PIPMC was awarded as the National Winner 2019 for its Project National Food Factory -  Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) (NFPC Mega Plant by Meed Projects Awards last April 24, 2019 at the Conrad Hotel Dubai. 

The MEED Projects Awards is an award that recognizes the best quality projects that are completed in the GCC in the last two years, it has become the leading stamp of quality and achievement for anyone operating in the GCC projects sector. 

The awards not only recognize the construction element of project delivery but also consider the value and quality of a project throughout its entire life cycle, from the design concept through to engineering and construction and its wider contribution to society and to the environment. 

There is nothing easy about construction projects. Before the site even gets prepared, the manpower hired, and the suppliers outsourced, certain things can already make building projects troublesome from the very start. And no business involved in the project would ever hope for such complexities, which will drive up costs and, in some cases, hold up the progress of the construction.

When these problems present themselves during the project, the client and the contractor could find themselves embroiled in a dispute and hostilities could lead to litigation where claims are concerned. This kind of contentious outcome may be avoided and/or managed properly when a delay analysis service is obtained in line with project planning.

A delay input analysis evaluates possible disruptions and their corresponding impacts to the construction project. Delay analysis programs could reveal cause and effect of change as well as deliver report writing and schedules, which would complement a claims submission. The best way to determine potential disruptions or setbacks is to use the Critical Path Method or CPM schedule, which is a scheduling technique used by a majority of construction businesses to achieve project results.

The CPM incorporates all the work laid down in the contracts as well as the expanded activities of vendors and subcontractors, and provides a time required to finish an activity. Used in conjunction with close monitoring, the CPM can be fairly effective in determining delays. These delays may come from the client’s side or the contractor’s side. Either way, the CPM and periodic monitoring will root out any issues that put the construction project behind schedule.

Knowing such problems before they even occur will allow companies involved in the project to address them appropriately, and the resolutions will then prevent costly and hostile claim suits. When a claims submission is inevitable, the delay analysis can still be used during negotiations or litigation. A reputable construction project management company will use detailed forensic evaluation and analysis of facts to demonstrate actual loss and expenses.

Project planning and analysis go hand in hand to ensure that construction projects meet contractual obligations and expected results. With any massive undertaking, from commercial developments to infrastructure projects, problems could arise and delays could stall work and incur further costs. Whether these things can actually be avoided or not, construction companies need to be prepared for anything.

From onsite accidents to delinquent vendors, get ahead of potential sources for delays. Plan for possible disruptions. Resolve problems and prevent costly claims. Get professional delay input analysis with project planning today.

Construction claims arise for a variety of reasons. Among the most common reasons for these are delays in construction and delivery of supplies and materials, changes requested by the owner, poor construction site management, termination of the contract by one party, and the failure of those involved in the project to work together.

There are several strategies that can be implemented by both the owner of a property and construction firms; chief of these is to outline terms clearly through a contract that has been thoroughly analyzed by a legal expert.

However, if you are facing a construction claim, your best recourse would be to enlist the aid of a firm with expertise in construction claims analysis which can provide you with the guidance you will need in order to negotiate these claims and arrive at the best outcomes.

Over the past few years, claims management systems have become an integral component to ensuring the profitability of a project. And as such, the demand for experts in analysis, claim entitlement, documentation and negotiation have come in high demand. But what can such specialist firms contribute to construction claims management?

An expert firm specializing in construction claims understands that each client is unique and, as such, tailors unique approaches to remedy the problem at hand. But apart from resolving claims, the firm should also enable its clients to identify potential causes of claims at an early stage as well as teach the clients how to create claim documentation. It is also crucial for construction firms to learn how to implement contract controls which can protect it from claims. Finally, reliable construction firms should contribute to fostering stronger relationships between all the stakeholders of a project, from the owner to the designer to the contractor.

The successful resolution of a construction claim is based on two things: the establishment of entitlement and the correct pricing of the claim. This is done through thorough analysis of the contract and the facts at hand vis-a-vis established practices in the industry.

These firms offer various services to clients. They may conduct surveys of the construction site. They can also see the early signs of a construction claim situation and recommend the appropriate measures to rectify these issues. Should these issues develop further into a claim, they can help the client in the preparation of documentation to bolster their position.

