PROPERTY’S UNSUNG HERO

Often low profile, the project manager is the unsung hero of any successful large project. Without them, the project may not be able to complete at all. Asian Property Review chats with Rick Hancock, Director (Southeast Asia) of Faithful+Gould, a management consultant for the property industry.

Describe some of your experiences in leading projects.

a. Singapore Grand Prix

Faithful+Gould is the Engineering Project Manager for race promoter Singapore GP and this year is our 10th year of involvement. If you were to look at the actual street circuit carefully (Singapore Grand Prix), the project is very similar to a large-scale construction but built in a very short time frame with no possible extension of time. Our team manages multiple contract packages, from the street lightings to the barriers, the fencing, and the grandstands – anything you won’t normally see when you walk around the streets of Singapore has to be physically designed, procured, managed and built on that street circuit. This includes the racing circuit and supporting infrastructure such as the lighting system, grandstands, corporate facilities, marquee structures, temporary buildings furniture and fit out, pedestrian bridges, spectator and security fencing, communications, electrical and plumbing works.

For me, the most impressive thing about the Singapore Grand Prix is the fast track nature of the project – the intensity, especially leading into the last four weeks to the project, as well as the diversity of the team we have, and how well they work together. While the event may appear the same each year for many people, it is not the case. From a delivery perspective, a lot of changes take place behind-the-scenes every year because our client, race organiser Singapore GP, puts a heavy focus on continual improvement to make the spectator experience better the following year. The most rewarding part in leading this project is seeing it all come together to an end date that can never change.

b. Port City Colombo, Sri Lanka

The scale of what we are doing in Colombo leaves me in awe whenever I visit the site. This project is an extension through seabed reclamation of approximately 220 ha that is connected to the Fort district and CBD area in central Colombo and is in close proximity to the industrial harbour. We are essentially extending the centre of a capital city, and upon completion, it will consist of more than 4.5 mil m² of gross developable area including residential, commercial, marina, retail, theme park, education, hotels, convention centre, leisure, cultural, public areas and beaches.[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ]

c. Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, Singapore

Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is a major client of ours, and we’ve worked in partnership with them since 2006 as an alliance partner of the MBS project management team to build the integrated resort. Delivering a multi-faceted project of such scale came with its own challenges – there was an aggressive project timeline to meet; complex design structures such as the hotel towers, crystal pavilions, the lotus museum and Sands Skypark cantilever, as well as supervision and coordination of 15,000 construction workers at its peak in 2007. Today, we’re helping MBS refresh its rooms, gaming area, as well as celebrity chef restaurants.

What are the key takeaways as a project leader having extensive experience across Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, and West Africa?

No two projects are alike – every single project in any given location is different, and each will have its own unique challenges and opportunities. Whilst you may have a process, tool or template in mind to deliver the project, what it really comes down to is the project leader himself/herself. Because successful project delivery is about having the right attitude and good soft skills – the ability to manage and interact with the various clients, stakeholders and project team members of different personalities, professional backgrounds, experiences and cultures. Ultimately, it’s about taking ownership of the project and having the ability to lead, communicate, negotiate, resolve conflict, manage expectations and solve problems.

What are the biggest challenges facing project managers in light of the greater emphasis on costs-cutting measures amid slowing economies in Asia?

One of the biggest challenges is maintaining value. When we fully understand the client’s goal, we can then map every focus of the design, budget or programme to achieve the objective while ensuring the best return on investment.

What are some of the disruptive technologies now being employed in the industry?

