Whether multi-million-pound contracts or smaller jobs, all projects need someone who will ensure that objectives are met, and schedules are stuck to. The ability to manage many moving parts within a project requires experience, skill, and patience. Matt Green, Project Manager at Eden Facades, reflects on some of the role’s key responsibilities.
How our Project Manager Matt Green keeps plates spinning
Planning and resource
At the outset of all projects, we encourage our clients to provide us with as much information as possible, including plans and detailed drawings that show what the building is for, how it will be used, the product specification and the integral design elements.
Receiving as much detail as possible about a project upfront limits the unexpected, and helps enable us to deliver an outstanding finished result. As one of the main points of contact between clients and our internal teams, I oversee many of our projects from beginning to end.
For a project to be successful, it’s essential that the correct resources have been allocated. That might include understanding and ordering the necessary materials, identifying the equipment that will be used, and when it will be needed on site. The timings for each stage of the project need to be carefully co-ordinated to ensure that all trades can work together or around each other efficiently.
Programming is always a challenge, but through good time and resource management, experience, and open communication with stakeholders, at Eden Facades we take pride in delivering our projects within agreed timescales.
Staff allocation and risk assessment
Recruiting the right team, allocating them to the correct tasks on the project and understanding when they will be needed is key when it comes to keeping timings on track.
We take the safety of our team very seriously, and every project is completed in line with current regulations to provide a safe and long-lasting result for our clients.
As Project Manager, I’m responsible for completing Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) for each job, which help us prepare our safety documentation and are an essential part of minimising risk.
The risk assessment identifies the potential hazards that are involved with the project, and the controls we have put in place to reduce the risk, and the method statement is more detailed information on how the work will be carried out. My aim is to always provide clear, concise information, and make sure that everyone gets the information they need, and that they understand it.
Monitoring the project and handover
Once a project is underway, I monitor the ongoing progress to ensure that time and cost targets are kept to. I coordinate between our main contractors and the wider team at Eden Facades, reviewing feedback and adjusting where necessary to keep within programme. It’s a varied role and it would be fair to say that no two days are the same!
We know our clients appreciate the fact that working with us means unless there are variations or extra works added, their project will be completed within the timescale and budget that’s been allowed for. Regularly checking progress against relevant benchmarks and goals throughout the build process gives me a good understanding of whether we are on track to meet the timing of each stage, and if there is any action that needs to be taken.
Throughout a project I collate information to include in the Operation and Maintenance (O and M) manual, so that when the job is nearing completion, the documents are up to date and accessible for a smooth handover.
Industry knowledge
Having hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge of the sector means I can make better decisions and resolve specific problems or challenges faster when they come up on a project.
On one recent project, the client needed to make a last-minute change to the cladding specification, from terracotta to aluminium, whilst achieving the same finished look. Our experienced in-house team accommodated the change and the project start date remained unaffected.
If I were going to offer advice to someone entering the industry, I would say learn as much as possible about the products and don’t be afraid to ask questions – there is a lot of product data available, but sometimes you need to use your own initiative and dig a bit deeper.
Find out more about Matt’s experience by connecting with him on LinkedIn.
If you’d like to find out more about how we run our projects, ensure safety on site, and maintain excellent relationships with our whole supply chain, get in touch on 01268 744199 or office@edenfacades.co.uk.