Apart from a wide of suite of services including contract analysis, assessment of claim options, calculation of costs and preparation of claim text and exhibits, a specialist in construction claims can and should provide the necessary leadership and negotiation techniques toward the positive resolution of issues.

A provider of project management services is a key player that contributes to the success of a particular endeavor. Planning and making preparations is important, even for the common activities in life such as planning a party, organizing community fundraisers or even setting up a personal bank account. Imagine, then, the amount of work it takes to manage a project that involves a great number of people simultaneously performing a diverse range of tasks.

Constructing a commercial complex, for example, or restoring a historical landmark will need to be done with care, as the project will need to comply with all kinds of relevant regulations and must ensure that all operations can be completed on time and on budget, without creating inconveniences for other parties or causing delays or accidents for other individuals or organizations.

Having mentioned compliance to specific regulations, it is also worthy to note that practically all aspects of a project will require contracts to ensure that all parties working to achieve the end goal are observant of any indicated rules and committed to the scope and restrictions of the endeavor. If you’re at the helm of an important project and you wish to stay on top of the different contracts that set the project in motion, then it would be a good idea to hire a reputable project management firm that also specialises in contract administration services. The specialist firm will represent a client when it comes to project management, technical and contractual matters.

What would these contract administration services include? Cited below are some of the important provisions:

1. The contract administration experts will liaise with the client for the purpose of defining the unique needs or requirements of the project.
2. A consulting or engineering firm that is well-versed in the nature of the project will be appointed.
3. The firm will review the consultant’s prepared design and perform the necessary follow-up. A program will then be created to put all design and preconstruction works together.
4. A master plan will be produced; this plan for the necessary construction works will serve as the basis of the contractor’s detailed program.
5. The contract administration service providers will prepare the project’s cost estimate as well as all contracts and documents needed.
6. A control system will be put in place to effectively control the quality, monitor the progress, and observe the budget of the project.
7. Project planning activities are then devised and monthly progress reports are produced as necessary.

Thanks to professional contract management, you can be assured that your project, regardless of its size and scope, will be completed according to your strict specifications and overall satisfaction.

In order to ensure the success and prompt completion of a project, it is crucial to implement the appropriate project planning and scheduling techniques. These goals, however, should be SMART or specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed.

There are varied reasons why a project misses its target deadlines. For one, some stakeholders without an active role in the project establish unrealistic deadlines. Sometimes, a customer modifies the requirements in the project which may not be reflected on the schedule. And then there are instances wherein mistakes are made in estimating the required effort, time and resources necessary to complete the project. It is also common for organizations to completely miss out on risks associated with specific tasks. Sometimes, project managers fail to recognize that the project is delayed and fail to take corrective measures to bring tasks up to speed. Other common reasons for missed deadlines encountered by an experienced time analysis consultant include technical and human difficulties as well as miscommunication.

Among the most common techniques used by project planning and scheduling experts are the Program Evaluation and Review Technique, Work Breakdown Structure and the Gantt Chart.

In the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), also known as the Critical Path Method (CPM), one of the first crucial steps that needs to be taken is determining the critical path. The critical path can be defined as a set or chain of tasks which will be then used to determine the appropriate timeframe for the project. Project managers also have to determine the soonest possible time a task can be started once other tasks are completed. They should also look at the latest time a task can be started without causing the delay of the project. Once done, the project managers can then determine the earliest and latest time to complete the whole project, factoring in the total float or the maximum allowable time slippage which will not cause delay to the total project.

In a Work Breakdown Structure, the project manager and his team need to determine what are the tasks that need to be done to complete the project. This will require the divide and conquer approach. In the divide aspect, the project is broken up into several tasks, the completion of which is to be considered as milestones. These milestones can be used to determine how in sync to the projected timeframe the actual project is. In the conquer aspect, the project team must estimate the amount of time required to complete tasks and then gather tasks as a whole.

Developed by Henry Gantt in 1917, the Gantt chart is a visual representation of a schedule which can be utilized for various purposes including planning, coordination and tracking of tasks. The chart employs a horizontal and a vertical axis. The horizontal represents the total time frame for the completion of the project which can be broken down into days, weeks or months. The vertical axis, on the other hand, details the tasks that need to be done to complete the project.

