Selling Planning to Engineers!!!

Maybe they are correct.

Usually there is so much functionality available in the CPM packages it is abused and overused, creating a burden that outweighs the benefits unless you make a living on paperwork.

Well used scheduling software can model activities with resource demand and cost projections without the need to keep actuals on everything, and it is precisely here where the system create the burden.

Keep track of actual for cost and resources using your financial system and use the scheduling software to keep track of activities and more important to forecast and plan for the future.

Do not misunderstand me, at times keeping track of some accounts at the project level is a good thing, specially for change orders by "Force Account". It is a matter of keeping the balance, do not loose perspective.

Many times the scheduler prepares a thousands activities schedule no one will ever be able to update, keep details at a reasonable level.

You can ask them for suggestion on how to make the tool valuable, this will break the ice, from the beginning tell them you do not pretend to abuse the tool. Tell them that your Motto is "Keep it Simple". They know that usually the negative audience is on the scheduling side who lacking management experience pretend to tell true Project Managers how to do what they know better than the scheduler.

You can consider designing your schedules so that only once a month they will be updated and that updating will be by you and a project representative within a 2 hours meeting, if your jobs can accommodate for this. An alternative can be to sent them an updating excel table that shall not take more than 1 hour and the rest is on your side of the court.

Start low key, eventually they will ask for more. Adapt the details to your audience needs as frequency of reporting shall be a function of project duration, not unusual to be monthly updates on construction jobs but shorter duration jobs might require more frequent updating, the smaller amount of activities on shorter duration jobs shall compensate on the burden, in such cases try updating at data dates 15th and last day of each month. If you ask me for weekly updates I will send you to a far and nasty place.

Regards,

Rafael

Dear Bob,

Planning is what we do on a daily basis to complete our jobs. The Engineers are doing their planning either in their heads or on some kind of tools.

They can't finish their jobs without first figuring out the basic steps to complete it. Lets try to assist you by listing the benefits of planning:

1. Making sure that you know what you have to do.

2. Making sure that you will complete what you are paid to do.

3. Allowing others to review the scope of work for completeness

4. Seeing the big picture will allow you to figure out better ways to do it.

5. Better distribution of resources.

6. Of course, you will figure out the critical time that you need to complete the job.

7.You will have a document that will serve as a template for future similar work.

This is a brief list, I am sure that we can come up with much more details if you want. What is it that you are building.

With kind regards,

Samer

 

Dear Bob

You will agree with me tha many today cannot  build a house  without a building plan? One reason building plans have become popular is because of their mandatory requirement especially in urban enclaves. Project plans which are multifarious in nature are much more complex and divergent than building plans. This is given a circumstance whereby Project is a novelty replete with risk which makes them highly vulnerable to predators as they are being constrained by the elements of time, cost and quality.

The more complex a Project is, the more inevitable and indispensable the planner's role is. This is given a circumstance where planning is that which provides answers to the following questions which often times confront Project Management.

(1) When  will this Project be completed?

(2) What activities do we need to carry out to be able to complete this project?

(3) How will this project be delivered ? What is the best strategy to ensure delivery?

(4) What resources should we employ to ensure that the project is delivered as and when due? 

(5) If all things go well what cost shall we incur to  ensure project is  delivered at its due date?

(6) What  activities can we afford to delay without delaying the overall time of delivering our project?

(7) Is it necessary to incur an extra cost in order to accelerate the time of completion of the Project.

 To these Questions we now turn,

For Q1 ,   You will need knowledge of basic scheduling technique depending on how simple or complex the project may be.

For Q2, the Engineer should be able to scope his job and break the activities down to  a manageable task level

For Q3, the Engineer needs to specify this equipment and be reminded of the relationship that exists between tasks. This is given a circumstance whereby ability to identify sequences and methodology of task execution makes a difference between an expert and a novice. 

In providing answers to Q4,  Planning here helps us to define who is to do what - i.e. resource loading, manpower histogram etc.

In addressing Q5, Planning here helps us to establish from day 1  the budget profile of a project, taking into consideration the time value of money. An Engineer that must give answers to the above questions at a fraction of the time must of necessity be good in planning. Planning is a ubiquitous entity  which every Engineer must of necessity learn to  key into to ensure projects are delivered as and when due.  Bob what do you think? 

Hello Bob,

I'd ask how they'd sell the benefits of using computers to Engineers in the past who never had them and try to draw a parrallel there.

Next I'd ask if they currently faced any problems in the conduct of their projects and try to glean if any of these could be addressed with you supporting them.

Develop your list from this.

Other than that;

1. A resource to support them.

2. Ability better predict labour loading and perhaps reduce heavy work loads.

3. Ability to win more work - clients will feel better if they know what is happening and how their project is progressing

Hope the above is of some help.

Kind regards,

Craig Adams