08 March 2019 Project Controls News

Dear Planning Planet Member,

We hope that you find this adds value to your day and if you'd like 1.5 million views for your content, blog, product or service please check this out [1]...

We are arranging more gatherings using our network of planners and project contorllers who want to help and have a meeting so if you wish to do a presentation (on anything) do get in touch with james.williams@planningplanet.com [2] for a discussion.

• 16 Mar: Motherwell / Glasgow, Scotland - Read more [3]...
• 16 Mar: Lahore, Pakistan - Read more [4] ...
• TBA: London, England
• TBA: New York, United States
• TBA: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• TBA: Dubai United Arab Emirates

Many contractors are of the opinion that adding contingency funds to the tender price of a project may lead to loss of the tender.

This research is a trial to put an end to this incorrect opinion.

A more mature attitude to risk would recognize that contingency exists to be spent in order to avoid or minimize threats and to exploit or maximize opportunities.  Read the Research [5]...

In our professional lives it can be very easy to get caught up in the success or failure of particular projects.

Just because a project you are working on is performing badly doesn’t necessarily mean that you are doing poorly in your work and likewise if your organization is hitting all its targets, maybe it’s not all down to you (though it’s possible).  Read the Blog [6]...

In complex project schedules, multiple critical paths can exist between the project’s start and finish milestones.  

Additionally, integrated projects with multiple phased scopes of delivery often have several distinct, contractually-mandated deliverables and corresponding delivery dates.  

Each possesses its own critical/driving path.   Read more [7]...

We staunchly support the idea of embracing best-practices, standards, governance, and employing sound methodology.  But, without an understanding of how these characteristics should be leveraged to deliver for the business, you run the risk of becoming antiquated, unnecessary, and overhead that the business will either ignore or disband.

One of the critical actions that I would encourage for any PMO leader is to engage in a healthy dialog with the business counterparts and ask them directly what they are looking to achieve.  Not surprisingly, I have found in many organizations a huge disconnect between what the PMO thinks its job is and what their business sponsors think their job is.   Read More [8]…

March 5th saw American project controls heavyweight PMWeb run their UK launch event “Technology that Drives Construction Management”. 

Turnout exceeded all expectations with over 100 people showing up on the day. 

The event featured two customer success stories.

For more information, visit HKA PMWeb UK Launch [9]

• Alisdair White, Head of Construction at NHS Property Services explained how the standard, out of the box functionality in PMWeb accelerated their time to value in managing this new organisation formed out of 163 smaller NHS bodies. PMWeb is helping ensure that the NHS is making the best property choices to enable excellent patient care at health centres and GP surgeries across the UK.
• Conversely Mark Gough from Art Invest showed the power that comes from harnessing the broad functional range. Mark, a long-time user of the system, explained how portfolio level budgeting, estimation and planning are the key to improving the acquisition, construction and operation of large, high value property portfolios.
• People new to the product, said they were particularly impressed with how clear it was that PMWeb management has been responsive to feedback from their “end user” community in guiding the development roadmap.  

TAKE A LOOK AT SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

Capital projects, shut-down and turnarounds, maintenance – whatever the project, there’s a product to help.  Safran PROJECT and Safran RISK [10]...

We had a message from a practitioenr this week asking what the benefits would be of becoming a Member of the Guild of Project Controls.  So we decided to list them to see peoples opinions.  

Below you will find a list of the toolsets [11] you get access to when you are a Guild Member

Member Tools:

• Career Path Matrix - a career path to allow us to understand where we are now and our options for enhancing our capabilities and our careers - view the matrix [12]
• Role Descriptors - a simple tool to help you understand what is expected of you in each / all of the roles described in the Career Path Matrix - view the tool [13]
• Compendium & Reference - an online, continually updated and improved body of knowledge that has been shaped and developed by us, the practitioners, that explains the tools and techniques we can / should know and understand in regard to the roles shown in the Career Path Matrix and the expectations set by the Role Descriptors - view the compendium [14]
• Plus - Online Study Guide, Online Self Assessment, Capability Validation and SWOT Analysis, Online Invigilated Examinations, Post-Examination Competency Assessment Interviews, 360 Degree Capability References, Guild Library, Find a Senior Mentor, Competency Certifications, Independent Certification Body and Independent Benchmarking  

When a project starts you create a schedule that represents your best thinking on how the project should progress.   But it seems on many projects that one day after your baseline schedule is created, you are already behind. Here are five techniques to help stay on track.  

1. Accelerate early.

2. Fast-track dependent activities. Read the Ful Blog [15]...

ScheduleCleaner [16] is a new desktop application for Windows, that allows project schedulers and other users to remove or anonymize data deemed confidential within .xer project files.

