Hi everybody,
Maybe a good question to start with in this forum:
What are the characteristics specific for Turnaroundprojects ? (what is fundamentally different compared to a "normal" construction project for example)
Which things do you encounter which you will only see in those kind of projects ?
Hi, Floris.
Some differences:
Fraternally in project management,
Steve the Bajan
When there is a need to keep the order of activity execution we use Spider Project leveling option Previous Version Support.
With different software I suggest to apply activity priorities that follow the order of activity execution in the agreed schedule. In this case the changes will not be too large and so will not create contractors resistance.
@Vladimir
That automatic resource leveling offers several advantages I can see, but what I do not understand is this:
I assume you communicate the work to be done with your contractors through a 3 Days Lookahead or something similar ? They get some sort of overview with jobs they can do in the next timeslot.
When you do your automatic resource levelling 3 or 4 times per day, assuming the amount of constraints is minimal, you can never guarantee the joborder as it current was. After a new round of progress collection and updating the schedule, together with an automatic resource leveling, probably your lookahead for each and every contractor looks different than before the leveling. Correct ?
How do you cope with this situation ? It seems to me this is not practible for the contractors ?
We use very detailed planning, conditional networks, automatic resource leveling and risk simulation in our shutdown projects.
There is no alternative to automatic resource leveling - it produces better schedules, it is fast, it permits to apply risk simulation. At some TA projects they are rescheduled for each shift (3 or 4 times per day).
When change of the order of activity execution is not acceptable we use Previous version support option in Spider Project resource leveling settings.
Hi George,
Thanks for your quick and detailed reply.
As I understand it, because of the uncertainty, the consequence is that the scope of work could have major changes after opening up the equipment because of unforeseen work that has to be done. Correct ?
2 further questions then arise:
Hi Floris,
Shutdown critical paths are generally much shorter and more at risk. This can be due to uncertainty in the condition of existing equipment. You can remove some of the uncertainty by non-intrusive inspection (while the equipment is still on line) but until you have actually carried out the internal inspection you do not know the duration of any repair that may be required.
Shutdowns are generally planned on a multi shift basis to minimise the critical path duration so the option to accelerate in the event of emerging scope may be limited if conditions restrict the number of resources that can be applied to the critical area.
You will plan at a more detailed level in shutdowns due to the requirement to optimise ressources and minimise risk to duration. The plan should be to open up the highest risk areas as early as possible to establish exact repair scope,once the risk becomes a reality it allows you to amend the plan accordingly.
Another major difference from green field projects is that you have to build a run down and isolation of the plant as well as a start up. This can also be an area where delays creep into the shutdown plan If plant conditions are not as expected (Not gas free or ready for entry at the planned time).
In summary, shutdown planning is heavily front loaded in terms of planning effort, it will contain many assumptions (which should be clearly stated when the plan is published) and will require daily adjustment during the event to provide managers with accurate updates on emerging critical paths.