15 Nov 2024 Project Controls News

Dear Planning Planet Member,

Join the Global Community [1] - welcome to the newsletter; did you know that this newsletter goes to the largest community of project controllers on planet Earth? 

WEBSITE UPGRADE INCOMING - we're working on a new look (and speed!) standby while we finalise the project

SmartPM’s Mission is Simple:

Keep projects on time, on budget, and out of court. To achieve this, we provide automated project controls that streamline essential analyses, dashboards, and reports, giving project teams the data-driven insights they need to proactively manage risks and achieve optimal outcomes.

SmartPM continuously analyzes schedule data from P6, MPP, and Phoenix files throughout the construction lifecycle, making real-time performance insights accessible for all stakeholders—from project managers to executives. With SmartPM, you can monitor progress and identify potential issues early, ensuring that every decision is backed by reliable, objective data.

If you would like to learn more, we’d be happy to offer an exclusive, personalized demo to members of the Planning Planet community.

Request a demo [2]today and mention “Planning Planet” on the form!

Planning Planet members can trial nPlan Insights, the AI-powered planning, forecasting and risk management software that’s changed the way project teams at the Transpennine Route Upgrade, HS2, Shell, Kier, Costain and many other owners and contractors deliver work.

Sign up for a trial of Insights to explore:

• The Insights page, where the Predictive AI engine under the hood of Insights surfaces the project activities most in need of pre-emptive mitigation
• Driving Paths, which automatically performs a Critical Paths Analysis of your schedule and allows you to interact with the resulting visualisation
• Barry, our project controls AI agent, which has been specially trained to process and reason about your project data

…and much more besides!

The software runs in a web-browser and comes with demo data pre-loaded, meaning you don’t need a schedule to put the software through its paces (which also saves you from having to wrangle with your IT department); similarly there’s no need to speak to an nPlan salesperson to get started with a trial, simply head to their website [3] and hit the green button (pictured) to sign up and log-in.

Join Contruent for True Talks, a monthly thought leadership series hosted by Chief Strategy Officer Andy Verone. The series convenes thought leaders and experts across industries, including energy, mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, transportation, and more. Each 30-minute conversation provides valuable discussions and insightful perspectives around emerging trends and topics across construction, engineering, and tech.

Subscribe and watch the latest episodes here. [4]..

BS202001 Specification Standard is now available for comments

A proposed draft of BS 202001 has been published for public consultation. The deadline for comment is 10 January 2025

The draft is available for comment via the online review portal [5]...

If you have not yet done so, you will need to register on the review portal in order to access and comment on the draft. This should be very straightforward and not take more than a couple of minutes.

When finalised this standard should be relevant for any organisation, any leader and for any management consultant.

Register here to seel Alice's webinars [6]..

PAPERLESS AND POWERFUL

Enhance HSE performance and operational efficiency - utilise iPlanSTO to remove the delays associated with paper based processes.

Seamlessly Scope, Plan, Estimate, Schedule, and Execute your next Shutdown, Turnaround, or Outage with iPlanSTO — Benefit from a Return on Investment (ROI) of up to 29x the subscription cost.

Visit our Roi-Calculator [8] to calculate your ROI today!

With real-time progress tracking and the ability to integrate seamlessly with your P6 schedule coupled with iPlan's S-CURVE, Turnaround Teams are presented with the most up-to-date information for use during their morning meetings rather than relying on outdated information.

This significantly increases the chance of bringing the plant back online and to schedule.

Click here [9]to download our free eBrochure.

This webinar will help you deliver the STO projects more efficiently and effectively. Here’s what to expect:

• End-to-End STO Digitalization – Learn how technology enhances every phase, from planning to execution.
• Real-World Best Practices – Gain practical insights from industry experts.
• Efficiency Boosters – Discover ways to cut downtime and improve resource allocation.
• People, Processes, and Technology – Understand how to align your teams for seamless collaboration.

Don’t miss out—register today [10]...  

AI is transforming industries, and the process sector is no exception. From forecasting project delays to optimizing maintenance, AI is reshaping project and turnaround management for improved productivity and efficiency.

But with new opportunities come new challenges. Data quality, cost, and change management are just a few.

Cleopatra Enterprise’s latest blog, written by Sem de Peinder, dives into AI’s potential, applications, and challenges for industrial projects.

Curious about how AI could impact your role?

Read the full blog now [11]... 

Managing projects using Microsoft Project (MSP) is a standard practice across industries that demand precise planning and tracking. However, a persistent issue for project teams is navigating compatibility challenges between different versions of MSP and the viewers used to access these files.

MSP viewers play an essential role in enabling project teams to access critical project data without requiring a full MSP license, which can be cost-prohibitive for many organizations. 

Learn more [13]...

Become part of the fast-growing network that supports the growth of the leading XER file viewer.

Join the growing network of over 100+ partners worldwide and contribute to ScheduleReader becoming the most popular tool for presenting project data from XER, and XML schedules exported from Oracle® Primavera® P6®.

Learn more [15]...

A superior alternative to the "most popular" software for us as planners?

Spider Project

Spider Project offers numerous unique functional features and is the only PM software that optimizes resource, cost, and material constrained schedules and budgets for projects and portfolios.

Check it out here [16]...   Ask questions here [17]...

Construction CPM Conference will be next be held in Philadelphia PA next January 19-22 2025. Prices are still $925 

Come to Construction CPM Conference to learn proper PLANNING, and to compare and contrast the solutions provided by these software developers. Go Home Trained in Three or More! Consider new features and Add-Ons to help YOU understand how to use these tools to best manage OUR projects.

Come join us in Philadelphia [18] to help further this goal [19]....