Project management is a potential market in Turkey with room for growth...
Kemal Okumuş, General Manager of Entegre Project Management, stated that project management in Turkey is still a sector that has not yet been fully recognized by domestic investors and has room for growth, adding, “Project management is a market with significant potential, both for the growth of companies already in the sector and for domestic and foreign firms entering the market for the first time.” Kemal Okumuş discussed Entegre Proje Yönetim’s goals and the state of the industry with Mall Report.
Could you briefly summarize the background of Entegre Proje Yönetim? Could you tell us about your completed and ongoing projects?
Entegre Proje Yönetim was founded in 2003. We began our operations with the aim of providing technical support focused on resolving issues from start to finish in the construction projects of investors and development companies. We can categorize our core services into four phases: Design management, cost management, tender management, and construction management. Regarding the services we provide: for investors and developers, we assist in the initial phase by preparing the investment budget, selecting the most suitable design team, and managing the design process; subsequently, we conduct tenders within the framework of the established construction strategy, oversee the on-site implementation phase, and hand over the project to the facility management and operations companies.
Between 2005 and 2010, there was a significant wave of shopping mall investment. During this period, we provided support services for the shopping mall projects of many domestic and international firms. Some of these include Krea’s Neomarin Shopping Mall, Redevco’s Ankara and Erzurum shopping mall projects, Forum Mersin, Corio Tarsus Shopping Mall, and Torunlar and Kiler GYO’s Kütahya Shopping Mall project. Our ongoing shopping mall projects include Torunlar GYO’s Mall of Istanbul project and the Canpark Shopping Mall project in Ümraniye. Beyond this scope, we have also been involved in numerous other, smaller-scale shopping mall projects.
What criteria do you prioritize in architectural design? How does architectural design in shopping malls affect visitor attraction?
Sustainability and functionality are key considerations in shopping mall investments. Architectural design is one of the most important factors enabling the sustainability of such investments. If sustainable architecture is combined with energy efficiency and green building criteria, it is possible to achieve better results in shopping mall investments. The optimal planning of shopping malls’ investment and operating budgets, along with cost savings within the expected quality framework, emerges as a fundamental characteristic of sustainability. Therefore, it is essential to use materials in architectural design that are economically durable and environmentally friendly; at the same time, regional and environmental conditions must not be overlooked. As Integrated Project Management, we guide investors as early as the investment decision phase to ensure the creation of a sustainable and environmentally friendly shopping mall. As the number of shopping malls began to grow rapidly, investors started prioritizing architectural and other elements to attract customers. What matters most to us is that the investing company completes the project at optimal cost and executes the design with a level of detail that does not affect the delivery schedule. Our primary responsibility is to maintain control over the investment budget and ensure that the contractors complete the work within this timeframe.
WE INVEST IN OUR STAFF
What are your priorities at Integrated Project Management? Could you describe the features that set your company apart from others in the industry?
The greatest strength of Integrated Project Management is our investment in our staff. We have colleagues who have been with us continuously since we began operations. This is a major advantage for us. Because we gain experience together through the projects we undertake. We seize the opportunity to apply the experience gained as a team on one project to another. In this way, we strive to minimize errors. Using our systems, we record the knowledge and insights generated here, ensuring that all employees in the company can benefit from them collectively. It’s important to emphasize that project management is about the team, culture, and accumulated knowledge. We deliver our service philosophy to our clients by managing projects through every stage of the projects we undertake. For firms offering consulting services here, it’s essential to build teams that have not only accumulated knowledge but have also internalized a project management culture and institutionalization.
If we were to assess the shopping mall sector as a whole, what kind of picture would we see? The shopping mall sector is constantly growing, and you also have investments in shopping malls. What kind of future do you think awaits the sector, and where do you see yourselves in this transformation?
Since our place is in the service sector, our services in that sector will continue as long as investors keep investing. If investments in the shopping mall sector decrease in the future, we will naturally shift our focus to another sector and intensify our efforts there. Lately, we’ve been taking on more projects in the hotel and industrial facility sectors. Foreign corporate firms were the first to invest in the shopping mall sector. At this stage, domestic investment firms have begun to take the lead. Under current conditions, they, too, are now taking a more rigorous approach during the project evaluation and feasibility phases. If shopping malls that have reached a certain saturation point are not well managed or are not operating as they should, they will exit the sector—which is only natural. I believe shopping mall investments will continue in the coming years. Because Turkey has a large young population, and as the population grows, the shopping preferences of this young demographic make new shopping mall investments inevitable.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: A SECTOR OPEN TO DEVELOPMENT
Could you discuss the prevailing understanding of project management in Turkey?
Project management is still a sector that has not been fully recognized by local investors in Turkey and is wide open to development. It is a market with significant potential, both for the growth of existing companies in the sector and for local and foreign firms entering the market. We just need to be able to explain this situation clearly to investors and development firms. Our goal is to make it clear to everyone that risks are minimized in projects entrusted to a project management firm. As in every sector, there is competition in our sector as well. Competition increases our efficiency and prompts us to question ourselves. Since project management is a system, there are also firms that provide project management services in-house.
Where competition intensifies, decisions must be made more accurately. This involves risk assessment. Working with expert consultants will minimize risk. As we always say, project management is a team effort. Its purpose is to help investors minimize risk. Whether managed in-house or outsourced, projects with proper project management will achieve higher success rates and more easily meet investor expectations.
