prince at all and if so, whats it like?

Cossiep

Project Manager

The waffling, email sending, buzz word babbling people of the construction industry

IF I could earn my living without encountering these ''fantasists'', I GLADLY would

Nath

You think highly of them then

Mint FRST

iTrader: (1)

I am an M&E Project manager, we do specialise in A/C, new install and refurbishment. Got 7No contracts running at the moment with a value of circa 1.5million. Currently working one end of the country to another Edinburgh/Glasgow, Macclesfied, Wolverhampton, Coventry and Andover lol! Projects very from 8k to 500k. Tend to find deadlines reasonable, helps being the PC.

ar4ibaldo

iTrader: (1)

How would one get into something like that? ie Project Manager

Cossiep

Oh I love them mate, they keep me and ''them'' very much separated at work

I'm a QS by the way

I deal in FACT they deal in FICTION

Cossiep

Can you billy bullshit ?

If yes

You're in

RsDarren

iTrader: (1)

Bullshit?

You QS's don't know conduit from your calculators?????

Waste of time in my eye!!

Think they know the industry from behind a desk!! Ha

Cossiep

Thanks for proving my point

The only thing a QS needs to know about conduit it's how much it costs.

How can a QS be a waste of time in construction ? slightly biased viewpoint coming here of course............

It dosen't matter how many good PM's you have and how quickly a job is completed if the contractual paperwork/ valuations aren't tight as a scotmans wallet as the client QS will just say ''I'm not payng you a bean based on this fag packet bullshit backup''.

Trust me, I freelance to various outfits all of which are going skint on jobs (not talking about houses or small beer development either, things like T5, olympics, Crossrail etc) because they have no QS's with a clue how to get money from their Client due to poor/ lack of paperwork.

danneth

needed someone like you on a new build house we have just finished at lindrick , budget was 5m spent 6m move in date was end of feb and they moved in last week

dumped

Must be some house!

GARETH T

you do handle some nice projects mate! hows about the basement, did you get it finished?

Fraz

I'm a Project Manager for a factory that supplies to the Oil Industry sadly a different world to construction

42 Projects on the go at moment, from Ł20million down to Ł1k, average duration of a say Ł5million project is 6 months.

Delivery has to be on time or can cost Ł1.5m per day in delays of vessels etc therefore every contract has high liquidated damages that we need to avoid at all costs.

Long hours 60+ minimum and very stressful, last member of my team lasted only 7 days before his bottle went and he quit and I don't even let my team do more than 50 hours so they don't get jaded and I protect them from the Directors so he was just a pussy lol

Always after new team members

danneth

touch screen's in every room to control just about anything in the house

Lutron panels just for the lighting downstairs



power just for the downstairs

dont think i will ever see another house like it many more piccys but ill not bore you to death

ar4ibaldo

iTrader: (1)

A bit more info on the new team members... what qualifications are required etc...

Nath

Shame your so far away.

42 on the go. I'd imagine that can be a bit of a headache!

I've been looking around on some websites and the pay seems to very quite a bit as well. What software do you use to manage them?

Turbo Pez

We got a project manager at work, he couldnt project manage making a cup of tea. im a crane driving in a dockyard he "project" manages the fruit an container side of things, never work on a boat in his life and he trys telling us what to do, he normally found crying in his office because the boats running late and its all his fault... and everyone calls him a c u next tuesday! pmsl

roro22

I work in a merchants and Im defo in the wrong side of the industry, Ive been looking at hnc's etc in project management. I'm so bored with the 50% of people that i deal with that dont know what the hell they are doing its just stress that could be avoided.
Its crap being the middle man for the bad news too.

What level of job would an hnc get me?

Twellsie

iTrader: (1)

i worked as overseas account manager supplying first tier suppliers for Rolls-Royce Deutschland and Uk, was a god damn nightmare with the price of titanium and nickel based steels going through the roof and yet RR demandinding year on year cost reductions, glad i am out of it and now im in the purchasing side of things

Cossiep

I did an ONC (2 years) then the HNC (2 years) and never got round to doing my degree.............. however I was doing them both part time 1 day a week and working.

As for level of job................ I've seen board directors of plc's with ''only'' an ONC and I've seen graduates with BSc's, MSc's etc, etc and I wouldn't trust them with a kettle. All about real life situations and applying what you've learnt with common sense and logic.

Cossiep

ps............... there's a shortage of construction professionals so you need not have a degree to get a foot in the door

dumped

I'm doing a one year conversion to QS just now, but the consultancy I have a job lined up with would take on non cognates and put them through it or non degree folk could learn part time once a week like above, over 4 years or something like that.

roro22

I'm looking into it, I dont feel merchanting will take me far and its quite restrictive for the future, wages etc It would be a good springboard onto something though.

Fraz

Just a bit

Various packages (Microsoft Project, etc) and custom built spreadsheets usually does the trick. I have a team of 4 Project Engineers, Document Controller and Administrator to help out with the pain but it ain't a quiet life especially at the moment as I'm 2 men down. Pay is pretty good I'm not in the best paying area (mostly because Ive stayed at same company for 15 years) so a bit behind most in Aberdeen but good Project Managers in the town are easily making between Ł50k - Ł100k at present (some not so good making that also)

Fraz

I generally try to recruit from an Engineering background, preferably mechanical HND / Degree level. Doesnt always work like that though with the job market in Aberdeen being so tight, one of my guys came from a Banking background and the other straight out of Uni

15D

QS?? Dont use them as HBXL software suite is far more reliable

robocos

Here, here. Never even heard of a QS in Australia

Cossiep

Proabaly becuase the majority of QS's weren't criminals a couple of hundred years ago

PAUL S

iTrader: (8)

judging by some of the muppets Ive worked with over the years its lucky the same rules dont apply these days otherwise Australia would be over run with exiled QS,s

and thats coming from a QS myself

Paul Eggleton

I've done a fair bit over the years. Settled down now although I have a Ł60million tender on the go at the mo

Cossiep

Indeed............. lots of good CV writers out there that can't back it up

NEEDFORSPEED

more pics! any of the actual house?

phild_opmd

I'm starting a 8 week course tomorrow (Saturdays) for my PMI certification.

Phil D
www.opmd.com

robocos

Unlike you of course.

Shings

I'm an M+E QS, new to QS work though, still doing my degree but I work with some good people, I was a QS on a Utillities contract which was boring as hell and I certainly dont want to do it on a bricks and sticks contract.

When I finish I am going to do my Masters in Construction law...

At the moment I work on a prison refurb and on a mortuary in MK

Jake