bulletproof project management

Bulletproof Project Management Client Satisfaction Using Leading Age Business

Management Processes & Information

Management Technology

“Challenging Convention by Finding New &

Better Ways of Doing Things” (Tom Brokaw)

Achates Systems, Inc. © All Rights Reserved 2013 1

Increasing defects lead to increased customer dissatisfaction and financial loss (Taguchi Loss Factor)

Risk Varies Inversely with Information

Anything that can be conceived as Information can be Managed, Stored, Accessed, and Shared Faster, Cheaper, and More Accurately Electronically

Why Should I Care?



“The Cost of Preventing

Mistakes is Generally Much

Less then the Cost of

Correcting Them”

PMBOK® Chapter 8 - Quality

Idle

Time

Missed

Commitments

Long Cycles

Inaccurate Reports

Frustration and Poor Morale

Redundant Processes

Contract Disputes

Delays

Claims



Level Focus Key Process Areas

5

Optimizing

Continuous process

improvement

-Acquisition Innovation Management

-Continuous Process Improvement

4

Quantitative

Quantitative

management

-Quantitative Acquisition

-Quantitative Process Management

3

Defined

Process

standardization

-Acquisition Risk Management

-Contract Performance Management

-Project Performance Management

-Process Definition and Maintenance

2

Repeatable

Basic project

management

-Evaluation

-Contract Tracking and Oversight

-Project Management

1

Initial Competent people and heroics (chaos organization)

“Challenging Convention by Finding

New & Better Ways of Doing Things” Tom Brokaw

“Mere Precedent is a Dangerous Source of Authority”

Andrew Jackson 7th President

“As Leaders of Change, Managers Take People Out of Their Comfort Zone; So Most People Are

Always looking For Reasons Why Something Won’t Work As Opposed To Looking For Ways

To Make Something New Work”

Larry Puleo – MLP Consultants


“Computer Technology Simultaneously Reduces Labor Input For

Routine Cognitive Manual Tasks and Increases Labor Input of

Nonroutine Cognitive Tasks’

‘Routine Cognitive Activities, such as Storing, Retrieving, and Acting Upon Information, can be Symbolically Processed by Machines that follow Explicitly Programmed Instructions and Rules that Rapidly, Accurately, and Unambiguously Designate What Actions are to be Performed at Each Contingency, to Achieve the Desired Result’

Quarterly Journal of Economics, The Skill Content of Recent Technological Change: An Empirical Exploration

by: David Autor, Frank Levy, and Richard Murnane.

Harvard College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Bureau of Research


Chapter 3 Processes

“Project Management is an Integrative Undertaking

Requiring Each Project and Product Process to be

Appropriately Aligned and Connected with the Other

Processes to Facilitate Coordination.”

Chapter 4.4 Integration

“ Monitor & Control Project Work is the Process of Tracking, Reviewing, and Regulating the Progress to Meet the Performance Objectives Defined in the Project Management Plan.”



‘Getting & Keeping Everyone

on the Same Page’

WWHW WHAT -WHEN -HOW MUCH -WHO

Easy to Say Hard To Do


Contract/Document

Conflicts

1. Identify

2. Resolve

3. Amend


Abstract Document Sections

Identify Intra-Document

Conflicts

Identify Inter-Document

Conflicts

Resolve Conflicts/Amend Documents

(All Stakeholders on the Same Page)

Create Workflow Diagrams (‘Roadmaps’) for Tasks,

Activities, & Deliverable Protocols

What - He Said-She Said

DB Agreement

Appendix 4, Section 4.3

The first sentence refers to time frames detailed in Section 22.8.

The third sentence refers to time periods set forth in Section 28.10.

Section 22.8 does not exist in the document, Section 22 ends at 22.5.

Section 28.10 is titled ‘Disclosed Data’ – not time periods, the section deals with liability for data provided.

DB Agreement

13 Achates Systems, Inc. © All Rights Reserved 2013

?

A/E Inc. Contract Page 17, Article 3.6.4.1

14 Day Review Time - Single Discipline

21 Day Review Time – Multi - Discipline


A/E Inc. Contract General Conditions Page 22, Article 4.18.12

14 Day Review Time

?

General Contractor Contract Page 17, Article 3.6.4.1

14 Day Review Time


Contractor & A/E General Conditions Page 22, Article 4.18.12

15 Day Initial Review Time

21 Day Concurrent Discipline Review

30 Day Extended Review

?


