how to prepare for planning interview, i am a freshie

hey Shahul,



How are u doing? If you need any information, I would be glad to share it with you too.



JoseR

Hi Jose



Thanks for the detailed explanation hope i would be worthful for me too

here is what the logic sequence looks like for my example of activities i posted below:

Dear Habib Sharma,



As a Jr. Scheduler/Planner and one without civil eng. degree or Architectural one at that. I had to teach myself a lot of new terms/Ideas/Concepts about planning and scheduling and just about building in general.



In the first three years of working as a scheduler, I don’t think I learn as much as I have in the last year and half. Yes, i can use the tools (Primavera) I think fairly well but that should be expected. What i mean is that you can not call yourself a painter if you don’t know how use a paint brush or a carpenter without knowing how to use a saw or hammer. The tools are the simple parts of the job but the concept that takes time to learn.



What I have done last year and this year is that i have spent a lot of time reading and researching everything: i can get my hands on. I have a Huge library of pdf files. This Files are about scheduling best practices, Key Performance Indicators (that is a huge topic and in itself), Earned Value Management, Risk Management, QC Management, etc. Lots of this stuff is from people on this forum such the great Aussie Paul Harris.



I don’t know when your interview will be but if they know that you are just begging i don’t think they would be asking you a great deal of difficult questions.



IMHO, is would probably be best for you just to read the basic scheduling info. such (what a Start-Milestone, Finish Milestone, Hammock (Summary Activities), Level of Effort, Constraints how they used or applied to the schedule. How to create a WBS and also the OBS and assigning the resource to a work package. How you would resource and cost load the schedule. Relationship types are important too (SF, SS, FF, FS) and what Lead & Lag are? I also think they would ask you about baselines too? They def. ask me these silly questions on the first interview and more detail stuff on the second. I am a Jr. Scheduler too.



I think i read on your profile that you are a civil eng. know? If you are there is a great probability that they will ask you how you would build small project of 30 to 40 activities such as this example of an Army Enlisted Personnel Barrack (EB-117:)(this is just an example and they can be many dif. variations of this sequence of work but this is just mine method. It could be right or wrong but it was approved by the Army Corp Of Engineers)



Activity description



EB-117:Prepare, QC Review, Submit 35%

EB-117:Review, Approve Design 35%

EB-117:Procure, Deliver Mat’ls,

EB-117:Prepare, QC Review, Submit 65%

EB-117:Review, Approve Design 65%

EB-117:Prepare, QC Review, Submit 99%

EB-117:Survey Layout

EB-117:Excavate Fdns

EB-117:Backfill, Compact Fdn

EB-117:Review, Approve Design 99%

EB-117:Conc Footing

EB-117:Prepare, QC Review, Submit 100%

EB-117:Install Conc Wall Fdn

EB-117:Slab on Grade

EB-117:Columns

EB-117:Install CMU Walls

EB-117:Review, Approve Design 100%

EB-117:Install RoofBeam

EB-117:Metal Roofing

EB-117:Apply Plaster

EB-117:Install Cable Raceways

EB-117:Install Elect Wiring

EB-117:Install Ceilings

EB-117:Install Insulation

EB-117:Install Wire Mesh

EB-117:Install Window

EB-117:Install Soffits, Fascia

EB-117:Apply Interior Paint

EB-117:Apply and Cure Plaster

EB-117:Install Doors, Hardwares

EB-117:Install Lights, Emer Lights

EB-117:Panel Board, Circuit breakers

EB-117:Install Receptacles

EB-117:Install Ceiling Fans

EB-117:Apply Exterior Paint

EB-117:Install Wall Fire Extinguisher

EB-117:Install AC/Heater Split Unit

EB-117:Install Gutters and Downspouts

EB-117:Install Elect Termination

EB-117:Clean, Pre-Inspect Enlisted Barrack-3

EB-117:Inspect, Test Enlisted Barrack-3

EB-117:Perform Punchlist, Turnover



Finally is you need articles on how to, I would be very glad to share them with you. It took me a while to locate these information online.



well best of luck on your interview,



Jose

All the Best Habib

Good Luck Habib,



Let us know the result of your interview.



D.

Hi Habib



Please let us know how you get on.



Best regards



Mike Testro

Hi Guys



Now poor Mr Habib is going to be worrying about what a WBS is.



Please don’t try to tell him - it will be all too confusing.



Best regards



Mike Testro

Dear Shahul,



Thank you for your kind confirmation.



With kind regards,



Samer

Dear Samer.



I accept WBS level has no dates i said in the manner that activities to each WBS place Milestone could be added is the right?



I found in a project management book stating that significant event is termed as milestone,Also stated the same definition you gave that is ,It is point in time whose duration is zero

Dear Shahul,



Where did you get the term "Significant Event" from?



The definition of a milestone is a "zero duration activity" as was mentioned earlier.



The WBS does not have dates associated with it!



With kind regards,



Samer

Hi Habib



In addition to Mr.Mike and Mr.Samer



A significant event is called Milestone.It is used for monitoring purpose .The milestone are inserted in project key dates WBS and can also be inserted in any WBS level based on your requirement of project

Dear Habib,



I think that you need to take time to read the manual as well. Start by working a small example. Milestone can be like "Completing the Excavation" or "Casting the Slab on Grade" or "completing the skeleton works", etc.



