As an engineer, I've seen my share of change requests. Some have been fair, some marginal, and some just amount to petty attempts to get some more money. Project scope changes are not to be taken lightly. They represent a change in the project as envisioned, and almost always result in additional costs. Have you ever seen a project manager give money back because the … [Read more...]
How do you define the success of a project? Let's say you're the project manager for a new building which was constructed in record time and the owner is happy to be moving in quicker than expected. However there was a spill during construction and the environmental cleanup will be a long term liability for your client. You developed a software product and were over … [Read more...]
City: Sao Paulo, Brazil. Capacity: 61,606. Cost: R965 million (US$430 million) Over budget: 15% Google Maps location: here The Arena de Sao Paulo has become the poster child for the construction scheduling problems that the stadium projects in this world cup have experienced. Built from the ground up, it will not be ready for the World Cup even though FIFA required … [Read more...]
The project charter and scope statement can seem like one and the same sometimes. They are both usually contained early in the project management plan, and they both itemize the scope of the project to some extent. So what's the difference? Well, they have a slight difference in purpose. The project charter should contain the rationale for the project, the … [Read more...]
I once had a project where an adjacent landowner almost came to blows with my site inspector before any ground was broken. Although we purchased a piece of his land and showed him the plans before the construction bagan, he decided once he saw construction folks arriving on site that the project was going to impact the drainage on the land he still owned (we … [Read more...]
A Value Study attempts to improve the value of a project using value engineering methodology. This is defined by the Value Methodology Standard, published by SAVE International. Typically, a value engineering team meets for 1-3 weeks, during which they work through the "job plan" as outlined by the standard. According to the Value Methodology standard, there are 6 … [Read more...]
In my industry, value engineering is something that's codified in the standard specification book, the one that's tossed into every contract to define the standards for the project. It allows a Contractor to approach the owner/consultant and request design changes. If approved, the savings are shared with the Contractor. I've never seen the clause used, although I can … [Read more...]
In project management, a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a planning tool whereby the project scope is divided into logical sub-components. It is a graphical representation of the project scope and forms the basis for further planning, such as the cost and schedule. It is not a scheduling or costing tool. A good WBS should be created in advance of the schedule to keep the … [Read more...]
Scope issues are the #1 reason for project failure. Today more than ever, it's imperative that all projects need a scope management plan. Scope management refers to the process of identifying and controlling the total resources that are involved in a project. It is important that scope be defined exactly. Too little, and you will have to answer to the stakeholders. But … [Read more...]
Scope management, or rather the lack of it, is one of the biggest reasons for project failure. Correctly defining what is and is not included in the project is absolutely foundational to good project management. I've seen many projects go south even though they had the right expertise, schedule, high quality deliverables, and even satisfied clients. But if the dreaded … [Read more...]