1. Schedule Quality Assurance

2. Create a Master Project Schedule

3. Regular Master Schedule Updates


Why Bother?: Erroneous & Invalid Updates

1. Confirm Correct Calendar for Working Days

2. Identify Weather Delays

3. Identify Open-Ended Activities (Activities having no Predecessors or

Successors – resulting in Incorrect Milestones & Activities Having

Large Float Values

4. Identify Flexible & Inflexible Constraints

5. Analyze Logic – Sequencing & Linking of Activities

6. Identify Summary Tasks that have Predecessors and/or Successors

7. Analyze Schedule Outline Structure

8. Review Task & Activity Durations

When - Schedule Quality Assurance

Your GPS for the Entire Project Time, Distance & Direction

Where You Are

Where You’re Going

When You’ll Get There


Subsidiary Schedule Examples

Design Schedules Development Schedules

Consultants Schedules Proffer Schedules

Construction Schedule Lease Schedule

Engineering Schedules

Permitting Schedules

Testing & Commissioning Schedules

Inspection Schedules

Submittal/Shop Drawing Schedules



Why?: Know Where You Are- What Happened

Where You’re Going – Mitigate Problems Early

1. Perform Schedule Quality Assurance on Subsidiary Schedules

2. Revise ‘Master Schedule’ to Reflect Changes in Subsidiary Schedules

3. Identify Schedule Update

4. Identify & Compare Completion Date for Current Version to Baseline

5. Calculate Cumulative Impact to Date from Baseline Schedule

6. Calculate Impact from Prevision Version of Schedule

7. Ascertain Causes of Delay

8. Prepare Schedule Impact Log Identifying Delay & Causes

When - Schedule Updating Protocol


1. Accountability Responsiveness Report for Subsidiary Schedule

Creators

2. Critical Path & Near Critical Path Analysis

3. Percent Project Complete

4. Schedule of Remaining Work

5. Late Start & Late Finish Activities

6. Slipping Activities

7. In-Progress Activities

8. Forecast Look Ahead Activities

9. Actual Start & Finish based on Current Schedule Version

10. Logic Change Analysis

When - Updated Schedule Reports


What -Your Project Playbook

The Projects Protocols


Excuses – Excuses

‘It Fell Thru The Cracks’

‘I must have missed It’

‘Hey Stuff Happens’

‘Whatever?’

Never Again Having to Say I’m Sorry


SSA/JBG Project Operations Lifecycle Workflow

Preliminary Project Activities & Deliverables

Shell & Core Schematic Activities & Deliverables

Shell & Core CD Design Activities & Deliverables

Tenant Space Planning & Design Development

Activities & Deliverables

Tenant Construction Drawings Activities & Deliverables

Security Design & Pricing Activities & Deliverables

Construction Estimating & Pricing

Activities & Deliverables

Pre-Construction Activities & Deliverables

On-Going Project Lifecycle Administrative Activities &

Deliverables

Testing & Commissioning Activities & Deliverables

Close-Out Activities & Deliverables

Post-Occupancy Activities & Deliverables


What - Playbook Table of Contents for Each Down (In Plain English ‘Chapters’)


What -Diagram of A Play for Drawing Approvals


What -Diagram of A Play for Shop Drawings & Submittals Review & Approvals


Spreadsheet Errors Lawrence & Lee Study 2004

30 Project Financing Spreadsheets – Error Rate 100%

1. Quantitative Errors

a) Omission Errors – Missing Facts

b) Data Input Errors

c) Logic Errors – Incorrect Formula/Algorithm

d) Mechanical Errors – Typing Mistakes, Wrong number in Cells,

Wrong Cell Range (Reinhart & Rogoff Fiscal & Monetary

Stimulus)

2. Qualitative Errors – Design Errors, Copy/Paste Errors, Cell Reference

Errors.

How Much - Spreadsheet Heroics – Really? (or my pivot tables are better than yours)


Spreadsheet Errors

2009 University of Hawaii Study

Professor Ray Panko

Coopers & Lybrand – 23 spreadsheets – 21 with Errors – 91%

KPMG – 22 spreadsheets – 20 with Errors – 91%

Lukasic – 2 spreadsheets – 2 with Errors – 100%

Butler – 7 spreadsheets - 6 with Errors – 86%

TOTAL – 54 Spreadsheets – 49 with Errors – 91% Overall Error Rate

How Much - Yes – It’s Your Fault Or You Can Run But You Can’t Hide


How Much - Math-Informatics Software Platforms

(A $20 Word If There Ever Was One)

Built In Algorithms That Accurately Handle & Report

on Vast Amounts of Auditable Information

• Budgeting & Actual Costs

• Variance Analysis

• Change Management

• Historical Tracking

At the ‘Click of A Mouse’

Am I Wasting Time? - “You Betcha” Sara Palin


How Much – Bulletproof Math

Achates Systems, Inc. © All Rights Reserved 2013

32

How Much – Budget Busted - Why?


How Much – Wow – the Cost Really Went Up!


How Much – Invoice Management


How Much – The Estimate Was Off By How Much?


How Much - Why Did It Cost So Much


Electronic Manual Workflow

Administration & Oversight

Real Time Status Updates

Collaboration

Knowledge Sharing

Communication

Built-In Reporting


Who – ‘Yes It Is Your Job’


‘Avoiding the Blame Game’ Send Automated Forecast Reminders Before it’s Too Late to Reverse Course

The goal is a trusting relationship with stakeholders who

regularly, without prodding, deliver on time.


Who – Don’t Tell Me You Didn’t Know


Who – ‘I Told You More Than Once’


Who – Accountability, Or If It Can Be

Measured It Can Be Managed


Turning Data Into Accurate, Useful

Actionable Knowledge

A Fancy Way to Say Reports

‘Just The Facts Ma’am’ Sgt. Friday


Built –In & Custom Reporting By ‘Clicking Your Mouse


Success is that place in the road where preparation and opportunity meet.

But too few recognize it because it often comes disguised as hard work.