With ScheduleCleaner [16] you can:

• Remove values for different project data categories in .xer project files such as costs, units, rates, POBS and more.
• Mask the intended meaning of specific project data so that they are less clear and more difficult for others to understand.
• Convert global data into project data, keeping the project data unique without allowing pollution at the source file, when working with calendars and activity codes.

Interested in learning more? - Request a Personal Demo [17]

TRACE LOGIC - DETAILED ANALYSIS WITH FOCUS ON VIEWING PREDECESSOR/SUCCESSOR RELATIONSHIPS

Free Webinar: Thursday, March 21 at 10 a.m. PT 

Construction cost estimating is a profession with specialized skills, training, education, and certifications; but it's not rocket science. And there is some math, so it's scary to a LOT of people. There are a lot of moving parts in a big construction cost estimate: designers, insurance, labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors... The list can go on and on.   Take a look [21]...

We're counting down the days to Project Challenge, London which takes place on Thursday 21st March so just a couple of weeks away.

The session we're doing there is all about the new Inside PMO Report which we will be launching at the show.

The session takes place at 2.30pm.

It's great to hear that many of you are planning on coming along - and to the PMO Flashmob event that takes place in the evening too about Project Data Analytics.  Read the Full Post [22]...

We live in uncertain times. Additionally, capital projects are becoming larger and more complex. Today, project teams are often tasked with having to account for uncertainty across a broad range of categories, as diverse as economic, political, supply-chain / contract administration, logistics, technical and even weather. 

We can provide planners, project managers and risk managers the opportunity to secure a risk-based, competitive advantage, propelling their companies ahead and enhancing their careers! Read more [23]...

Construction CPM Conference next event is January 19-22 2020 at Disney World Florida.

Three Full Days Where Professional Planner Schedulers Gather to Discuss and Improve Critical Path Method Analysis Knowledge.

More information at www.ConstructionCPM.com [24].

• Difference between Retain Logic and Override Progress - read the replies [25]
• Duration calculation for activities - read the replies [26]
• Activity Not Sorting Inside WBS Node - read the replies [27]
• P6 Activity Order and Sort Problem by "Start Date" - read the replies [28]
• Resource Linking - good/bad? - read the replies [29]

Watch the ARES 30-minute webinar to learn about contract management and the PRISM Contracts & Invoice Management modules.

This webinar covers the step-by-step process of awarding contracts, creating invoices for contracts, approving invoices, and invoice payments.

While PRISM can handle contracts both pre-award and post-award, this webinar focuses on the administration of a contract once it has been awarded. Read the full post [30]...

Effective leadership is one of the single most important drivers behind performance. Successful companies employ skilled leaders in every key position. CEOs know this and are in constant search of people who embody great leadership qualities and character.

But just what are the qualities of a good leader? What characteristics do CEOs look for in their leaders? Many studies have been done to decode the nature of leadership, and in these studies several recurrent findings emerge.

Here are the top five leadership characteristics CEOs value most highly.  Read the Blog... [31]

Capital projects, shut-down and turnarounds, maintenance – whatever the project, there’s a Safran product to help.   Checkout Safran PROJECT and Safran RISK [10]...

• The people doing the job
• Defining the community
• Really understanding what the job is about and proving that you can do it
• There are too many ‘keyboard jockeys’. Too many people who know what each button does but don’t know why!

The value of overloads reports cannot be underestimated. These reports are more reliable than overload bars/diagrams.  A short duration overload of any resource makes the schedule not feasible, this you will not miss under overload reports but easy to be missed if looking at the overloads bar.  When checking unleveled schedules or leveled schedules from external software this functionality can be invaluable.  Join the Discussion [34]...

Do you seek PROMOTION or do you want to better UNDERSTAND YOUR Stengths and SKILLS (in private) or do you seek that NEW ROLE?

Proven Practitioner provides ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED

Go to Premium [35] and sign up!  

Today’s Owner and EPC companies are frequently dealing with significant budget overruns and schedule delays, placing increased pressure to adopt project controls strategies, which better fit their company and the projects they execute.  

In this post, Fred Wellman discusses strategies for rapidly transforming project controls for organizations in today’s construction industry.  Read more [36]...

We are now offering CONFIDENTIAL Project Controls Competency Measurements for our members!  

From this report, you will receive a summary, similar to the one presented above, showing your teams, company’s or projects "Competency Performance Index" across the full Project Controls capability arena.   If you are interested in transforming Project Controls capability and team measurement, and would like to find out more, click here [37].