Construction and/or engineering projects can produce thousands of documents, and for the contracting client and contractors, it can be fairly hard to keep track of everything. These documents may include contractual agreements, bid documents, purchase orders, cost controls, variations or change orders, drawings, plans, and any other relevant documents that will keep the project on schedule and on budget. How can one company maintain an organized approach to managing a project with heaps of paper work?

The completion of every construction or engineering project is never accomplished without good contract administration process. Contract administration enables every company to manage every stage of their project. This means the design, tendering, and construction stage. Each stage will produce its own relevant set of documents. The design stage may require administration of the design brief, preparation of specifications, and contractual agreements while the construction stage may need administration of the, among others, cost control and reports.  

By implementing an efficient and systematic contract administration, companies can provide a timely flow of information to relevant parties such as the architects, the contractors, the engineers, the contracting party, and any other concerned person who needs to obtain details or reports of the project. This efficient flow helps those involved in the project to come up with good decisions that in turn move the construction in the right direction as well as secure on time and within budget delivery.

In addition to the efficiency in accessing needed information, contract administration can also address and resolve contract claims and disputes. With every stage of the project being carefully controlled, from the budget to the quality, critical missteps may be caught and resolved or documented evidence may provide clarity to a claim.

The adequacy and performance of a project’s contract administration largely depends on the expertise and resources of the company. Most businesses will outsource this specific aspect of their projects as the specialized service allows them to be better focused on other concerns of their commercial organization, and not sacrifice the management of current building or engineering jobs. By relying on service providers that offer contract administration, businesses could possibly guard against claims and disputes as well as prevent bigger construction costs.

The completion of construction and/or engineering projects can be relatively complex. How it progresses along the way will depend on the control and enforcement of every aspect of the project. Contract administration not only ensures that the timely flow of much needed information will get to the relevant people, but it also guarantees that inconsistencies and inaccuracies are spotted and addressed, resulting in projects that are delivered on time, within budget, and according to the contracting party’s specifications.

PIPMC was chosen to represent the Client as the Project Management Consultant for the rebranding of the Le Grand Hotel, Amman, Jordan. The refurbishment the of the current hotel is envisioned to become a contemporary new 5-star hotel.  The overall hotel built-up area is approximately 72,000 sqm spaced out in three underground levels, ground floor, mezzanine and guest room floors.

Last June 2018, PIPMC has moved to its new location at M01 & M02 C5 Tower, Al Bateen Gardens, Abu Dhabi.  You may contact us in our landline +971 2 632 2990.

PIPMC has been appointed as the Project Management Consultant for the Design Stage of a 5-star beach hotel & resort situated in Dibba, Al Fujairah area.

The project involves the construction of a 5-star beach hotel & resort comprising 17 floors. It includes single chalets and duplex chalets with private swimming pool. The site plot area is 42,700 sqm.

A missed obligation in a contract for any construction project could lead to unforeseen costs, probably litigation, and in some instances, risky working conditions that result in accidents. Clearly, businesses involved in building projects need to do more than thoroughly read the contract they have entered into with a client. Someone has to be responsible for keeping track of the obligations, the terms and conditions, the hundreds of documents resulting in these terms and conditions, and several other relevant matters concerning the contract. This means implementing effective contract management solutions.

One possible solution to contract management might be through construction management software. The trouble with some software in the market is that they tend to do better at managing the processes involved in construction projects more than they manage the actual contracts. Moreover, some software might not be able to provide a proper estimate of your company’s exposure when unfavorable events happen. But aside from these limitations, you are still going to need someone who has the level of knowledge and experience in managing construction contracts.

An effective solution would be to find an established project management company that has executed hundreds of contract management jobs for various projects. Whether you are the contracting client looking to choose the right builder, engineers, and architects for your project or a builder looking to land those lucrative construction projects, you will want the expertise of a project management company. You not only gain access to their resources and proven systems but also benefit from their years of experience in seeing projects through, from the planning stage to the closing or delivery stage.

When a project management company performs contract management duties, it may entail communications with the client over requirements for the project; it may involve a thorough review and follow up of designs; it may necessitate preparing cost estimations, and it may also entail devising and implementing a control system that will track the progress of the construction, the budget, and the quality set forth in the contract. On top of all these, the contract management service you have outsourced should also manage the hundreds of administrative documents from the project, as these documents can be very crucial in risk management.

