General
Since the client generally lacks any professional qualification for the construction project to be realized and is only rarely able to handle the official and public-legal obligations, a project manager is commissioned for most construction projects to act on behalf of the client towards all other project participants, planners and executing construction companies. The construction project manager is thus employed as a representative in matters that would basically concern the client or building owner, in order to relieve the building owner both temporally, organizationally and professionally. All tasks such as establishing and updating schedules, financial control of the budget as well as coordination of the persons and companies involved in planning and construction are now performed by the project manager. Additional necessary and supplementary
tasks in the area of controlling within the project team are carried out by him alone
(cf. Preuß & Schöne 2010: p. 45). Since to this day no professional minimum requirements are legally placed on a project manager, it is solely in the hands of a building owner to employ a suitable project manager. Ideally, the project manager can demonstrate the necessary competencies and solid construction management knowledge to ensure smooth construction project execution. Depending on the complexity of the construction project, it quite often occurs in private construction projects that the planning architect or general planning company simultaneously takes over the tasks of a project manager. However, this form rarely occurs in public buildings, since here, solely on the principle of impartiality, project management is employed as an independent instance vis-à-vis the other project participants.

Meanwhile, project management is divided into specialized fields for more complex construction projects. Thus, in addition to the actual construction project manager, the MEP project manager stands out quite a bit, who specifically takes care of the complex MEP events / coordination of MEP specialists/engineers, with whom the construction project manager himself can no longer communicate at eye level on such a complex professional level.

It also happens not infrequently that one or another construction project involves pure specialized measures / renovation and conversion measures in certain specialized areas, such as the complete renovation of sanitary facilities in a school building or the construction of a solar park. Specifically for this, the actual construction project manager (with the professional background knowledge of a civil engineer) is not exactly the ideal choice, which is why specialized MEP project managers are used here.

Tasks & Service Package Project Management

The AHO
As with classic engineering services (which are governed by the HOAI), a kind of regulatory framework and fee schedule also exists for project management in construction. Based on the task fields of the AHO (Committee of Associations and Chambers of Engineers and Architects for the Fee Schedule), the service spectrum as well as its contents and remuneration can be better understood and compared.

The AHO Action Areas
The action areas of the AHO are structured as follows:

A - Organization, Information, Coordination and Documentation
B - Qualities and Quantities
C - Costs and Financing
D - Schedules, Capacities and Logistics
E - Contracts and Insurance

A further deepening of these action areas is not further treated in this article, but can be found in appropriate literature.

The AHO Project Phases
The AHO knows not only action areas but also individual project phases in which the individual action areas actually take place. The project phases of the AHO are more or less oriented to the typical service phases of the HOAI (which specialist planners/engineers orient themselves to in specialized planning and construction supervision) and is divided as follows:

1 - Project Preparation
2 - Planning
3 - Execution Preparation
4 - Execution
5 - Project Completion

Details on this can be read in appropriate literature.

Our Engineering Office for MEP
As an engineering office in the field of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, we stand by your side solidly and professionally throughout the entire planning and construction process.
We also offer you specialized project management / MEP project management in the area of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and comprehensive energy renovation (energy efficiency) to accompany your project from A to Z in all respects - for your security.