The Project Coordinator
Having developed an understanding for construction as a scheduler in Kuwait, Ashwin Saseedharan found aspiration to become a Project Manager and therefore pursued his Master’s in Construction Management. After graduation, Ashwin Saseedharan made the move to Toronto, where he shares his experience in his current role as Project Coordinator with ASCO Construction.
My typical day as a project coordinator can see me having meetings with key project stakeholders; coordinating a site team; preparing contracts; scheduling for future works or conversing with suppliers on the delivery of materials to a site—sometimes I could be carrying out all these tasks on the same day.
My daily routines are dependent on the phase of a project, where I’d start by preparing an action task list for the day. My mornings are best for communicating with the Project Manager to provide project progress updates and an overview of the activities planned for day, where I would then take to site and relay to the project team. At the end of the day, I would review my task list and prepare a rough plan for the next day.
During the initial phase of a project, I am usually engrossed in understanding the contractual requirements. The project teams involved brainstorm ideas to help the schedulers prepare the construction programme; submittals of major trades and preparation for mobilising resources. I find my role fundamentally important in driving the project milestones throughout the construction and the closing-out phase.
I understand a project manager acts as the Conductor of a symphony orchestra. He directs all the musicians and sets the tempo. As a Project Coordinator, I act as his/her Assistant Conductor where I ensure all the musicians are in place and positioned to perform as intended.
During the construction phase, I follow a prudent checklist of tasks to enable each milestone of the construction programme. I make sure the required shop drawings for each activity schedule are prepared and approved prior to setting into motion. Simultaneously I make sure the material, manpower and machineries required to execute an activity are available at our disposal. These preparatory works need precise planning and execution at least a couple of weeks prior to the intended start of the respective activity.
Onsite, the execution starts with the survey by laying out the work area for the workers in the most simple and understandable manner to eliminate potential risks. A Project Manager mentor advised that simplifying the work for the workers to maximise their productivity, should be self-explanatory to an extent that even a child can understand. We have witnessed that this approach although it requires a lot of efforts from the management team help improve the productivity of the workers and minimise the chances for errors.
I believe my role as a Project Coordinator and my presence in the field is to motivate and help the team focus on doing their tasks, which are defined by the timeframe available to us. My role means doing everything in my power to make the life of my project team easy. In addition to monitoring the work, I make sure the work is performed in accordance with the contract and that it adheres our company’s quality standards. I believe I must also ensure, that the project provides a safe environment for the workers, as it is important to develop strong relationships, where there is trust and mutual respect.
I often find myself dealing with project stakeholders to ensure their satisfaction by keeping them informed of the day-to-day activities on the project. This is particularly important throughout the project life, as I manage multiple activities and this is important to understand, as I prioritise and manage these activities with efficiency. The most important task is to try and not deviate from the baseline schedule unless there is a defining necessity to do so. Contractually it is important to follow the baseline schedule, as deviating from it can have adverse effects on the critical path of the delivery.
As the custodian of the day-to-day activities, maintaining documentations and reports are important as they serve as a tool for ensuring the project is updated according to the construction programme and therefore depict the projects progress - live.
As a project coordinator, I believe it is best to try and plan for any possible obstacles that might arise along the way to completing a task. I prioritise reading the contract and drawings and making sure our project team have all the information required to make better decisions. If any clarifications arise, I’ve come to realise it is best not to assume outcomes based on our experience, however it is important to raise the query with the key project stakeholders.
At ASCO Construction, our quantity surveying department prepares the progress billing each month and as a Project Coordinator, I can assist them in one of two ways. One, I provide them with the project progress which is used to create to an invoice and secondly, I would review and confirm the itemised services on the invoice according to the subcontractors.
In addition to these activities, I participate in regular meetings with the team, project stakeholders, with subcontractors, workers and our corporate office. My technical and management skills have proven crucial in assisting with my communicating skills. The success of a project represents the unity of the team involved. Whilst my role is ever evolving, I ensure I stay relevant by keeping up with the latest developments in technology. Having worked as a scheduler, I’ve become efficient in MS Project and Primavera P6 however, I tend to also use AutoCad and Revit to create sketches to assist with those daily ‘self-explanatory’ plans for my onsite team.
To be successful as a Project Coordinator, you must remain open-minded. Learn as much as you can, which is advantageous in a job and industry where every day offers new experiences. Don’t be afraid to get involved, no job is too big or too small. Its important to also associate with other professional associations such as the Project Management Institute, which is there to expand your professional networks and events.
This feature was curated for The Construction Coach by Malik Khan.
Ashwin Saseedharan
Project Coordinator
ASCO Construction, Toronto
Master of Engineering, Construction Management
Ashwin started his career as a Graduate Engineer in 2014 with Shapoorji Pallonji Co Ltd, a 150 years old multi-national company operating in more than 20 countries in Asia. He gained significant project management experience working with the scheduling department, managing the delivery of a $50 million USD luxury resort project. Expertise in MS Project, Primavera P6 and strong work ethics earned him a significant leap in his career as a scheduler. He was instrumental in the development of the baseline schedule for a $550 Million USD project in Kuwait. He developed and managed a complicated schedule with 12,000+ activities and 21,000+ activity relationships loaded with cost and resources. During this period, Ashwin was honoured with a performance award in 2016.After successful completion of this project, Ashwin moved to Canada to pursue his Master’s in Construction Management from Concordia University, Montreal.
Ashwin currently works for a leading general contractor in Eastern Canada, ASCO Construction. He works as a Project Coordinator on a significant infrastructure project to rehabilitate an existing wastewater system in GTA. He is highly motivated to contribute to ASCO’s success and business development plans.
Ashwin is a self-motivated and passionate civil engineer, who consistently seeks professional and personal development. A dedicated learner who strongly believes in teamwork and work ethics. He is currently preparing for his PMP exams. He is also an active member of Project Management Institute (PMI), Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (CIQS), and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).