McLaughlin & McLaughlin

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

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Recognition and Notice (Part 9)

August 11, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This post is the ninth in a series of discussions regarding various aspects of time management as it relates to the risk of delay. More specifically, we have titled the series MANAGING RISK OF DELAY, since we focus heavily on the managerial aspects of program / project management. This post addresses planning for and implementing recognition and notice as a managerial tool.

The challenge associated with managing time is common to virtually all projects. This challenge is true for most project management situations. It is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects as well as fast-track (an ambiguous term) and high technology (similarly, an ambiguous characterization) 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.

Further, the managerial team must have an effective process to provide timely and compliant notice of the variance to the time baseline. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Best Practice, Bramble and Callahan, Construction Contract Claims, Construction Contract Planning and Scheudling, Delay, Earned Value Management, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Keith Pickavance, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Productivity Management, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Recognition and Notice, Risk of Delay, Time Management, Time Management Strategy

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 2)

August 4, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This Subject Series addresses the sources and implementation of a contract schedule specification. The Subject Series structure 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)
Overview (this post)
Paper by 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 the paper. In general, this informative work compares two approaches to schedule specification implementation.

INTRODUCTION

The past decade has witnessed an explosion in affordable microcomputer-based scheduling software, a greater appreciation of the importance of CPM scheduling techniques in controlling time and cost, and a broader understanding of how to use these techniques within the construction industry. The past ten years have also seen an increase in CPM schedule related disputes ranging from entitlement to delay damages to termination for default for failing to perform according to the approved progress schedule. There are almost as many different scheduling specifications as there are construction contracts. Yet, as just one example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps ofEngineers), the largest constructor in the world and a pioneer in requiring the use of CPM scheduling techniques on their projects, has not significantly changed its scheduling specification in the last ten years.

The Corps of Engineers scheduling specification has served as a model for many scheduling specifications in both the public and private sectors. Recently, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) adopted a major revision to the Corps specification. This paper examines some of the changes and the arguments that they’re designed to resolve. [Snip]. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, construction time management, Delay, DFW, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, NAS, National Analysis System, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Risk of Delay, Schedule Specification, Time Management, Time Management Strategy, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 1)

August 3, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This Subject Series will address the sources and implementation of a contract schedule specification. The Subject Series structure 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)
Overview (this post)
Paper by Mr. Stu Ockman – Making State of the Art Scheduling Specifications Work (presented in multiple parts).

The challenge associated with managing time is common to virtually all projects. This challenge is true for most project management situations. It is intensified in the case of larger and more complex projects. Examples include Lump Sum Turn Key (LSTK), Engineer Procure Construct (EPC), and other similarly executed projects. In addition to the normal issues associated with bulk progress, actions or inactions by the owner [employer], notice requirements, owner-furnished (free issue) equipment and others can add considerable complexity to this challenge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Construction Contract Planning and Scheduling, construction time management, Delay, George T. McLaughlin PMP, James O'Brian, Jon Wickwire, Managing risk of delay, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Risk of Delay, Schedule Specification, Stuart Ockman, Time Management, Time Management Strategy

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES – Project Planning Lessons Learned (Part 7)

July 30, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

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. Learning from the experiences of others is an effective method 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.

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. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: Best Practice, Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), CIOB, Doctor Harold Kerzner, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Keith Pickavance, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, PMI, PMOK, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Project Management, Project Management Challenges, Project Management Institute (PMI), Project Management Plan, Project Planning

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES – Project Planning Issues (Part 6)

July 25, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

Planning the project properly, documenting the plan professionally and then implementing the plan successfully are likely the source of most project success and failure outcomes. While project planning is one of the most fundamental skill sets in project management, the requisite processes and actions are not well developed or successfully implemented. There is value in the planning process and value in implementing a well documented plan. This was discussed in the prior post in this Subject Series.

Learning from the experiences of others is an effective method 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 and several following posts focus on issues in planning and problems that have their source or root cause in planning. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: AACE International, Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), CIOB, Doctor Harold Kerzner, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Keith Pickavance, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, PMBOK, PMI, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Project Management, Project Management Institute (PMI), Project Management Plan, Project Planning, Project Sponser

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES – Project Management Plan (Part 5)

July 20, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This post is the fifth in a series of discussions regarding current challenges being encountered in today’s project management. More specifically, we have titled the series PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES, since we intend to focus heavily on the managerial aspects of program / project management. This post addresses the Project Management Plan [also known as Project Execution Plan, Project Plan and other titles]. The last post (Part 4) addressed the project planning process.

Authoritative information and guidance regarding project management comes from many sources. A few that may be obvious include:

Project Management Institute [PMI]
Construction Industry Institute [CII]
The Chartered Institute of Building [CIOB]
Association for Advancement of Cost Engineering International [AACEI]
Many colleges, universities, community colleges, trade schools and other educational organizations.

In order to frame and organize this topic, we are using the PMI Project Management Processes for a Project as presented in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide).

Many discussion groups and forums can be helpful. These include AACE, PMI, LinkedIn and others. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: AACE International, Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Doctor Harold Kerzner, George T., Keith Pickavance, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Pickavance, PMBOK, PMI, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Project Management, Project Management Challenges, Project Management Institute (PMI), Project Management Plan, Project Planning, Project Sponser

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES – Project Planning Process (Part 4)

July 15, 2011 By George T McLaughlin PMP CCM

This post is the fourth in a series of discussions regarding current challenges being encountered in today’s project management. More specifically, we have titled the series PROJECT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES, since we intend to focus heavily on the managerial aspects of program / project management. This post addresses the project planning process. This is a crucial challenge and the importance of this process cannot be overstated.

Authoritative information and guidance regarding project management comes from many sources. A few that may be obvious include:

Project Management Institute [PMI]
Construction Industry Institute [CII]
The Chartered Institute of Building [CIOB]
Association for Advancement of Cost Engineering International [AACEI]
Many colleges, universities, community colleges, trade schools and other educational organizations.

In order to frame and organize this topic, we are using the PMI Project Management Processes for a Project as presented in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide).

Many discussion groups and forums can be helpful. These include AACE, PMI, LinkedIn and others. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Claims, Featured, General, Projects Tagged With: CIOB, Doctor Harold Kerzner, George T. McLaughlin PMP, Keith Pickavance, McLaughlin & McLaughlin, Pickavance, PMBOK, PMI, Project Execution Plan, Project Execution Planning, Project Management, Project Management Plan, Project Planning, Project Sponser

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