Applying Project Management to System Projects - What Are Your Questions?

 

This article was started with a simple question and answer to a posted article on LinkedIn regarding Applying Project Management to Rail Transit Rolling Stock Projects -  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/applying-project-management-rail-transit-rolling-stock-lamont-ward-1e/.   

Q21.    Great topic, but what about systems?

A21.    Rolling stock/vehicle project deliverables, as well as the corresponding fixed assets for their operation, are comprised a series of integrated systems.  Project management principles can be equally applied to systems in construction and product manufacturing.  Systems can cross the entire sphere of consumer and industrial project deliverables used world-wide, including air transport and auto transport.   The systems required for these deliverables include passenger/operator compartments, power, propulsion, safety, supervisory and control, suspension/vibration control/energy absorption, HVAC, communications, fire protection, energy conservation and security. 

The comment came from a person involved in a high speed rail project, and it raised the topic of design and construction of the fixed-right of way assets required to support the operation of rail transit rolling stock, including passenger cars and locomotives.  

The International Council of Systems Engineers (INCOSE.org) explains the differentiation between various system projects including those labeled as Large Infrastructure Project (LIP) with value > $1B (2012).    LIPs are executed by railroad employees as well as consultants and contractors with technical and managerial experience that may not be readily available from in-house design and construction groups.  

In the rail transit business, most LIPs consist of fixed asset systems that separated into functional business units.  While separate, each is required to make the system of systems work as-designed with maximum safety and security for customers, employees and communities encountering the business.   The main groups for rail transit physical assets are:

Track:     This consists of operation and maintenance (O&M) for running rail, track and switch ties, bumpers, derails, switches and track bed.

Structures:   This consists of O&M for bridges and abutments, elevated track and viaducts, culverts, drainage, retaining walls and walkway and roadway paving. 

Traction Power:   This consists of O&M for electrical power conversion systems supporting distribution and supervisory operation and control centers for supplying power to on-track passenger cars and locomotives and to other systems such as signal and communications.  This includes essential interfaces with utility companies and emergency power systems.

Signal:   This consists of O&M for right-of-way equipment, including signals, ASC cab signal, supervisory operation and control centers, and grade crossing gates, lights and bells.   This includes essential interfaces with communications and train movement control center systems. 

Communications:    This consists of business voice and data communications, public address, passenger information, CCTV, and connectivity for supervisory monitoring of security, life safety, security, fire protection and building management.  This includes essential interfaces with voice and data providers as well as internal signal, facilities, security monitoring, and control center systems.

Facilities:    This consists of O&M for all systems supporting office buildings, control centers, station buildings and platforms, employee headquarters, material storage and service shops.   The includes integration of HVAC; emergency generators; electric power distribution; fire protection and security system; office partitions, doors and furnishings; and cleaning, trash removal and recycling.   It also includes essential interfaces with state and local regulatory, law enforcement, emergency management and homeland security agencies. 

Control Centers:     This consists of complex computer systems that integrate monitoring and control of all systems needed for the operations of rolling stock, right-of-way assets and support facilities.  This includes integration with internal signal and communications systems as well as interfaces with state and local regulatory, law enforcement, emergency management and homeland security agencies.      

These rail transit systems, combined together, form the fixed assets to support the rolling stock assets of the transport business.  As a result, managing the integration of the systems is a critical factor for success.   The following Q&A are based on the contracting requirements for designing and building the systems.

Q1.   How does the contract integrate work by other systems?

A1.   Division 1 Specifications can define the Seller’s responsibilities for coordinating deliverables with adjacent contracted systems.   These specifications, which may include materials provided by the Buyer, will describe the work and deliverables on other contracts that will be integrated by the contractor during the execution of the contract.    This specification will define the work by the Buyer and the Buyer’s representatives including a Construction Manager (CM), Project /Management Consultant (PMC) and the Engineer of Record (EOR).

Q2.  Who takes the lead for the integration of the system?

