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

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…]

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Subject Series Summary Update

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…]

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 6)

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:

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:

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 5)

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:

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:

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 4)

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:

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:

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

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…]

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 3)

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:

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.

This extract from the paper covers:

  • WHO OWNS THE FLOAT?
  • THE RIGHT TO FINISH EARLY
  • WARNING (understanding of value and commitment)
  • PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE SUBMITTAL [Read more…]

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 2)

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:

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…]

TIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule Specification Implementation (Part 1)

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:

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…]

MANAGING RISK OF DELAY – Schedule Specification Sources and Implementation (Part 8)

This post is the eighth 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 implementing and using a schedule specification 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.  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 can add considerable complexity to this challenge.  Over the past seven years, M&M has program/project managed five projects exceeding $100 million (USD) in investment value (total installed cost).  Thus, practical/practioner experience is engendered in this discussion/post. [Read more…]