Bored from your planning task routine? Think Again!
As a planning engineer, you probably follow the below routine every week. 1- Collect progress data. 2- Update the schedule. 3- Prepare the weekly report and dashboards (input data in the same fields, apply the same formula, do the same formatting, etc) 4- Review the outcome. 5- identify project delays. 6- Prepare progress presentations for […]
Don’t spend time preparing progress reports
Planning Engineers are mainly hired to prepare progress reports. Well, this article will demonstrate why planning engineers should NOT spend any time preparing progress reports. In fact, this task is what limits planning engineers’ ability to add value to their projects. Early in my career, I was told that preparing progress reports is the main […]
The Power of ONE
Planning Engineers are overwhelmed with so many tools and files. They use different tools such as Primavera P6 for progress review, excel for progress analysis and PowerPoint for progress presentation. Moreover, they use many excel sheets for different purposes which may include: Variance Analysis, Breakdown Analysis, Trends, Dashboards, Progress Curves, a Progress Matrix, Gantt Charts, etc. You can apply […]
Static Progress Reports Are Dead
While projects are getting only more complex, many planning engineers still prepare static progress reports. They spend most of their time performing calculations and working with many excel sheets. The outcome is an ineffective static report, whereas the value is not proportionate to the amount of time and effort that is spent to deliver this outcome. The […]
3 ways for a killer planning engineer’s CV with Power BI
As the market has become more competitive, Planning Engineers who have average skills struggle to improve their careers. You have to find ways to add significant value and stand out from the competition. There are many ways to add value in the project control profession. However, I would recommend that you start improving yourself in the below areas where […]
Interactive dashboards in project control
Here is one story that planning engineers are familiar with. You decided to identify the progress issues and determine the root cause of the delay. You start to do the following in an effort to pursue this dream. Open the XER file and add any relevant columns to your layout. Apply P6 filters Copy data into […]
Career Advice for Planning Engineers
For planning engineers, here is some advice I wish I knew early in my career. 1- Don’t spend all of your time figuring out how you can use P6 in every project control area. The role of P6 is limited. You will need to do a lot of work using other tools such as Excel or Power BI. 2- […]
Why should planning engineers connect the drawings with the schedule model?
If you have been following my content, you know that I am not really a big fan of the traditional P6/Excel type of work in project control. My mission is to change the way we plan and control our projects worldwide. Only then, planning engineers can add more value and become a huge success factor […]
Planning Engineer’s Career Tips
If you were blessed to have a high-quality expensive education or you can easily get a job through a relative’s recommendation, I wish you all the best, but this article is not for you. My message is for the average person like me who is trying to make the best use of the available resources […]
Never import an XER file or open a report again with Power BI
In many cases, planning engineers need to import XER files to review the progress status on a specific data date. Project controllers may want to check historic progress reports to review some of the following: – Forecasted Completion date and project delays. – Project overall or area-wise variance %. – Cost Variance Breakdown. – Earned Value Breakdown. Planning Engineers […]