Modernization in PMC

Indranil Basu, Director, Synergy Property Development Services is of the view that Project Management Consultancy (PMC) and Innovation in any form goes hand-in-hand.   PMCs in India are expected to reach new heights in the coming years with focus on innovation in the areas of engineering, technology and risk management and with involvement of more skilled subject matter experts in the field. While traditional project management models focused exclusively on delivery of products and services, newer project management models focus primarily on the achievement of a result. Nowadays, project management is not just about executing the scope of works in the given time frame, but also about interpreting the business strategy, effective risk assessment and deriving a solution. Thus, in this context, innovation becomes more central to project management today, than ever. In India, it has been a common misconception that PMC and Engineering service is a supervisory job. However, that is not true in today’s environment, as PMC involves a lot more activities than just supervision. For example, complete design management with full value-add/value engineering, preparation of comprehensive development planning strategies, and pre-planning the entire construction system and strategy based on the need of the project. In PMC today, innovation is one of the most essential components for success. Innovation forms the key at various junctions of PMC and Engineering services, starting from pre-engineered building to precast, to designing toilet pods, and inclusion of latest façade materials and engineering. Making projects green and self-sustainable, with focus towards build-ability, better maintainability and operational excellence through infusion of right technology is a key component of innovation. In India, we do not see many contractors with experience in entire gamut of development, be it Civils, M&E, etc. It also varies from city to city. Largely, Clients make decisions based on PMC recommendation to make the journey from concept-to-delivery hassle free. In this context, Design & Build Contract by PMC is finding more relevance today. Presently, in India, the demand is growing for Turnkey Solutions. Also, in the coming days, PMCs will be required to adopt to technologies such as 3D scanning, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Web Collaboration and Management Information Systems etc. which are cloud based, to reach new heights. Also, the focus will be on green and zero discharge buildings. Moreover, in the immediate future, PMC is going to become more relevant due to RERA implementation as there will be a strong need for delivery and financial control. That apart, all customers will be looking for independent and technically strong PMCs for more stringent monitoring of projects. Competency in PMC parlance will thus be defined as ability to assume single point responsibility for effective delivery of projects from concept to closeout. PMCs are expected to gear up to this demand. The need of the hour for PMCs is to deliver projects in time, without compromising on quality and cost, with aid from innovation and cutting-edge technology. With adoption of steel buildings/ composite structures, precast, offsite production, knock-down services, factory-built products and cloud based software for tracking projects as well as with more innovations in days to come, there is little doubt that PMCs in India are all set to transform the real estate and construction space for the better.