29 Nov 2019 Project Controls News

Dear Planning Planet Member,

We hope that you find this adds value to your day and if you'd like 1.61 million views for your content, blog, product or service please contact us... [1]

This free Whitepaper, "How to produce an accurate Forecast-to-Complete on mega construction projects [2]", demonstrates the importance of regularly and accurately calculating forecasted cost-to complete for mega construction projects.

The objective of this 4CastPlus paper is to assist project controls professionals achieve better cost control, oversight of their projects and to deliver accurate projections of cash flow to all project stakeholders. After all, calculating forecast-to-complete is a critical aspect of project controls that demands a careful process of budgeting, data planning, progress measurements, change order management, time-phasing and detailed forecasting to achieve a reliable result. 

• Key methods, structure and rigor for the planning phase of a major or mega project such as: WBS, CBS planning, Time-Phased Budgeting, Estimating, and Progress Measurements
• Steps to achieve better cost control of major construction projects
• Different forecasting methods such as: Summary Forecasting, Detail Forecasting, and Forecasting by Productivity Factor
• Key methods for the execution phase of major or mega projects
• Reporting on a month-by-month cash flow forecast
• The need and ROI of predictive information

For product updates, news, announcements and informative blogs to guide your every day, we welcome you to follow us on Facebook [3], Twitter [4], LinkedIn [5] and YouTube [6] We also welcome you to visit 4castplus.com [7] to learn more about our innovative software solution. 

We are REFRESHING our Top 100 list of Senior Project Controls Managers who have asked if we can help them find good planners and project controls practitioners.  

We will start to SHARE that in the coming periods.  Watch this space.  

We know these men and women personally and each have said they will gladly have a face-to-face with anyone we RECOMMEND to them.  Exciting times...

Graphics Custodians WANTED - if  you have an interest in graphics, reports, dashboards and would like to join the team of practitioners who are helping to shape (and improve) the 700 figures and reference graphics contains in the Compendium & Reference of Project Controls Tools & Techniques please get in touch as we need a few more keen practitioners to help and be rewarded.  Admin@GuildofProjectControls.com [8]

We asked about this a few periods ago and received some good feedback but we "dropped the ball" on it and want to try again.  After our recent requests for help we have now almost completed compiling the group to work on this. 

If you wish to help and be part of a small team of leading practitioners to help document some GENERIC standard operating procedures (SOP) for SCOPE, PLANNING, COST, RISK, PROGRESS, CHANGE, CLAIMS (etc.) we'd love to hear from you.  PPAdmin@planningplanet.com [9]

Cost management covers the full life cycle of a project from the initial planning phase towards measuring the actual cost performance and project completion.

This article explains the 4 essential steps of project cost management in line with methods such as the Total Cost Management Framework of AACE and the Managing Cost Estimating & Budgeting Compendium & Reference of the Guild of Project Controls.  Read the article [10]...

The poor performance of large projects, due to CAPEX overruns are more a rule than an exception, especially in the mining industry. Mining executives often blame project underperformance on foreseeable complexities and uncertainties, having to do with the scope of and demand for the project, the technology or project location, or even stakeholder opposition.

No doubt, all of these factors at one time or another contribute to cost overruns, benefit shortfalls, and delays. Read the article [12]

With all that goes into managing a project, making sure things are done right, within budget, and on time is a challenge, especially when we fall victim to the same mistakes.

The Cleopatra Enterprise team is familiar with the good, the bad, and the ugly of projects based on over 20 years of experience in the field.

Therefore, we have compiled a list of the most common project cost management problems that we have seen and our proposed solutions to fix them. Get your infographic [14].

The P6 Project Must Finish By Date must be used with caution as it may not operate in the way you think it should.

Click here [15] to read the article.

To see more explanations like this then please consider purchasing books by Paul Harris written on:

• Microsoft Project,
• Oracle Primavera P6 and 
• Elecosoft (Asta) Powerproject 

These are available in many formats:

• paperback
• spiral
• Kobo
• Kindle
• iTunes 
•  

These books are 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 free pdf versions are available to educational organisations.

More information and links to sellers at this web site [16]

Eastwood Harris Pty Ltd, Planning books and training material publishers for Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera P6 and Elecosoft Powerproject https://www.eh.com.au [17]

Earned Value Management works by assessing work progress against a project baseline and covers technical, time and cost performance. 

It provides data which accurately defines where a project is going so that proactive managers can act, giving them greater scope for decision making. 

Read the blog. [18]..

The Chinese Government have translated the Guild of Project Controls' Compendium of Best Tested & Proven Practices [21] to enable their national desire to deliver COMPETENCY certifications in Project Controls in and throughout China.  

Now live [20]...

The official first eddition is being distributed and practitioners are now being Competency Certified.  

A modern project team will often contain team members with a range of different skills and competencies. This can naturally lead to problems for managers who want to perform a balanced performance assessment that will judge every team member fairly. Knowing how to assess performance isn’t very easy when all the important metrics come in unequal units..  Read more [23]...

If you are a scheduler struggling with schedule data, database imports, scrubbing and removing unwanted P6 data, or simply sharing schedules with third-parties, then this article is for you.

Read more [24]

Presented on a single page, containing summary information about the project’s status, health, and different metrics, graphical reports are a great way to display business-critical project information to key project stakeholders. 

Learn more about the Dynamic Graphical Reports, available in the PRO version of ScheduleReader [25].

Construction CPM Conference next event is 19-22 January 2020 at Disney World Florida.  The rate goes up on December 5th from $925 to $1025

We have booked six meeting rooms over three full days.  Two keynotes – Seventy breakouts – Six networking events – One conference Three Full Days where Professionals Gather to Discuss and Improve Critical Path Method Analysis Knowledge.   Read the Full Details [26]... or see more at www.ConstructionCPM.com [27].

Planning Planet Forum posts - Join the Conversation [28]... 1,042,355 unique views this year and counting :)

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

There's a few good project controls and planning opportunities which might interest you... alternatively - let us know if you need someone new for your team and we will put you in touch with some proven practitioners.

Read more [29]... 

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 [30] and sign up!  

• Foster diversity of thinking.
• Ensure inclusion and not just diversity.
• Achieve the qualities of an inclusive leader.
• Clarify the organization’s culture.
• Empower diversity.

Read the blog [31]...

Contact PPAdmin@planningplanet.com [32] if you would like to learn about getting our Project Controls Toolbox for...

• YOUrself,
• your TEAM,
• your PROJECT, or
• your COMPANY   (read more [33]...)

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 [34]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 [35]...

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.

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 [21].

MEMBERS [43]

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

GUILD [44]

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 [45]

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

FORUM [28]

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

WIKI [46]

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 [34]

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 [47]

This has been dusty and quiet place for some time now, BUT we have been liaising with recruiters, headhunters and talent managers plus a ream of corporate leaders to try to help us.

ADVERTISERS [48]

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