I work on the opposite side of the table, as a Prject Controls Eng for a major EPC Contractor (SIte Management Company). Brief Answers to questionsa are -
1. Schedule
Yes, this is important. If its wrong, its your neck on the block. But, as for how detailed, thats a hard one to call. It depends who your working for and what the scope is. Small scope, probably warrants a detailed Level 2 schedule as there wont be much to show. A Large scope (Say a petrochem plant and a 2 year duration, you could get away with a Level One as long as it is split somehow, System, Area etc. As for other stuff like productivity and assumptions, youd have to look at the contract or seek further advice from within your company. Interfaces with the Client are usually issued for bidding purposes. If they slip, you slip and everyone knows it. So maybe some milestones in your detailed schedule indicating release of GAs etc.
2. Normally, and I use this word loosely, every bid has a certain period of validity, say 60 to 90 days depending upon the indusrty. If the client is changing the design and therefore scope / dates as a result, you will be able to re-schedule your work accordingly to take the slippage into account before it becomes set in stone. Alternatively, your company can raise a Variation Order for the Extension of Time (EOT) incured as a result of the clients slippage and have the additional time approved that way. Again, you could submit a formal claim for EOT against the constractor for their impact on your work in terms of money and cost. In short, yiou can resubmit your detailed plan if it goes outside its validity period, or try to claim the lost time back through a VO or Claim. However, you may just have to crash the schedule to try and win the time back through clever use of resources - which sometimes occurs.
3. Planning of deliverables such as drawing stages can be very usefull as it shows your bosses exactly where hold ups are occuring. Same goes for procurement. If the contractor is not siging of materials requisitions on spec issues, having the activities in the plan will create a Critical Path through that particular area and you can then use it demonstrate a What If scenario if they dont release on time whatever they are holding up. Always good pracctice.
4. Including Change Orders (Or more correctly Variation Orders - changes to the actual contract scope and cost) can be included in the plan to highlight slippage against your original Clause 14 schedule for defense purposes should things get nasty (Very rare). Also, again, its good info to have up your sleeve when in progress meetings as you will have dates and durations in your mind when asked what the impact of so and so is.
5. Not sure, but you "could" - and this is a big could - code the activities impacted by change using Activity Codes in P3 or Test Fields in MS Project: i.e. Civils GAs -> VO-11 +3d / VO12+4W etc. Only a thought, but something simple and effective and easily understandable by anyone.
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16 years 9 monthsRE: Project Management Basic Principles for newbie
Hi
I work on the opposite side of the table, as a Prject Controls Eng for a major EPC Contractor (SIte Management Company). Brief Answers to questionsa are -
1. Schedule
Yes, this is important. If its wrong, its your neck on the block. But, as for how detailed, thats a hard one to call. It depends who your working for and what the scope is. Small scope, probably warrants a detailed Level 2 schedule as there wont be much to show. A Large scope (Say a petrochem plant and a 2 year duration, you could get away with a Level One as long as it is split somehow, System, Area etc. As for other stuff like productivity and assumptions, youd have to look at the contract or seek further advice from within your company. Interfaces with the Client are usually issued for bidding purposes. If they slip, you slip and everyone knows it. So maybe some milestones in your detailed schedule indicating release of GAs etc.
2. Normally, and I use this word loosely, every bid has a certain period of validity, say 60 to 90 days depending upon the indusrty. If the client is changing the design and therefore scope / dates as a result, you will be able to re-schedule your work accordingly to take the slippage into account before it becomes set in stone. Alternatively, your company can raise a Variation Order for the Extension of Time (EOT) incured as a result of the clients slippage and have the additional time approved that way. Again, you could submit a formal claim for EOT against the constractor for their impact on your work in terms of money and cost. In short, yiou can resubmit your detailed plan if it goes outside its validity period, or try to claim the lost time back through a VO or Claim. However, you may just have to crash the schedule to try and win the time back through clever use of resources - which sometimes occurs.
3. Planning of deliverables such as drawing stages can be very usefull as it shows your bosses exactly where hold ups are occuring. Same goes for procurement. If the contractor is not siging of materials requisitions on spec issues, having the activities in the plan will create a Critical Path through that particular area and you can then use it demonstrate a What If scenario if they dont release on time whatever they are holding up. Always good pracctice.
4. Including Change Orders (Or more correctly Variation Orders - changes to the actual contract scope and cost) can be included in the plan to highlight slippage against your original Clause 14 schedule for defense purposes should things get nasty (Very rare). Also, again, its good info to have up your sleeve when in progress meetings as you will have dates and durations in your mind when asked what the impact of so and so is.
5. Not sure, but you "could" - and this is a big could - code the activities impacted by change using Activity Codes in P3 or Test Fields in MS Project: i.e. Civils GAs -> VO-11 +3d / VO12+4W etc. Only a thought, but something simple and effective and easily understandable by anyone.
If you have any other Questions, or my answers dont make sense, e-mail me @ dave.watters@johnbrown.biz
Hope this helps some and good luck with your planning !
Dave W :¬)