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MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Forecasting and Management (Part 12)

September 30, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This post is the twelfth in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management as it relates to the risk of delay. This post addresses the managerial aspects of forecasting related to time management.

Planning for and implementing (time-related as opposed to cost-related) forecasting is, perhaps, one of the most important aspects of Time Management and, consequently, Managing Risk of Delay. As with progress assessment, timely (early) detection of trends (positive and negative) allows timely managerial action. Timeliness of action has a heavy influence over the effectiveness of Time Management. In project work, it is imperative that one finds problems quickly and fixes these problems rapidly. In order to implement timely action, professional and realistic time forecasting is required.

The challenge associated with managing time is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects as well as fast-track and high technology projects. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Best Practice, Best Practices, Construction Contract Claims, Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, Earned Value Management, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Productivity Management, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Risk of Delay, Schedule Update, Time Management, Time Management Strategy

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Progress Assessment (Part 11)

September 24, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This post is the eleventh in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management as it relates to the risk of delay. This post addresses planning for and implementing progress assessment.

Planning for and implementing progress assessment is, perhaps, one of the most important aspects of Time Management and, consequently, Managing Risk of Delay. Timely (early) detection of trends (positive and negative) allows timely managerial action. Timeliness of action is a heavy influence over the effectiveness of Time Management. In project work, it is imperative that one finds problems quickly and fixes these problems rapidly. In order to implement timely action, professional progress assessment is required.

The challenge associated with managing time is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects as well as fast-track and high technology projects. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Best Practices, Construction Claims, Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, Delay, Earned Value Management, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Productivity Management, Progress Reporting, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Risk of Delay, Schedule Update, Time Management, Time Management Strategy

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Schedule Updates and Progress Considerations (Part 10)

September 19, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This post is the tenth in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management as it relates to the risk of delay. This post addresses planning for and implementing progress measurement and schedule updates.

The challenge associated with managing time is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects as well as fast-track and high technology projects.

In order to professionally manage time (and, therefore, risk of delay) the manager must have a time baseline [typically a Critical Path Method schedule and a Performance Measurement Baseline – please see earlier posts on these topics] and a method to recognize variations from the baseline. In order to detect variances, the managerial team must have an effective process to measure progress data and update the schedule (or time model). [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Best Practice, Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Construction Contract Claims, Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, Delay, Earned Value Management, Frederic L. Plotnick, George T. McLaughlin PMP, James O'Brian, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, PMI, Productivity Management, Progress Reporting, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Risk of Delay, Schedule Update, Time Management, Time Management Strategy

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Subject Series Summary Update

September 15, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This summary update provides readers with an overview of prior posts and provides a baseline for future posts that will follow on a timely basis. The last summary was posted on June 12, 2011.

This summary is very brief and simply serves as an index for readers to follow. More robust summaries are provided in the June summary. Of course, detailed descriptions are contained in the individual posts.

Ideally this summary provides a starting point to investigate best practice on many delay-related features of project management.

The Context and Challenge (Part 1) – Talk/Speech by Mr. Keith Pickavance

Time-Management Strategy (Part 2) – Strategy according to CIOB Guide

As-Planned Schedule / Accepted Programme (Part 3) – Establishing the Time Management Baseline

Schedule Preparation and Maintenance (Part 4) – Managing the Time Baseline

Earned Value Management (Part 5) – Importance and Management of the Time Baseline Tool

Critical Path and Earned Value Management (Part 6) – Managing with Critical Path, Earned Value Management and Productivity Tools

Earned Value and Schedule Performance Indicators (Part 7) – Time Management Tools

Schedule Specification Sources and Implementation (Part 8) – Managerial Tools with sources

Recognition and Notice (Part 9) – Managerial Alerting and Action Tools

Going forward, we will post other features of MANAGING THE RISK OF DELAY. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured, General, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: Best Practices, Construction Contract Claims, Construction Contract Delay, Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, Delay, Earned Value Management, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Managing the Risk of Delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Productivity Management, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Risk of Delay, Schedule Specifications, Time Management, Time Management Strategy

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES – Project Planning Lessons Learned (Part 9)

September 11, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

Project success and failure outcomes… Planning the project properly, documenting the plan professionally and then implementing the plan successfully are likely the sources of most project success and failure outcomes. Using best practices and learning from the experiences of others are effective methods for skill set development. Many organizations that use project management on an ongoing basis close out projects with a compilation of “lessons learned.” These firms have found value in studying the specific issues that have emerged in the past.

As part of the planning process, a review of relevant lessons learned can be instructive as well as a “sanity check” or completeness evaluation regarding the adequacy and comprehensive nature of your Project Management Plan.

