13 June 2025 Project Controls News

Dear Planning Planet Member,

Join the Global Community [1] - welcome to the newsletter; did you know that this newsletter goes to the largest community of project controllers on planet Earth? 

WEBSITE UPGRADE  - 90% Complete

• Planning Planet members who sign up using this link [2] will get 100 credits to try Schedule Studio for 30 days (enough to generate several schedules)

• nPlan says: it can reduce the time you spend building v1 of your schedule by >95%

Exclusive Preview for the Planning Planet Community: The 2025 State of Construction Scheduling report is here—and you’re among the first to get it.

SmartPM analyzed over 70,000 project schedules and collected over 3,500 survey responses from construction professionals (including you!) to uncover what’s really happening with time, data, and decision-making on jobsites today. The findings challenge common assumptions about schedule quality, control, and the gap between planning and reality.

Get the report early and explore the 8 key findings including:

• Why only 12% of baseline schedules meet best-practice standards
• How 75% of leaders rely on schedule data—even when it’s flawed
• What the most effective teams are doing differently to manage delay and risk

Is your project delivering value at the right pace?

• SPI > 1: You’re ahead of schedule
• SPI = 1: You’re on schedule
• SPI < 1: You’re behind schedule

• How to calculate and interpret SPI
• When and how often to calculate it
• Common pitfalls and limitations
• How to pair it with other metrics (CPI, SV, critical path) for full project visibility
• Plus, how Cleopatra Enterprise automates and visualizes SPI so you can take action early and keep your projects on track.

Read the full guide here... [6]

Struggling to keep project costs under control? You're not alone.

Effective project cost tracking is the backbone of delivering on time and within budget. Yet many teams still rely on fragmented tools or outdated spreadsheets.

Read Cleopatra Enterprise’s blog to learn practical strategies to:

• Track costs in real time
• Improve budget visibility
• Prevent overruns
• Sharpen future estimates

Plus, see how modern project cost tracking software like Cleopatra Enterprise can help you automate the process, reduce manual work, and make smarter decisions.

Read the full blog here... [7]

Discover how organizations across the Middle East are transforming their project management practices through digitalization. In this on-demand webinar, industry experts from Cleopatra Enterprise and Drydocks World explore the latest trends, tools, and real-world success stories that are reshaping capital project execution in the region.

What You’ll Learn:

• Key challenges in traditional project management
• Digital strategies improving cost control and efficiency
• Case studies from major projects in the Middle East
• How to adopt an integrated project controls approach

Watch now... [8]

Using spreadsheets and other data silos for Shutdowns, Turnarounds, and Outages doesn’t just create inefficiency — it creates serious risk and the potential for multi-million-dollar losses.

iPlanSTO [9]is a purpose-built turnaround management platform designed by industry experts.

It delivers real-time visibility, smarter resource coordination, and integration with the systems you already use — helping you avoid overrun, reduce downtime, and protect your margins for only $99K.

What are you waiting for, [Click Here [10]] to try our free iPlanSTO ROI calculator today to find out how much you could save.

IAMTech Knowledge: Mastering Six Phases of Shutdown and Turnaround Management with iPlanSTO.

In this week's article, James Holt [12], IAMTech's Commercial Director, explores how mastering the six phases of Shutdown and Turnaround Management with iPlanSTO can turn complex TAR events into strategic wins through precision planning, execution, and continuous improvement.

For more information visit us...  [13]

A superior alternative to the "most popular" software for us as planners?

Spider Project

Spider Project offers numerous unique functional features and is the only PM software that optimizes resource, cost, and material constrained schedules and budgets for projects and portfolios.

Check it out here [16]...   Ask questions here [17]...

Construction CPM Conference is calling for Presentations for January 2026

Papers are welcome but not required.

We are still seeking a cost friendly host hotel for January 2026 but it is TIME for gathering top providers of knowledge in Project Controls, Planning & Scheduling with CPM and other Methods, Risk Analysis and Allocation, Prevention and Resolution of Claims of Disruption and Delay, and Other PROJECT Oriented Processes. Send your thoughts to us... [18]  

Thank you,
FRED