November, 2001 to August, 2003

Employer          : Al-Ahleia Switchgear Company / Kuwait

Position            : Planning Engineer

Reporting to     : Project Manager

Al-Ahleia are manufacturers as well as construction/ installation contractors of major electrical equipment and sub-stations. They rank top in the manufacture of power and distribution transformers and switchgears (HV & LV) in the country and has the Ministry of Electricity & Water as the key, steady client. Armed with a projects division, EPC/ LSTK projects were contracted and executed.

I was on the planning and execution team of the contractor entrusted with the responsibility of setting up the project schedules early enough and supporting it’s field implementation to achieve assigned targets in a timely manner. Listed below are some of the quintessential tasks in brief.

• Conceive and develop various project monitoring packages as project schedules (to level 3/4), progress measurement system, work and cost breakdown structures and project reporting system. Make resource and cost allocations, S-curves & histograms.
• Record and analyze project progress, identify trends and deviations and suggest/ implement corrective actions as and when necessary.
• Continually monitor project implementation with respect to the set schedules and milestones to control time, coat and/or resource overrun and restructure cost and resource plans if required. Keep Project Controls Manager and discipline Leads appraised of the status and constraints.
• Gather and organize data, information and statistics, create progress reports and presentations, make look-ahead schedules, forecasts and analyses. Issue progress reports of various periodicities.
• Closely interact and coordinate with field team to facilitate problems solving, resources optimization and targets clarity.
• Make periodic reports to the clients/ consultants, partake in discussions and review meetings and interact/ liaison with them to resolve any holdups or situations that may hamper project progress. Participate in department development activities for continual improvement in project control system and services.  
• Invoice for periodic progress payments, follow-up and monitor payments to ensure the cash flow is not hindered. Review and process lower-tier contractor proposals, submittals, invoices and payments.
• Prepare and issue planning/ projects control related deliverables in time for client review and approval. Support engineering and procurement arms in preparing technical documents register and procurement tracking register and provide inputs as relevant.  

Projects             : The projects were essentially of turnkey nature involving civil, electrical, instrumentation and mechanical disciplines for supply, construction, installation and commissioning of electrical sub-stations. Besides, contracts for maintenance of sub-stations, refurbishing of electrical equipment and systems (both LV & HV) were also carried out.

                          1. New Centralized Sub-station for GC-17/ KOC

                          2. New 11 KV B2 Sub-station at Burgan/ KOC

                          3. Diversion of Power Supply for GC-15 & GC-23/ KOC

                          4. Packaged Sub-stations for New Oil Pier, Hyundai Project/ KNPC

                          5. Various contracts for manufacture, supply and installation of electrical equipment/                            switchgears (HV & LV) and sub-station maintenance.