The Foundations of Effective Construction Project Management

Nancy Giggy is co-founder and Business Manager of Integrity Management Solutions, LLC (IMS), and a family-owned Construction Management firm in western Oregon. Together with her husband and son, IMS has managed more than $150 million in construction projects since forming the company in 2018. As Business Manager, Nancy coordinates contractual, financial and communication requirements as well as state and federal documentation requirements on behalf of their clients, with an emphasis on personalized service.

Building Alignment: A TeamFirst Approach to Project Management

We’ve learned that teamwork must come first. The PM, architect and contractor all have to be on the same side, respecting each other and working together for the successful completion of the project.

To that end, we work together to resolve issues rather than assigning blame for issues. Added to that, managing up is just as important, so we develop a strong working relationship with our clients, listening to their goals, proactively looking for potential issues before they become issues, and then serving as their Owner’s Representative as well as Project Managers.

Driving Project Success through Accountability, Integrity, and Strong Relationships
Building strong relationships, communicating openly about workload, schedules, deadlines and the ability to bring additional personnel on board are vital to project success. We don’t take shortcuts in quality, but we believe in tracking and validating both schedule and cost status and changes.

When relating to architects and contracts, we follow the rule of Firm but Fair, Fair but Firm. In building relationships with clients, our strategy is first and foremost honesty and integrity. Clients trust their team when they know that the team is on their side, truly representing their interests, and being transparent throughout the process.

Developing Expertise and Collaboration in Construction Leadership

Training and education are vital to understanding the industry, and experience with a design or construction firm are very beneficial. The design and construction team members all bring unique knowledge and skills and the PM’s job is to coordinate them all effectively. You work together because each member brings unique knowledge and skills, and each person is crucial to the success of the project. Calling oneself a Project Manager is easy, but becoming an excellent PM requires knowing how and when to ask the right questions.