(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?
(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.
I am really fascinated by the capabilities of deep learning and future evolutions of it (http://deeplearning.net/). Google, Facebook and Neflix understand its capabilities and investing a significant amount of money in future developments. As a scheduler I see deep learning as a way to create hypothesis about schedule completion dates besides using CPM logic and resource management. I believe an evolving algorithm considering more project factors and information would likely create another tool to predict a project finish date.
One of the things I believe could help the scheduling community now and also in the future is an online schedule library of old schedules. This library would help new schedulers learn faster, help current schedulers check estimates and also provide more data for AI capabilities in the future.
I would like to propose a payment incentive for people or organizations who upload schedules. While this could take on many forms, some ideas include getting paid per activity downloaded if you just want to see the air handler portion of the schedule instead of the foundation portion. Another case would be looking at a schedule that went to claims. Maybe other marketplace driven incentives as well that could evolve over time. Such as a more well known credible scheduler/organization uploading their work and charging more than a less well know scheduler/organization. Another option is a profit sharing membership method. This area has a lot of possibilities and would enjoy feedback about this. Basically instead of an old schedule sitting on a hard drive somewhere, it could be useful to someone and possibly making money.
I believe one of the biggest constraints is schedules are owned by companies and organizations. Not the scheduler who created the schedule. While this is a problem, I believe it can be minimized by stripping all company related information or just showing certain segments of a schedule like a segment about air handlers only.
Another constraint is every project is unique and different. Comparing one schedule to another is like comparing apples to oranges to a certain degree. Some schedulers use Microsoft Project while others use Primavera P6. However I believe as more schedules are uploaded, with time more information will be able to create more effective algorithms and hypothesis for project completion dates by industry, project size, etc.
I am really interested in hearing about scheduling communities response to this. Is this a good idea? Do you have a better idea? What are some of limitations not discussed in this message? I would appreciate any feedback.
Thank You,
Aaron Melton
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Mike Testo,
Thank you. I really enjoy reading the blogs, forums and other information provided on Planning Planet. I think most great schedulers have a library of information from experience to make great schedulers. I feel most schedulers don't share that information for job security reasons. If scheduler A doesn't have experience monitoring the installing of widget A and scheduler B does, then schedulers B experience is likely to have a more accurate estimate for installing the widget. The problem is scheduler B does not want to openly share the installing widget experience with scheduler A if scheduler B feels his/her job security is threatened by scheduler A. The financial incentive to share the information is not there. Scheduler A will have to re-invent the wheel that scheduler B already figured out.
However if scheduler B could share the information with scheduler A and be compensated for it and then also share with scheduler C, D...Z for compensation, a financial incentive would exist to share the information even if scheduler B felt his job was threatened by scheduler A.
One of the new technologies I am excited about is smart contracts. Multiple systems are evolving that would allow schedulers to create unique contracts to share their schedule information for a financial incentive at minimal cost. Two of my favorites are:
1. Ripple (www.ripple.com)
2. Ethereum (www.ethereum.org)
Ripple is being developed by a group called Ripple Labs that is further along in development and backed by venture capitalists such as Google and Andreessen Horowitz, but I like the underdog chances of Ethereum.
My passion is more on the AI spectrum, but I feel if you combined the financial incentive to share information with future AI capabilities, the claim issues that seem rise in a repetitive cycle would be less likely to occur. If schedulers share information rather than protecting it, it would help future schedulers from having to re-invent the wheel. I optimistically believe it would also increase the likely hood of a projects executing on time and budget.
Ok that is my two cents :) I love what Planning Planet is doing helping schedulers share information to prevent the same mistakes from happening over and over again. If you or anyone else is interested in an idea like this I am open to discussion about it. I am also open to knew ideas that are probably better and more realistic than this.
Double post for some reason. Please read above.
Hi Aaron - welcome to planning planet.
I maintain an extensive library of typical cascades for work sections that occur regularly - I just copy paste and link up.
It has never crossed my mind that someone might want to pay for them - thanks for the inspiration.
Best regards
Mike Testro
Email: PPadmin@planningplanet.com
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