The Project Manager and His Role

Within many companies, there is the need forthey differ from those in the initial proposal. The
someone to oversee individual projects. This isproject manager will be the main liaison between
usually true of companies who perform work onthe customer and his company, thus being the
a customer's site such as in the engineering,main contact person for the customer.
commercial plumbing, and building fields. The workIn engineering projects, the project manager may
is sometimes not even on the customer's site,be more of a hands on person, seeing that the
but on a new construction project, so it'sproject is completely precisely as the proposal
pertinent to have someone on site that can makestates. This may also hold true of architecture
sure the work is being performed per the originalwhere the job is so precise that exacting is of
specifications of the customer.utmost importance for quality completion. The
In many cases, the project manager will be theproject manager is responsible for the complete
one who first specs the job, places the bid, andproject including quality, production, supplies,
determines what supplies and work force isdependable workers, and assuring that the project
needed in order to complete the job. The projectmeets specifications including timely completion.
manager may remain on the jobsite in theWhether the project manager stays right on the
beginning but appoint a site manager as thesite with the project or not, he will at the very
project gets underway and he does feel the needleast follow the project on a routine basis or
to be there all the time, especially since thereceive reports daily from the site manager. In
project manager will likely be following more thanmany companies, the project manager will fill in
one project at any given rime.when the site manager is unavailable to do so.
In some companies, the project manager willBoth the site manager and the project manager
approve and order all parts for the job andwill work together to assure that the project is
approve any additional workers who may becompleted, and the site manager is responsible to
needed. Even when the site manager is appointed,report any problems that develop to the project
he will customarily communicate with the projectmanager so that a workable solution can be
manager the needs for the project, especially ifdeveloped.