DEFINITION
Project Controls are a set of processes, tools, and systems used in project management to plan, monitor, and control project cost, schedule, quality, and performance on construction projects.
Project controls are essential for ensuring that projects are completed within the defined scope, on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards. Project controls are needed to ensure information is captured and standardised for reporting, thus providing stakeholders with critical information and insights to facilitate decision-making, risk management etc
Key components of project controls include:
- Cost Management: Involves estimating, budgeting, and controlling costs to ensure that the project is completed within the approved budget. This includes tracking actual expenditures, forecasting future costs, and managing changes to the budget.
- Schedule Management: Entails planning, developing, monitoring, and controlling project schedules to ensure timely completion. Techniques such as Critical Path Method (CPM) and Gantt charts are used to plan work sequences and track progress against planned milestones.
- Quality Management: Ensures that project deliverables meet the required standards and stakeholder expectations. Quality management includes quality planning, quality assurance, quality control, and continuous improvement practices.
- Risk Management: Identifies, assesses, and manages risks that could impact the project's objectives. Effective risk management involves developing strategies to mitigate or avoid risks and preparing contingency plans for managing unexpected events.
- Change Management: Manages changes to the project scope, schedule, and costs. This includes evaluating the impact of changes, obtaining approvals, and updating project plans and documents to reflect the changes.
- Document Control: Involves managing project documentation to ensure that accurate and current information is available to all stakeholders. Document control processes help in maintaining an organized and accessible record of project activities, decisions, and changes.
- Performance Reporting: The process of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating performance information to provide stakeholders with insights into the status of the project. Performance reports may include information on cost performance, schedule adherence, risk status, and quality metrics.
- Communication Management: Facilitates effective communication among project team members and stakeholders to ensure that relevant information is shared in a timely and appropriate manner.
Project controls are implemented through a combination of manual processes and project management software tools that provide automation and integration of project control functions.