The top 3 technology trends that I think will gain traction:

a. Building Information Modelling (BIM)

BIM is about more than efficient construction. It is about the clients having confidence that their asset will achieve the benefits set out in the business case over its lifetime. We need to design with the end in mind so

that our client’s building, structure or infrastructure can be operated and maintained effectively and efficiently with low risk of surprises at a later date. Some key benefits of BIM include faster delivery through clear requirements, robust processes, collaboration and tools, increased planning and predictability using information for forward planning, as well as improved decision making through collaboration and access to wider information. These all culminate in one of the major benefits of BIM, the use of a 7D model for asset management of the built asset.

b. Augmented Reality (AR)

AR helps to enhance projects by being able to take the 3D model and render in real time. For example, one could print a plan or drawing with an aerial scene of a project site, and reveal a 3D scene over this to show new developments. This allows a limitless number of views to be examined rather than just select a few. This also allows partners to study the different options in greater detail and in a more interactive way, and could also be beneficial during the planning process. As an example, this will assist a residential developer in determining the best orientation and views for units, and assist in product pricing and positioning.

c. Intelligent Mobility (iM)

iM is an approach to transport management, which uses emerging technologies to enable the smarter, greener and more efficient movement of people, goods and services around the world. Through our parent company Atkins, we can demonstrate our intelligent mobility credentials, and facilitate collaboration between partners, clients, governments and the private sector to drive essential progress – for the benefit of end-users worldwide. We work closely with our clients and key stakeholders to explore how technology can enable future mobility solutions.

In Singapore, the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) have invested heavily over the past few years to expand and improve its land transport network. This has included developing urban rail, bus and taxi services to make it much easier for people to get from Point A to Point B without the need to use a private car. Hence, efforts to go driverless on Singapore’s road are picking up speed. The Singapore government is forging ahead with plans to test, introduce and widely adopt autonomous vehicle technology to reduce the need for new road construction, support smooth flowing highways, reduce road accidents and further reduce the size, but maximise the efficiency, of the vehicle fleet. All of these within a planning framework that includes multi-model journey planning, trip sharing and smart mobility via the internet and personal web-based apps and services.

Give some examples of some segments of the property industry in Asia that are currently experiencing a boom or increased activity despite the general slowdown e.g. M & A, adoption of new technology, etc.?

While the road ahead may seem challenging for the property industry in Asia as a whole, there are still pockets of opportunity. Retail and mixed-use developments are picking up in Malaysia, while infrastructure is on the radar everywhere across South East Asia.

For the office sector, even though the market has softened, several big potential office leasing deals involving relocations are in motion. Tenants/corporates are taking advantage of the opportunity to secure space in new, premium office buildings, which offer greater space efficiency, at a very competitive rent.

In addition, corporates are changing their way of working, with more open-plan offices and flexible working spaces, further reducing the floor space. And that’s where our value add comes into place. We do a lot of relocation and change management for businesses that need to downscale. Our team is also experienced in delivering high-end fit-out and creating agile working environments, and we have undertaken many such projects for the likes of DLA Piper’s (an international law firm) corporate office in Hong Kong, Ericson head office and Fourwinds (a private equity firm) in Malaysia, as well as Aviva, ABN Amro and Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore.

Another increased activity that we’re seeing is with some of the bigger developers and asset managers reaching out to our business for consultation to help them develop and train their internal project teams.

Which country in Asia do you most like to work in and why?

Definitely Singapore as it is the headquarters of Faithful+Gould in APAC and allows me to transit through Southeast Asia within a few hours’ notice.

How can Asia improve its project management skills to scale to the next level?

This can be done through training, but more so with on-the-job training, which is often undervalued in comparison to obtaining multiple degrees or pursuing post-graduate education. To me, it’s more about the job, the experience and the skills, particularly soft skills.

You have done a lot of hospitality /resort projects. How different is it from managing a residential project?

Hospitality is very different from a residential project as the former involves multiple stakeholders. It is also more focused on interior design, and its emphasis is on the overall look and feel, whereas for residential, designs are more basic and focus on usage of space.

For a hotel refurbishment project, you’re dealing with room revenue managers, operations, engineering, housekeeping, owners and operators to name a few. In a live refurbishment environment, it’s very focused on displacement costs, noise disruptions, maintaining a competitive market position, and implementing brand standards. The use of social media has also become an important tool in project delivery.

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