Construction Management is defined as the management of activities that are over and above the normal architectural and engineering services conducted during the pre-design, design and construction phases of a project that contribute to the control of cost and time.

The five integral functions of management to run a highly successful enterprise are:

1. Planning:

   • It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement of pre-determined goals.
   • Thus planning is a systematic thinking about ways & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human & non-human resources.
   • It is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc.

2. Organizing:

   • It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals. To organize a business involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational structure. Organizing as a process involves:
     • Identification of activities.
     • Classification of grouping of activities
     • Assignment of duties
     • Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility.

3. Staffing:

   • It is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned. Staffing has assumed greater importance in the recent years due to advancement of technology, increase in size of business, complexity of human behavior etc. Staffing involves:

     • Manpower planning
     • Recruitment, selection & placement
     • Training & development
     • Remuneration
     • Performance appraisal
     • Promotions & transfer.

4. Directing:

   • It is that part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of organizational purposes. Direction is that inert-personnel aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating sub-ordinate for the achievement of organizational goals. Direction has following elements:
     • Supervision
     • Motivation
     • Leadership
     • Communication.

5. Controlling:

   • The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they actually occur. Therefore controlling has following steps:
     • Establishment of standard performance.
     • Measurement of actual performance.
     • Comparison of actual performance with the standards and finding out deviation if any
     • Corrective action.