Contract management will not only protect your rights as a client, but it will also ensure that your construction project will meet the requirements stipulated in the contract — from the cost to the quality. So whether you need to develop a considerable commercial property or are about to do a high-rise serviced apartment, make sure you have the resources and the expertise to manage all your construction contracts. Get professional contract management today.

A project can fail even before it starts. When a critical element, such as scheduling an important phase of the project, is completely overlooked, it could result in delayed delivery or end up costing the organization more money. So it is crucial for businesses that are embarking on a project to keep an eye on every detail, especially for large-scale, expensive projects. And it all begins with planning.

A proper plan can make or break any project, whether it is as simple as widening a road for the government or as complex as constructing hundreds of luxury villas for an international developer. Every plan begins with considering several essential factors that can affect the flow of the project. Businesses need to sort out the goal of the project and what should be done in terms of strategies in order to achieve those goals.

Additionally, the business needs to establish those who need to be involved, plot out their responsibilities, and consider how they will influence the success of the project. Once all these factors are defined and resolved, a project planning guide can be formulated. 

The guide should include a breakdown of the work schedule, which can be accomplished by providing work summaries, breakthroughs, tasks, and constricting dates. From this breakdown, you will want to translate this information into a visual guide. Most organizations use the recognizable Gantt chart, which Henry Gantt developed in 1910 for manufacturing supervisors to gauge whether their work was meeting its schedule or whether it was behind schedule. Other businesses might use the activity-on-node chart, which illustrates the flow of task execution and classifies which ones need to be completed so that other tasks may begin.

Whatever visual guide your business will end up using, know that charts help you and your team look through all the tasks that have to be involved, to ascertain the very persons or group responsible for each one, to recognize how long each one will take, and to identify the potential problems of the project. By following such a thorough process, your business can then discover whether your schedule is practical, that you have assigned the right people to certain tasks, and that you will have enough time to address potential problems before the project gets underway.

Charts like Gantt or activity-on-node are also very valuable in terms of determining the critical path, which is when you identify the sequence of tasks. Are there certain tasks that have to be fully accomplished before your project can move on to the next ones (i.e., sequential tasks)? Can certain tasks be completed at the same time (i.e., parallel tasks)? In plotting out your sequential and parallel tasks, your project has a good chance of being delivered on time, if not ahead of schedule.

The success of every project hinges on how organized and well-informed your business is from the very start. So invest heavily in the planning stage and you will eventually secure big returns for your projects.

Construction is considered a high-risk industry. Apart from the many hazards a construction project deals with, there are numerous policies to be upheld in order to go about the process with as few hassles as possible. And if the project was won in a bid, keeping costs down and completing the job within the given timeframe are major requirements that need to be properly addressed as well.

Needless to say, it’s not easy – even for industry experts, the set process or methodology can only do so much because there are always variables that are hard to control or only seem to work in theory and not reality. But the overall value of proper construction project planning and scheduling is how a company in charge of the project can stay thoroughly organized despite the difficulty of the task. Also, by clearly defining jobs and the role that each member of the project team has to take, it’s easier to streamline efforts and prevent superfluous activities.

All these are presented in a comprehensive document that serves as a road-map to help determine which aspects of the project are being done on time and properly, and which are not. This document has to have the following important components:

The first one would have to be the actual Project Plan; this identifies the Work Breakdown Structure, the effort and resources for the project, and the elaborate time-frame or schedule for every aspect of the project.

Second is the Resource Plan which is all about identifying the resources (materials, labor, and equipment), and the schedule and activity for which they will be used. The Resource Plan is divided into two categories: the Resource Schedule Table which determines which item of labor, material or equipment is needed, and the Resource Usage Table which identifies the activity that these resources should be used for.

Third is the Procurement Plan; this lists all the requirements of the project that would have to come from external suppliers, why they need to be outsourced, and how they will be procured. Included in this plan is a detailed explanation why such supplier and products were chosen.

And the last one is Project Monitoring because everything has to go according to plan to achieve the construction project’s target objectives. This is a very stringent process because of the importance of understanding the cause and effect of certain decisions, and how all these impact the complete process towards the goal.

With all these components carefully consolidated, a construction project can be carried out in the timeliest, most compliant, organized and productive manner – ensuring its successful completion.

PIPMC is excited to announce that it has moved from a rented office to its own property located in a spacious area and a prime location in Business Bay, Dubai.