This post continues the focus on issues in planning and problems that have their source or root cause in planning. The subject is Resource Requirements. In this regard, the post will focus on human resources or staffing. This discussion is not focused on direct labor (e.g. construction craft labor, software engineering man-hours). [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Best Practices, George T. McLaughlin PMP, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, PMI, PMOK, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Project Management, Project Planning, RACI, RAM, Resource Requirements, RM, Stakeholders

RESOURCE CENTER UPGRADE

September 7, 2011 By d.mclaughlin

The purpose of this post is to advise readers that the Project Professionals Resource Center feature or page has been upgraded. Please visit this useful page and familiarize yourself with the content. Please visit the Resource Links page which provides links to useful industry tools and resources. The pages were derived from years of frustration searching for reliable, substantiated references. So, the desires to share our choices are listed on the noted pages.

The Resource Center feature of this McLaughlin and McLaughlin [M&M] blog provides blog visitors with information and links to important and useful publications that relate to project management and dispute resolution in project work.

Recently, the Resource Center was upgraded to include several new publications, cite a new version of Mr. Pickavance’s book on delay and add some useful Resource Link updates. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: AACE International, ABA, Best Practice, Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Construction Industry Institute (CII), Doctor Harold Kerzner, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Keith Pickavance, MCAA, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, NECA, PMBOK, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Project Management, Project Management Institute (PMI), Project Planning, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES – Project Planning Lessons Learned (Part 8)

August 29, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

Planning the project properly, documenting the plan professionally and then implementing the plan successfully are likely the sources of most project success and failure outcomes. Using best practices and learning from the experiences of others are effective methods for skill set development. Many organizations that use project management on an ongoing basis close out projects with a compilation of “lessons learned.” These firms have found value in studying the issues that have emerged in the past.

This post continues the focus on issues in planning and problems that have their source or root cause in planning. The subject is Stakeholder Management. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Best Practices, George T. McLaughlin PMP, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, PMBOK, PMI, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Project Management, Project Management Plan, Project Management Planning, Project Planning, Stakeholder Management, Stakeholders

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 6)

August 24, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This Subject Series addresses the sources and implementation of a contract schedule specification. The Subject Series structure is presented in multiple parts and the series is a logical extension of the series titled MANAGING RISK OF DELAY. The intention is to capture sources of best practice in Time Management as it relates to implementing a professional schedule specification.

The overview of this series is:

Managing Risk of Delay – Schedule Preparation and Maintenance (Part 4)
Managing Risk of Delay – Schedule Specification Sources and Implementation (Part 8)
Schedule Specification Implementation Overview (Part 2)
Schedule Specification Implementation Specific Issues (Part 3)
Schedule Specification Implementation Weather Delays and Approved Schedule (Part 4)
Schedule Specification Implementation Claims Avoidance and Schedule Updates (Part 5)
Schedule Specification Implementation Recovery Plans and Conclusion (Part 6).

The balance of this post is from the paper. In general, this informative work compares two approaches to schedule specification implementation.

This extract from the paper covers:

RECOVERY PLANS
CONCLUSIONS [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Approved Schedule, Best Practices, Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, construction time management, Corps of Engineers, CPM scheduling, Delay, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Risk of Delay, Schedule Approval, Schedule Specification, Time Management, Time Management Strategy, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Weather Delays

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 5)

August 19, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This Subject Series addresses the sources and implementation of a contract schedule specification. The Subject Series structure is and will be multiple parts and be a logical extension of the series titled MANAGING RISK OF DELAY.

The overview of this series is:

Managing Risk of Delay – Schedule Preparation and Maintenance (Part 4)
Managing Risk of Delay – Schedule Specification Sources and Implementation (Part 8)
Schedule Specification Implementation Overview (Part 2)
Schedule Specification Implementation Specific Issues (Part 3)
Schedule Specification Implementation Weather Delays and Approved Schedule (Part 4)
Making State of the Art Scheduling Specifications Work (presented in multiple parts).

The balance of this post is from the paper. In general, this informative work compares two approaches to schedule specification implementation.

This extract from the paper covers:

PERIODIC SCHEDULE UPDATES
CLAIMS AVOIDANCE [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Approved Schedule, Best Practices, Claims, claims avoidance, construction claims avoidance, Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, construction time management delay, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Periodic schedule updates, Risk of Delay, Schedule Approval, Schedule Specification, Schedule Updates, Time Management, Time Management Strategy, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 4)

August 15, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This Subject Series addresses the sources and implementation of a contract schedule specification. The Subject Series structure is and will be multiple parts and be a logical extension of the series titled MANAGING RISK OF DELAY.

The overview of this series is:

Managing Risk of Delay – Schedule Preparation and Maintenance (Part 4)
Managing Risk of Delay – Schedule Specification Sources and Implementation (Part 8)
Time Management – Schedule Specification Implementation Overview (Part 2)
Time Management – Schedule Specification Implementation Specific Issues (Part 3) Making State of the Art Scheduling Specifications Work (presented in multiple parts).

The balance of this post and subsequent ones in this series are/will be from this paper. In general, this informative work compares two approaches to schedule specification implementation.

This extract covers:

WEATHER DELAYS
THE APPROVED SCHEDULE [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Approved Schedule, Best Practice, Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, Construction Scheduling, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Risk of Delay, Schedule Approval, Schedule Specification, Time Management, Time Management Strategy, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Weather Delays

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