A2.  The Buyer’s CM is the primary person-in-charge for managing the work on the assigned contract as well as the coordination with adjacent contracts, which may include contracts providing predecessor and successor deliverables for the system.   The CM will determine how the CM, PMC and EOR will participate throughout the contract, including the review of submittals, witness of deliverables testing and final acceptance of the system.  

Q3.   Does the Seller develop the testing program and verify compliance to requirements?

A3.   Yes.  Based on the Buyer’s technical specifications, the Seller is required to submit a comprehensive testing program with all test procedures, test forms and equipment, and the measurements that determine the metrics for acceptance.   The program will be followed throughout incremental as well as final acceptance of the system.      

Q4.    What is incremental testing?

A4.    The size and complexity of some systems contracts require the Buyer and Seller to establish an incremental testing and acceptance plan so the Seller’s demonstrate progress and the Buyer’s substantiate the delivery of assets that allow for payments to the Seller for achieving milestones and payments or for meeting defined progress payments.    While incremental testing demonstrates continuous progress, it does require a final and complete testing of the entire system, which confirms the interconnection and functionality of the individual components into a complete system. 

Q5.   If the system is not complete until all subsystems are installed and interconnected, how is progress maintained without waiting for final testing and acceptance?   

A5.   The Seller’s Commissioning, Acceptance and Maintenance Plan (CAMP) will include inspections and testing of subsystems as they are installed, energized and readied for final testing.    In order to maintain progress as well as payments, the program will perform as much as practical subsystem testing well ahead of the final system testing.  This will reduce the activities and the duration for final testing.   

Q6.  As noted in other Q&A, the execution of Systems contracts are closely resemble the design build method used for construction.   How does the Buyer manage the Sellers evolving designs after shop drawings are already reviewed on subsystems while designs for other subsystems in not yet started?

A6.    The Buyer’s contract requirements and the Seller’s approved management plan will be essential tools in progressing the work in an orderly and properly sequenced fashion.  The plan will include scheduling of submittals, the coordination and integration of the submittal review process scope-wide, and the correlation with successor and predecessor construction activities.

Q7.  Compared to project management, what are the primary elements in systems engineering?

A7.  Project management is built on the fundamentals of management principles and processes.   Project Management Institute (PMI.org) explains the knowledge areas for anaging integration, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communications, risk. procurement and stakeholder.   Systems engineering also is built on the fundamentals of engineering principles and processes.  INCOSE (INCOSE.org) explains systems engineering consists of risk management, requirements, human factors, software, project leadership, integration, verification and validation and hardware.  

The fundamentals common to both are risk management, integration, and the combined areas of human factors-project leadership and resources. 

Q8.   What companies are associated with INCOSE that appeal to rail transit?

A8.  INCOSE’s corporate advisory board includes companies that design and furnish a variety of fixed systems and moving systems.  In the rail transit domain these companies are easily recognized as industry leaders and suppliers - Bombardier, General Dynamics, General Electric, General Motors and Honeywell and Siemens.   

Q9.  I have heard that Systems work is all about the staging and sequence of construction.  Can you explain?

A9.   The Buyer’s Engineer of Record (EOR) designs the system and prepares the technical requirements in the contract documents for construction.   These requirements are based on transforming the existing field conditions into the final condition, which are reflected in the contract.   The EOR provides the Buyer/CM with technical review of the contractor’s submittals and deliverables. 

The Buyer’s Construction Manager (CM) prepares the performance and managerial requirements of the contract documents for construction.   These requirements are based on the criteria, procurement and construction execution, which are identified by the Buyer prior to the EOR completing the contract.   The CM manages to Seller’s compliance with technical and performance requirements in the contract.   

If the Buyer’s construction execution is planned for multiple stages of activating portions of system prior to final condition, the EOR will expand the contract documents to define the interim conditions, and the CM will ensure that contract contains the performance milestones and constraints to match the specific sequence and interim conditions for the work. 

What are your questions?