Hi guys, I would like to share something that is grinding my gear…

I am working in a project of 4years duration with a big manufacturing scope (there are as well Eng and Procurement).

It includes a high number of identical components planned to be manufactured in a similar period of project. These components are very critical to the project and they have almost the same contractual date. The only difference between them is the shipment. Each one is planned to be delivered in a specific site of the client, and we report to the client the overall progress as well as the individual progress.

The problem I am facing is regarding to change management.

When a component "A" delay or takes a nonconformity for instance, often the mitigation plan requested by the Manufacturing guys to avoid losing the contractual date is to submit a change request, asking for replace the defective component to a similar one "B", healthy and on time.

The perspective of mitigation is totally plausible and acceptable since we assume here that all studies of mitigation has been done so far, but look the changing scenario below:

- component A: defective; 85% physical percent completed; contractual date May/2015

- component B: healthy; 70% physical percent completed; contractual date Jun/2015

On the planning perspective, replacing "B" on "A" means decrease 15% (85% - 70%) of the progress and assume the new planned finish date. Remember that in this case we have 3 reports to the client: the overall contract, the EPC "A", and EPC "B". The % of the overall will not change, but individually will.

In your opinion, how is the better way to handle this situation?

Thanks a lot,

Carlos