Our new address is Office No. 3202, 32nd Floor, Westbury Square offices, Business Bay, Dubai. 

Westbury Square offices house up to nine offices per floor that are fully equipped with bathroom facilities, retail area with cafes and restaurants.

You may contact us in our landline +971 4 269 7458

Contracts are created to ensure that both parties involved in the project meet their specific obligations. This generally gives an assurance that specifications, requirements, and/or changes made to the project will be honored, and that project delivery will be accomplished accordingly, from the price to the time frame. Unfortunately, there are cases wherein certain terms and conditions may be overlooked, for whatever reason. When this happens, claims, litigations, followed by delays and further costs can plague what should have been a stable project.

Such scenarios may be magnified several times over when the project concerns construction of buildings, commercial developments, or public road works. In order to oversee any project and ensure positive results, companies would do well to hire a contract management specialist — one whose expertise and works are well regarded in the industry.

Contract management is a critical component in completing your projects because it not only ensures that the terms and conditions stipulated in the contract are honored, but it also enhances the performance of suppliers and contractors. With contract management, you get experts that will review and follow up design matters. You also get someone who will devise and implement a control system to oversee progress, making sure that work is done correctly and according to the contracting party’s standards. These ultimately result in meeting, if not exceeding, the level of quality required for a project, be it a high-rise commercial building for a property development firm or road development for an airport.

With a dedicated and qualified specialist taking care of contract management, you inevitably gain more time in focusing on the other aspects of running your business. You can work on securing or conceptualizing new projects to meet target profits. You can focus on the day-to-day matters of managing your company. You can get expert representation on all things relevant to your project. You can do all these while your construction projects get underway and you receive timely progress reports. So whatever critical issues arise, from delays in the completion of design elements to inconsistencies in budgets, you can rest easy knowing that you will be well informed and that resolutions are most likely being created to address the problem.

On any given construction or engineering project, miscommunication and confusion could prevent timely delivery and result in poor quality and higher construction costs. No company wants such results for its projects. The best way to prevent these costly outcomes is for a business to secure professional and expert help when it comes to contract management. By having a specialist oversee contractual matters and perform some technical and project management activities, businesses can ensure that their projects will be finished according to the agreements that were made.

Companies in big industries like construction and engineering require expert advice on many of the aspects of their operations, especially when they’re carrying out a project for a client.  It’s imperative that they are able to measure different variables like costs, the efficacy of methodologies followed, etc. However, it’s hard to manage these things while they’re working too closely on the project – it can be difficult to be thoroughly objective since there are “home-grown” interests that come into play.

For this purpose, quantity surveying services provide the perfect solution. Quantity surveyors are equipped with industrial knowledge and can provide advice on a multitude of project requirements, making sure that costs are minimized while ensuring great value for the project.  The services cover a wide range of project considerations such as Cost Planning, Contractual Advice, Cost-control and Financial Management, Facilities Management, Insurance Advice, Life Cycle Costing, Preliminary Cost Advice, Procurement Methods, Tendering, Valuation of Construction Work, and Value Management, to cite some.

The services of quantity surveyors are so important prior to securing the project, while the project is being accomplished, and after the project has been completed. Prior to securing the project, most of the time big companies receive an invitation to tender (ITT), and if they are interested, they have to come up with a solid tender that highlights why they are the best company to take on the project. One of the predominant objectives in coming up with winning bids and tenders is to always keep project expenses down, and with the help of quantity surveyors, a construction company that will be tendering can easily be guided by the quantity surveyors towards the best options for materials and methods based on cost, degree of practicality and end value.

Now, when the contract’s been won, the same professionals can assist the company on how to effectively manage resources, costs of equipment and facilities. Since procurement methods are under the umbrella of quantity surveyor services, surveyors offer their expertise and the tools necessary in finding the best contractors and suppliers for the project. Again, costs can be kept to a minimum without compromising the final outcome of the project.

As for benefits after the project has been completed, the life cycle costing analysis will prove to be the most reliable reference in determining if the financial objectives were properly met or if the end-clients truly got the best value for their investment. It takes into account the overall quality of the constructed facility, reusability, maintainable, operational cost, maintenance, residual and disposal costs, and so much more.

There’s still a host of other benefits and building companies that are seeking a competitive advantage by winning major projects definitely require quantity surveying services to do just that.