Based on my limited experience with construction management, I would say owners who are not construction savvy are the most likely candidates to use construction management. A good example is a group of doctors who want to build a medical facility and know what they need in that facility but don't know how to achieve their goals. They might hire a construction manager to guide them through the design phase and then through construction and closeout. I believe there are opportunities for value engineering in the construction management process, especially when construction managers are brought on board during the design phase. This is partly because the construction manager often has the same skills as contractors in cost estimating, scheduling, and sequencing and understanding how components of construction affect each other.
All information channels through the construction manager, both to and from other parties.
In this way, the construction manager can keep tight control on schedules and costs, as well as provide accurate and timely communications to and from each spoke. To be effective, therefore, construction managers must be very competent communicators who react expediently to issues requiring timely responses. If lines of communication don't flow through the hub, the efficiency of the system is compromised. Construction managers can play a very important role in projects, although every project certainly doesn't require such an approach. What's really important is knowing when it will work.