Large construction projects overwhelm many clients organisationally. Project control takes on the delegable client tasks and holds deadlines, costs and quality together, without taking the decision out of their hands.
What project control is
Project control takes on delegable tasks of the client. It organises, coordinates and monitors a project from the client’s perspective, but does not itself make the fundamental entrepreneurial decisions. These remain with the client, who gains the necessary transparency through the control.
It is thus the counterpart to planning and execution: while these provide the technical service, project control ensures that the overall project stays within time, budget and quality and that all parties work together.
The fields of action
- Organisation and information: clear structures, reporting, decision papers.
- Quality: ensuring that the agreed standards are met.
- Costs: budget tracking, cost control, variation management.
- Deadlines: scheduling, progress monitoring, steering in the event of deviations.
- Contracts and insurance: preparation and support of the contract awards.
These fields are addressed across the entire project duration, from preparation to handover. The weighting shifts depending on the phase.
Distinction from project management
Project control and project management are often confused. Project management is an original client function with decision-making and directive authority. Project control, by contrast, prepares decisions, monitors and coordinates, without deciding itself.
In practice the two complement one another: control creates the basis on which management decides.
Project control for infrastructure and railway projects
On railway and infrastructure projects, the complexity of live operations is added to classic control. Closure windows, approval procedures and the interfaces between permanent way, overhead line and signalling must feed into the scheduling and cost control.
Control that knows these railway-specific conditions plans more realistically and recognises conflicts earlier. When the same body additionally understands construction supervision, the gap between control and execution closes.
When project control pays off
Project control pays off above all where a client cannot or does not want to master the complexity of a project on their own. This applies to large investment sums, many parallel trades, tight deadlines or projects where the client does not come from the construction sector.
The first benefit is transparency. Good control makes visible at all times where the project stands on costs, deadlines and quality, and discloses deviations before they escalate. The client thus decides on a sound basis rather than from the gut.
The second benefit is relief. The recurring coordination between planners, firms and authorities ties up a lot of time. If it is delegated to a control function, the client can concentrate on the decisions that really lie with them.
The third benefit is risk prevention. Anyone who recognises schedule and cost risks early can counteract them while it is still cheap. Risks recognised late, by contrast, can often only be cushioned at great expense.
Häufige Fragen
What does project control do?
It takes on delegable client tasks: organisation, quality, cost and schedule control and the support of contracts, without itself making the fundamental entrepreneurial decisions.
What is the difference from project management?
Project management decides and gives directions, a non-delegable client function. Project control prepares decisions, coordinates and monitors.
When is project control worthwhile?
Above all on large or complex projects where the client cannot or does not want to handle the organisation themselves and needs transparency over costs, deadlines and quality.
Edoé Lassey
Edoé Lassey führt die LND Ingenieure GmbH als Bauüberwacher und Ingenieur für Infrastruktur- und Tiefbau. Die zertifizierten Rollen Technischer Berechtigter, Sicherungsüberwacher, Schaltantragsteller und Bauvorlageberechtigung gehören zum Leistungskern.
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