Dear Mike,

I will keep that in mind next time. Thank you for your kind note.



With kind regards,



Samer

Hi Habib



Its the same as in real life - a significant date that either starts something off or has to be acchieved or both.



In planning terms a mailestone is a point in time that has zero duration.



Carry on like this and you will know as much as we do.



Best regards



Mike Testro

Hi Samer



In all your excellent advice you are mixing up the terms Planner with Scheduler.



Habib has no idea how to plan the work but he may be able to schedule the plan created by planners who know how to build things.



Best regards



Mike Testro

Dear Habib,



You are most welcomed. I will include my email and you can send me emails as well. Although I prefer that you post your questions here so others can benefit from the experience as well.



Below are the answers to your questions from what I know:



Question 1:-please shed some light on Produce, monitor, maintain and report on KPI trackers.



Answer 1: KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are usually selected to monitor two essential criteria; satisfying the client and minimizing the cost. According to PMI there are 42 processes in a project, and you get to select what is needed for your project. The Planning Process Group has 20 processes out of 42. In the Time Project Management you have five processes:

a. Define Activities

b. Sequence Activities

c. Estimate Activity Resoures

d. Estimate Activity Duration

e. Develop Schedule.



Each process has an input and an output and it has people doing it and a set of criteria for selection.



Now lets say that you want to create KPIs for these five processes to monitor the customer satisfaction and the cost. You can ask your stakeholders (team members and client) to answer few questions every month (like a questionair) the results of which would be a number showing the satisfaction of the team with the resutls from these 5 processes. And you would calculate the cost of the time that you spend in aquiring this value of satisfaction.





Question 2-what kind of information would be communicated between project team and planner

Answer 2: The planner need to know the activity list, resources needed, sequence, production rates, progress of work at site, etc...



Question 3-what kind of information would be communicated between commercial team and planner to maintain procurement schedules.

Answer 3: The most important issue in procurement is long lead items. So, I would suggest that you have a separate section for these items to be monitored on a period basis. Like every week or less at the start of the project. Then you need to make sure that the schedule of resources that you created is correct and the material purchased is satisfying the project needs.

You will need to monitor the quality of material for rejections.

You must like the approval of the material submittals to the start of the procurment process.



Question 4-a detail structure of planning activities

Answer 4: Each project will undergo specific and phases. These are:

a. Shop drawings submittal and approval.

b. Material submittal and approval.

c. Procurement

d. Construction.

e. Handing Over, testing and commissioning.



Most of the planning activities will fall under one of the phases.



I hope that you benefit from the information. Again as our friends mentioned in their replies. Do tell them what you know and show them your ability to provide a positive response.



Good luck,

With kind regards,



Samer

samer_zawaydeh@yahoo.com

We both answered at exactly the same time...spooky!

Hi Habib



I think you are on a dangerous course - a little knowledge and a few buzz words are not enough - unless of course the people interveiwing you have even less knowledge than you.



Go back to Deiter’s advice and be straight forward with your answers.



A standard response to a question is "I have not come across that aspect yet but I am looking forward to gaining the experience"



Best regards



Mike Testro

Habib,



You must answer these questions yourself, but we will give you guidance.



1. Investigate what a ’KPI’ is. It’s not a secret code and will be very clear in the PMBoK and other Planning Titles. When you have determined this, you explain how you would produce one, if it does not already exist. Once you have produced or identified it, how would you monitor it? What would you do to maintain the KPI and how would you report changes? This is not terribly scientific, but does involve some knowledge (revert to the PMBoK) of KPI’s.

2. In your opinion, and using the knowledge gained from the publications, who do you think makes up the project team? When you think you have the answer, what do you think they could tell the planner and what do you think the planner could tell them?

3. Same as above, who do you think make up the Commercial Team, and what information would they have that is important to the Planner (don’t forget, the planner also talks to the Project Team, so what information does the commercial team have that the project team might also need, via the plan).

4. What is the difference between planning activities and project activities? Think about the communication questions, who would you speak to to determine what activities need to be planned? What information do you think you need to show in the plan? Think about the people you are talking to and what they need to know.



Sorry I didn’t give you answer, but I did give you directions to look for the answers. My friend you don’t learn by having the answers, you learn by finding them.



Good Luck in your new career, keep asking questions, keep looking for answers, never be satisfied with ’just do this’.



David.

Dear Habib



An additional remark to Samer’s answer.



From your cv they know that you don’t have any planning experience. But obviously some details of your business career attracted them, to invite you for an interview.



Consider job-description, and company’s profile and your possible role(s) within that organization.

Standard question: Why it’s better for them to hire you than someone else?



Good luck!



Dieter

Dear Habib,



I would recommend that you read the Planning process issued in the PMI standard called PMBOK. You can search for a web.



I have written some Planning Activities that planners usually performa at site.



http://www.planningplanet.com/forum/forum_post.asp?fid=1&Cat=5&Top=60576



You might find the list useful.



Good luck,



Samer