Offering clients new talent within Planning & Scheduling, Cost Estimating / Cost Management, Dispute Resolution, Risk and Project Controls worldwide.  We offer job description writing & support our candidate to facilitate your career needs. PCGlobal offers advice, career development along with personal professional assistance in guiding you towards tools that can make you a more competent & knowledgeable practitioner.

Candidates: Contact us for advise & support in your career choices

Clients: Contact us for a candidate that we assess inhouse. Our assessments & vetting, we live and die by this. Our standard of practitioner & their competency to fulfil a position with you will not be a worry anymore.

Speak to one of our experts personally david.logie@projectcontrols.com [38] we are here to help with a personal touch.

Key performance indicators are the metrics that project managers use to measure their team’s performance and also to relate progress to other project stakeholders. The speed and ease with which a PCM can ascertain a project’s health, whether good or bad, and keep other relevant senior executives or clients updated is of vital importance, the former for identifying issues quickly and the latter for building trust and confidence.  Read the Blog [39]...

Have you taken a look at the Guild of Project Controls' Role Descriptors yet?  - This is the perfect tool for those who want to find out the baseline knowledge required for their role and level of seniority - think of it as a job descriptor for all roles and levels of competence.  Give it a try here [13], find out more here [11]. 

Contact PPAdmin@planningplanet.com [40] if you would like to learn about getting our Project Controls Toolbox for...

• YOUrself,
• your TEAM,
• your PROJECT, or
• your COMPANY   (read more [37]...)

What is needed to come up with a production rate?

A duration of time, the manhours involved, and an amount of work produced this section of Planning Planet [41]is here to document this. 

What information do you have that you can share?

A superior alternative to the "most popular" software for us as planners?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 [42]...

When I conducted some research I found that flexible working was vital for any modern employee, with 91% saying flexible working was important and 92% saying they wanted the option to work from home. Interestingly however, 66% said they would prefer to work more in the office than at home and 0% saying they would want to work exclusively from home.  Read the blog [43]...

Sadly there is no utopian way of working as each scenario has its positives and negatives.

If you wish to come to a project control gathering local to you please get in touch and we will share the details with you.

Email PPAdmin@planningplanet.com [44] for details

We are holding meetings near you so do get in touch.

If you would like your product, service or software or yourself to be put in front of the global (or local) Project Controls Community then you should consider subscribing to the Planning Planet Project Controls Market Place.

What is this?

Read how here [1]...

Let's get social!

Build your network and keep up to date by following us on social media, just click the icons to get started.

The Compendium and Reference (CaR) is a document which forms The Guild Standards.

We have where possible offered advice as to previously written material which is in the public domain and proven to be of such quality that it can be used as a reliable reference of "best tested and proven practice".

The CaR is a living document being continually improved, supplemented and updated by the Guild community to reflect improvements to practices, opinions and methods in our chosen profession. The Guild is ready to receive suggestions at any time for updates to the CaR Standards.

Take a look here [49].

Have you tried the Guild of Project Controls' Assessment Centre? 

From this tool you will be able to ascertain your strengths and weaknesses against the many years of research that the Guild has ascertained are the Standards required for your role.

Further, for the first time you will know how you stack up in terms of skills in the Project Controls industry whatever your role.  

Give it a try here [51]!

MEMBERS [52]

See who you know from within our 150,000+ membership pool!

GUILD [53]

Take a look at the worlds first and only competence based credentials supported by a career path, role descriptors, self-assessment tools and online compendium desk reference of best tested and proven tools and techniques for project controls practitioners.

BLOG [54]

Join other members who share their thoughts and ideas in the form of blog posts.

FORUM [55]

100,000+ questions and answers to the topics we struggle with (mostly software!) on a day to day basis.

WIKI [56]

A knowledge-base that can be contributed to or utilized by anyone with skills and/or interest in planning, scheduling or project controls. No Wiki page or article is owned by its creator or any other editor, and its content relies upon collaboration and teamwork. How can you contribute?

BUILD TIMES [41]

What is needed to come up with a production rate? A duration of time, the manhours involved, and an amount of work produced? Take a look and get involved.

JOBS [57]

This has been dusty and quiet place for some time now. We have been liaising with recruiters, headhunters and talent managers plus a ream of corporate leaders and very soon we will have the largest live repository of project controls jobs in the world. Check back soon.

ADVERTISERS [58]

Check out our Silver and Gold partners and see if you'd like to be included there also.

In this article, I am attempting to identify some of the current functions and practices that will be changed in the future as a result of applying new technologies.

The Board of Directors has to understand and support these changes in order for their companies to prosper, it needs to be driven from the top or it will not be successfully implemented.  Read more [59]...