Why Project Management Still Fails - 2025 Project Management Study Part 1
Only 2.5% of construction firms report that projects consistently finish on time and on budget. FMI's 2025 Project Management Study reveals why the gap between high-performing contractors and the rest remains so wide, and what leaders can do to close it.
Based on survey responses and interviews with 243 construction executives and 84 project managers across the United States, this research identifies the root causes of project underperformance and the specific practices that separate best-in-class firms from their peers.
Project managers are the primary differentiator between best-in-class and underperforming companies. No other role spans both the field and the client in quite the same way. That's why we're releasing a three-part series featuring insights you can implement immediately to empower your project managers and improve your bottom line.
Key Findings from Part One
Part one of this series is now available. Download your copy to examine:
- Why firms that involve project managers in estimating hit profit targets 78% of the time, compared to 55% when project managers are excluded from the process
- How companies requiring field leader sign-off before mobilization finish on or ahead of schedule 76% of the time, versus 58% for those without this practice
- The perception gap between executives and project managers on pre-execution planning effectiveness, and why it matters for profit reliability
- Three practices that consistently separate high-performing contractors: early project manager involvement in estimating, structured pre-execution planning, and field leadership buy-in prior to mobilization
This report gives construction leaders clear indicators to identify and actionable steps toward better project outcomes, profit margins, and schedule predictability.
