Then he asked the kids: What did I tell you about shooting? Aim small – miss small, they replied. It was years before I made the connection between aim small – miss small and PM/CM and project controls. I learned this catchy saying watching the movie, The Patriot. In the movie, Mel Gibson’s character is raising a bunch of kids …
Are you part of the masses or part of the classes? Are you leveraging? Do you want to experience career hyper-growth? Are you managing your projects with a to-do list? Do you have momentum issues? Are you looking for better project outcomes? Do you want to be part of the top 5% of CM’s/PM’s that know the difference? Pick one …
The owner’s interest is not protected when a CM reviews the CPM baseline and update schedules instead of hiring a competent CPM scheduling expert. Nor is it protected when the CM approves a front loaded schedule and proceeds to prematurely disperse funds accordingly. It is surely not protected when a CM hides behind the means & methods clause, when the …
Extraordinary project outcomes require skill-sets that your staff does not have. Extraordinary project outcomes include all of the following: Ahead of schedule finish/ Under budget finish/ Satisfied client that recommends your company to others/ Low employee turnover/ Low subcontractor turnover/ No serious human or environmental casualties/ All of the six project attributes above are rooted in Advanced Project Controls. Are …
They number so few, that statistically, they don’t exist. There is no better way to bolster your project management outcomes and your company’s reputation accordingly. What are your options? Use your in-house PM’s that lack real expertise, resulting in: Invalid schedules – useless for day to day project management The use of detached Excel spreadsheets (check lists) to manage your …
CPM scheduling is a trade in and of itself. If you’re a contractor and you’re expecting PM’s, CM’s or Superintendent’s to create and maintain project CPM schedules, you will be let down and disappointed. And it won’t be their fault. I know you have been doing it for years. But what have been the results? Not exactly construction management beyond …
CPM tip #1: Hire a scheduler with Construction Management experience The ideal career path for a scheduler is: Superintendent->Project Manager-> Construction Scheduler. It is the career path less traveled; but if you can find even one such scheduler, you will have really found something. A scheduler without construction experience can’t build a schedule without the help from a CM type. …
Could you be overlooking a fundamental construction management process? Remember, we’re not looking for exciting strategies here; we are looking for profound strategies that make on-time on-budget outcomes routine, and even automatic, for our PM/CM teams, vendors, subcontractors and clients. And that is exactly what this process does. I’m talking about leading smooth projects, retaining employees, and building strong subcontractor/vendor relationships. I am …
If the schedule doesn’t match what’s happening on-site, it is not used to manage the job. When a schedule does not get used to manage the day-to-day operations on-site, the CM team is forced into a reactive mode of operation. Once that happens, the project is sinking. Strive to keep the contract, the schedule, and the construction, in-sync. The only …
I have seen a lot written recently about project failures and there seems to be a few popular opinions circulating that are polar opposite to what I have learned over the last 22 years in the trenches. I am often called in to build recovery schedules. I have seen my fair share of project failures – or at least projects …
