05 July 2019 Project Controls News

Dear Planning Planet Member,

We hope that you find this adds value to your day and if you'd like 1.51 million views for your content, blog, product or service please check this out [1]...

Primavera Filters

Filters are powerful tools to extract specific information from the schedule. Used in conjunction with Group & Sort, and customizing Columns, Schedulers working in P6 can create a Layout.

This Tech Tip will discuss the topic from a very basic “how to create a filter” to building nested filters.  Read more [2]...

It is sometimes difficult to understand which calendar is being used for calculating a task Finish date. The checklist below should assist you in understanding which calendar is being used:

• Check the Project Calendar in the PROJECT, Project, Project Information… form,
• Then check the Task Calendar in the Task Information form Advanced tab or a Task Calendar column,
• Next check if resources are assigned to the task,
• Finally check the Resource Calendar for holidays.

• When NO Task Calendar and NO resources are assigned, then the Project Calendar is used.
• When a Task Calendar is assigned and there are NO resources assigned then the Task Calendar is being used.
• When Resources are assigned and NO Task Calendar then the Resource Calendar is used.
• When Resources and a Task Calendar are assigned, then the commonly available time from both calendars is used to schedule the task.
• When Resources and a Task Calendar are assigned and the Scheduling ignores resource calendars is checked, the Task Calendar is used.

Note: A common mistake is assigning a task an edited task calendar, then at a later date assigning resources without editing the resource calendars to match the task calendars and not realizing that the task durations no longer calculate the same.

To see more explanations like this then please consider purchasing this Microsoft Project book by Paul Harris which is available in many formats, paperback, spiral, Kobo, Kindle and iTunes.

The book is intended to be used:

• As a self-teach book and user guide, or a training manual for a two-day training course. 
• PowerPoint slide shows are available for training companies to purchase and pdf versions are available to educational organisations.

The RPCuk customer support team shares their most frequently asked questions about P6. See what other P6 users are asking our Oracle Primavera experts. Have any of these been an issue for you? http://bit.ly/2L06sqF [4]

• How do I install P6 Professional?
• How do I create users in P6 EPPM?
• How do I import/export projects?

In this post, I introduce you to ‘Anticipated Cost Report’ method and show you how it helps you to track cost variances, make cost forecasts, and manage construction costs.

I also walk you through the steps involved in preparing, using, and analyzing the Anticipated Cost Report with sample calculations.

Read the blog [5]...

The Chinese Government have translated the Guild of Project Controls' Compendium of Best Tested & Proven Practices [6] to enable their very first COMPETENCY certification in Project Controls in Beijing.  Now live [7]...

Free Videos Reveal Secrets of Earned Value Management

How to Unleash Its Amazing POWER in Effectively Managing Your Projects.

If you have ever wondered what Earned Value Management (EVM) is and how it can assist you in understanding the true status of your projects, make sure that you watch these free EVM training series. 

Read more [8]...

Compare the performance of projects. Improve the accuracy of the future cost estimates.

Tracking the performance of your projects, Cleopatra Benchmark serves as ‘corporate memory’ for high-level decision making.

With Cleopatra, you can extract metrics from executed and running projects, discover trends in key cost drivers and ratios, compare performance of projects and common assets, and improve the accuracy and reliability of the future cost estimates.

What it has to offer?

• Collect historical project data
• Perform big data analytics
• Extract metrics across projects
• Flexible and easy-to-use reporting capabilities
• Advanced interfacing possibilities
• Total project lifecycle solution

Request a demo [9]

Removing POBS (Performing Organizational Breakdown structure” information) from an XER project plan can allow you to significantly reduce your XER file size.

ScheduleCleaner [10] allows the user to remove or anonymize different data values (POBS included) in XER project files with few simple steps.

See Video [11]

Leadership skills are practiced when we step forward and make decisions about how something should be done or where it is going. In project management, this is most likely going to be with your project team, or at least a certain section of it.  

Read more [12]...

• Project Controls in real life
• Root causes of overruns and delays
• Integration is the key, The power of Big Data
• Test - Your level of integration  DOWNLOAD NOW [13]

ARES PRISM is releasing a new offering to their project management software suite– PRISM Go, a web-based extension that will allow users to update project data in real-time from anywhere. PRISM Go is a browser-based application that gives users the ability to remotely view and update PRISM data: including cost management, field management, invoice management, change management, dashboards, reports, and change approvals.

Users will also be able to manage workflows and generate records in the field (or any other location with internet access).  Come check our PRISM Go from Monday 17 June [14]! 

DCMA 14 Reports With Customizable Standard Limits - We have recently added a customizing dialog to ScheduleReader’s DCMA 14 Reports where users can change the standard criteria for all 14 metrics. 

Linear Scheduling View - The Time-location chart enabling support for viewing Linear Scheduled Project, specific for Civil Engineering and Construction (Traffic, Highway, Railway systems & Tunnel Engineering) and Power line construction is the latest addition to the PRO version of ScheduleReader.

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

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

Early bird rate of $825 is good through 20 Jun 19 More information at www.ConstructionCPM.com [16].

Planning Planet Forum posts - join the conversation [17]...

We have lots of colleagues who keep asking if we can recommend good people, so it may be worthwhile checking the projectcontrols job listings our team are collating...

There's a few good projectcontrols  and planning opportunities which might interest you...

Read more [18]...

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 [19] and sign up!  

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 [20].

Contact PPAdmin@planningplanet.com [21] if you would like to learn about getting our Project Controls Toolbox for...

• YOUrself,
• your TEAM,
• your PROJECT, or
• your COMPANY   (read more [20]...)

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 [22]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 [23]...

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]...

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

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 [6].

MEMBERS [29]

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

GUILD [30]

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 [31]

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

FORUM [17]

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

WIKI [32]

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 [22]

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 [33]

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 [34]

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