TFIF everyone! :-)
Quick one for those of you with both hats on.......
For those of you working for a 'client' do you insist / stipulate that the contractor submit the schedule source files, be it .xer, mpp etc.. at the reporting period?
Is this puerely down to the type of contract involved, or is this a requirement? Wouldnt one assume that if a contractor is refusing to submit their .xer then maybe they have something to hide, and their pdf's are doing just that? We are on an NEC option A, and it doesnt appear to mention what 'should' be submitted.
For those of you on a contractor side, what formats do you submit? what do you do if a client insists you send the source files?
I'm on the client side ( boo hiss lol) and don't know whether to demand the .xer so I can interrogate their schedule as the pdf's they submit are utter crap and dont tell me much at all.
Any feedback greatly appreciated.
Walshy
Gary,
Apologies for the weeks delay, settling in to a new project and you know how it goes......!!!
Anyway thank very much indeed for the response, I actually agree with all points you make. I also provide native files or whatever is requested by the client, and I also expect the same from a contractor if their pdf submissions do not clearly demonstate what you mentioned in a, b & c.
But it's good to get a better understanding of contract schedule requirements ( or lack of) when requesting information so I don't make any unjust demands :-)
Rgds
Walshy
Walshy,
When I'm on client side I generally ask for native files (since I don't believe you can do a proper baseline approval on a pdf alone), but you're on dodgy contractual ground actually demanding them. Though if a contractor refuses, I will generally ask why, and what he has to hide.
When I'm on the contracting side, I generally give them pdf or native file (or both), whichever they prefer. -But have worked on contracts where I have refused -e.g. the client planner was changing my programme and then issuing it to project stakeholders, without discussing with me. So I stopped giving him native files.
NEC doesn't specify the format of the submission, but has probably the most detailed requirements for what the programme must show (ref Cl 31.2). Amongst other things, the contractor is obliged to show:
a) all resources & equipment to be used
b) float
c) logical sequence
If the pdfs you are getting are not satisfying these requirements, then you have good grounds to demand something better. A native file, for example.