General Construction Company Private Development Procedure

Abstract

General Construction Company (General) has a long history with an established procedure in constructing public, linear heavy/highway projects for state and federal agencies. The procurement process for such projects is defined by a low bid process and has a positive acceptance record in the state and federal legislatures. General’s management of governmental projects has consisted of four basic steps: • Procurement: the General engineering team acquires the project • Assignment: the general superintendent is handed the project • Personnel placement: a network of field personnel within the grading, bridge and paving divisions are chosen by the superintendent, as well as, subcontractors are utilized • Working to completion: successfully constructing each project In order to manage government projects, General has allowed their methods to evolve in two ways: • By relying on a long term employee base who know the procedures and the players • An unwritten process that depends on “knowing how the system works.” To survive in today’s competitive marketplace, it became inevitable that General would need to branch out into more than just acquiring government projects. As General pursues the private development community, a well-developed and more clearly defined procedural process becomes increasingly important to help the company improve efficiency and profitability. Several books have been written as “how too” manuals on writing processes and procedures; however, minimum current information is available as a critical review. My project aims to develop a written manual to document General’s processes and procedures for private development projects. This manual will improve communication and assist all employees in defining their roles, primary purposes, and responsibilities in relation to the successful and efficient completion of each project. Moreover, a standard set of processes and procedures will increase consistency, efficiency, and the company’s general image to private clients. General will be able to portray a professional image of experience, cooperative teamwork, and the ability to get the job done on time and within budget. Some evolution has taken place with the introduction of project managers at General, a development which has occurred only within the last several years. Project Managers now act as the intermediary between the engineering team, general superintendent, and field personnel. The official job description for project managers is to be responsible for contract administration and subcontractor management in the execution of each project. General’s current operations are very conducive to private development. However, the company can no longer rely on an oral system to relay historical processes and procedures. In addition, the introduction of new personnel and a long record of tradition spark the need for written procedures to efficiently and consistently carry out each task.