Construction supervision project management assistance
B2B contractual framework and execution phase
The execution phase concentrates the bulk of the financial commitments of a fit-out operation: this is where profitability is decided, not in design. Without project management assistance contracted before the contractor consultation, commercial projects are exposed to significant schedule and budget overruns. Since 2006, Kytom has assigned a dedicated project management adviser per operation, reachable within 4 business hours, on projects delivered in 12 weeks on average. The assignment contains budget overruns, reduces the number of snags at delivery and structures documentary traceability compliant with the NF P 03-001 standard as well as applicable quality frameworks. It is carried out exclusively on behalf of the client, interfacing with the project management team, the appointed contractors and the inspection bodies.
Construction supervision project management assistance is distinguished by an exclusive B2B relationship with the client, with no contractual link to the appointed contractors. In the absence of project management assistance, commercial operations are frequently exposed to schedule overruns and significant budget drift. The assignment falls within a structured regulatory framework (NF P 03-001 reference) and draws on the following references:
- Labour regulations: provisions applicable to workspaces (lighting, ventilation, fire safety).
- Documentary traceability: internal filing and time-stamping protocols for subsequent audits and structured reporting to the CFO.
- Voluntary certifications: BREEAM, HQE and other frameworks depending on the initial specifications.
- Post-acceptance guarantees: one-year defects liability, two-year functional guarantee, ten-year structural guarantee.
Contrary to the widespread practice of reducing execution-phase project management assistance to a quality control role, our reading is different: project management assistance is first and foremost a legal protection mechanism for the client over 10 years. The commitments made in the design phase bind the operation for the entire duration of the ten-year guarantees. The project management adviser documents each discrepancy, each arbitration and each partial acceptance, with a report independent of that of the project management team, enforceable in the event of a dispute. Kytom contracts the assignment with an identified adviser, reachable within 4 business hours, and a formalised monthly steering committee.
The Kytom method in 5 documented steps over 12 weeks
The Kytom method is structured in 5 documented steps, calibrated to the average duration of a standard-sized commercial project:
- Taking ownership of the contract file (D+5): verification of the technical specifications, administrative clauses, master schedule, priced bill of quantities; qualification of discrepancies and written feedback to the client.
- Weekly site meetings: systematic attendance, independent report archived according to our internal quality procedures, formalised alerts within 24 hours.
- Cross-check of payment situations: verification of executed quantities, validation of payment requests sent to the CFO within 3 business days.
- Management of pre-acceptance operations: production of an exhaustive snag list adapted to the surface area and complexity of the site, with snag clearance monitored within 15 to 30 days.
- Acceptance assistance: verification of as-built files, Qualibat certificates of the parties involved, compilation of the archiving file.
| Phase | Indicative duration | Project management deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Contract preparation | 1 week | Discrepancy analysis note |
| Site monitoring | 8 to 10 weeks | Weekly reports |
| Pre-acceptance operations and snag clearance | 2 to 3 weeks | Costed snag list |
| Acceptance and archiving | 1 week | Consolidated as-built file |
The 11 Kytom agencies in France and Spain assign a dedicated project management adviser per project, with no rotation during the assignment.
For the CFO and the B2B partner: a project management cost amortised from the first operation
Rephrased for the B2B client: project management assistance is not an additional OPEX line, it is a coverage mechanism for the works CAPEX. Kytom’s feedback demonstrates a measurable ROI across four priority areas:
- Budget control: the presence of a project management adviser significantly reduces site overruns by anticipating discrepancies before they become imposed change orders. On a typical floor-plate operation at €1,200/m² excl. VAT, the budget control provided by project management assistance can represent several tens of thousands of euros in avoided extra costs.
- Delivery quality: weekly cross-checks significantly reduce the number of residual snags at acceptance.
- Legal protection: a complete acceptance file enabling the defects liability, functional and structural guarantees to be invoked.
- Internal time savings: the office manager or real estate director refocuses on their strategic missions, with operational management handled by the project management adviser.
For a CFO, the cost of project management assistance (generally 2 to 4% of the amount of works excl. VAT) is amortised from the first operation through savings on change orders and avoided disputes. The return on investment of project management assistance generally exceeds the cost of the assignment from the first operation, thanks to savings on change orders and avoided disputes. On multi-site operations, the ratio improves through economies of scale, with possible pooling of reports and steering committees across real estate departments.
Points of attention: scope, contractual timing, lighter formats under 300 m²
Construction supervision project management assistance is neither a substitute for the project management team, nor insurance against site contingencies. The assignment provides an independent view, without replacing the contractual responsibilities of the appointed contractors or the prerogatives of the technical inspector. Three points of vigilance structure the client’s decision:
- Quality of the initial contract: imprecise technical specifications mechanically generate change orders, even with well-equipped project management assistance. The quality of the contract drafting largely determines the success of the execution phase: precise technical specifications mechanically reduce the risk of change orders.
- Contractual timing: the assignment should ideally be contracted as early as the contractor consultation, i.e. 4 to 8 weeks before start-up. Assignments framed upstream significantly limit recourse to change orders by reducing areas of contractual uncertainty from the consultation phase onwards.
- When construction supervision project management assistance is not the right answer: the conventional wisdom of the profession pushes project management assistance onto every operation, but in practice, on sites under 300 m² or with constrained budgets under €200,000 excl. VAT, the cost/benefit ratio is reversed. The standard project management fixed fee represents a fixed cost that is hardly amortisable over a limited volume of snags. Likewise, on a site of less than 6 weeks with a single appointed contractor and technical specifications already secured by an experienced project manager, the full project management assignment becomes redundant: a one-off mid-project audit is sufficient. In these cases, Kytom offers a lighter format over 6 to 8 weeks, calibrated to the actual scope and compliant with NF P 03-001, or directs the client towards a targeted pre-acceptance operations assignment only.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between construction supervision project management assistance and project management?
The project management team designs, directs and coordinates the works in a contractual relationship with the client and with its own ten-year liability. Construction supervision project management assistance acts solely on behalf of the client, with no link to the contractors or to the project management team, to produce an independent and enforceable report. This duality makes it possible to document contradictory discrepancies per operation, usable in the event of a dispute.
What is the cost of a Kytom construction supervision project management assistance assignment?
The fixed fee is generally between 2 and 4% of the amount of works excl. VAT, depending on the complexity and duration of the site. On a typical operation at €1,200/m² excl. VAT (€1,020,000 excl. VAT), the project management fixed fee ranges between €20,000 and €40,000 excl. VAT, an investment generally amortised from the first operation through avoided extra costs and disputes.
When should construction supervision project management assistance be contracted?
Ideally 4 to 8 weeks before the site start-up, i.e. as early as the contractor consultation phase. Assignments framed upstream generate significantly fewer change orders and preserve the added value on the initial contract. Contracting after the order to proceed remains possible but limits the added value on the initial contract.
Can project management assistance replace the inspection office?
No. The technical inspector (Apave, Bureau Veritas, Socotec, Qualiconsult) carries out a distinct regulatory mission on safety and structural soundness, with certification under the Spinetta law. Project management assistance documents the contractual execution on behalf of the client. The two assignments are complementary and systematically coexist on operations subject to mandatory technical inspection.
How does Kytom guarantee the availability of the dedicated project management adviser?
A single dedicated project management adviser is appointed at contracting, with no rotation during the assignment, reachable within 4 business hours on the 8am-6pm time slot. A continuity partner is designated for planned absences. The monthly steering committee and weekly site meetings are formalised in the schedule from the order to proceed.
