Coordination plays an important role in both project and supply chain management, especially in regard to complicated engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) projects. Analysis of supply chain management for a floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) building illustrates the differences between traditional-industry and complicated EPCC projects.
Using a component-based work breakdown structure (WBS) can enhance your organization’s planning efficiency. Components can be put into a “catalog of components” to be used as “building blocks” to quickly construct a baseline project management plan. Components are a simple solution to give you a starting point and transfer useful knowledge from project to project.
In the final article sharing his experiences on tier 1 construction projects, the author examines the closeout process before relating the management and technical challenges project managers face on these projects. He concludes by examining the personality traits needed to navigate the unique requirements of construction projects.
Project success is traditionally focused on delivering a project within the constraints of time, budget, and scope. This article outlines the risks associated with the “new world disorder” and the challenges that require new ethical perspectives on the delivery of projects. An improvement to the project management framework is proposed to analyze the ethical value of the product, as well as the conduct of the provider in case of defect or failure.
Inspired by construction questions heard while managing tier 1 projects, in part 3 of his series the author explains contractor requirements for project execution, including workforce management, reporting, safety practices, change management and field activities. Each element is described along with humorous stories and lessons learned.
Project risk is inevitable and must be managed to the maximum extent possible. Risks for complex software projects can be divided into two categories—project risks and technical risks. A potentially avoidable technical risk of Lockheed Martin’s En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) software is discussed, along with a treatment plan that could have reduced the risks earlier in the project.
In his first article, the author examined design and preconstruction in tier 1 construction projects (over US$ 100 million). This entry in the series explains the contracts and contractor requirements for planning. The project management plan consists of multiple parts requiring contractor submittal and owner approval. The elements of the plan are described along with instructive stories and lessons learned.
Transformation in government agencies often comes up against bureaucratic hurdles. Employing a crucible, consisting of four elements (do more with less; lean project management; phasing; and consistency), paired with Kotter’s eight-step change model enabled a government team to successfully complete a difficult consolidation effort.
Within tier 1, construction projects’ values are usually in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Based on experiences in the tier 1 environment, this is the first in a series of articles describing basic tier 1 requirements and the project manager’s responsibilities running a live construction project. The articles are particularly intended to provide real examples to young, up-and-coming hopefuls to the project manager role.
For complex programs to achieve their strategic goals, it is not only important to decompose their scope into controllable constituents, but also to stitch the pieces back again into a cohesive whole. Scope decomposition techniques—systems thinking, WBS, and progressive elaboration—help to effectively manage programs so that they meet their stated objectives.
"Life is but a walking shadow,
a poor player that struts and
frets his hour upon the stage
and then is heard of no more.
It is a tale told by an idiot,
full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing."
