Materials in Project Management-The Problem of Time and Space

Project Management may be described as the judicious allocation of resources to ensure the completion of a project at the maximum efficiency of time and cost. Where a group of projects is involved consisting of a programme the aim is naturally to optimise within the framework of an overall completion schedule. Granting that project planning is well on its way and that financial constraints have been taken care of (hopefully), manpower, equipment and material remain the important resources for concerted management attention. In any construction programme materials account for the lions share of the overall project cost. Again in most urban development projects supply of a major part of these materials rests with the management. Thus the management has to face squarely all the dis-econmies-direct and otherwise, arising out of the mishandling of the material component of the programme.