Many planning engineers are unable to deliver the expected results in their projects. In many cases, it is not because they lack the project control knowledge but because there is “so much to do, so little time”. In a progress update cycle here is what a planning engineer needs to do:
- Collect progress data.
- Update the schedule in Primavera P6.
- Review the outcome.
- Identify progress delays and issues related to Engineering, Authorities, Construction, etc.
- Develop recovery measures.
- Prepare the progress report.
Planning Engineers need to complete the above tasks in approx. 2 days which is a really short time frame to get everything done accurately. Planning Engineers are tied with the number of hours they have in a day. The more hours they put in, the more work they can complete. We should utilize tools that provide significant leverage against our limited hours. In this article, I will explain the two types of leverage and how we can use them in project control.
I first knew about leverage from entrepreneur, Naval Ravikant. I can relate to the application of this concept in project control too. The two types of leverage are:
- Permissioned
- Permissionless
1- Permissioned Leverage in Project Control
This type of leverage must be “permitted” somehow, and you don’t have 100% control over it. There are two types under permissioned leverage.
1.1. Labor Leverage
To get more work done, the obvious solution is to hire more planning Engineers who can put in more hours. However, a planning engineer has to be willing to be hired by you and not leave the team. This is why it is a permissioned leverage.
1.2. Money Leverage
The higher budget your company is willing to spend, the more “skilled” planning engineers you can hire. Companies can also spend money to collaborate with a training provider to improve the skills of their planning engineers. This can help produce more work in less time. However, this is another permissioned leverage because your management has to determine the budget and how they want to spend it.
2. Permissionless Leverage in Project Control
This type of leverage typically involves coding or software that can automate many repetitive tasks carried out by planning engineers. Power BI is a perfect example of Permissionless Leverage. It can execute many planning tasks on autopilot. It is like building a machine and all you need to do is to add lubricants whenever needed to maintain the system functions. Automations remove the relationship between the input of hours and the corresponding output. Power BI provides great leverage against our limited time.
Moreover, you can use the tool 24/7 to produce immediate and accurate results. It is always available at your disposal, and you don’t need any kind of permission to use it. Power BI is also free software for the most part.
Power BI doesn’t obviously go for annual leave. Furthermore, Planning Managers can save a lot of time on reviewing the accuracy of the project control reports. They can spend more time on things that matter and deliver more value. This may include:
- Perform delay analysis and prepare notices of Extention of Time.
- Improve key reporting elements such as progress dashboards.
- Work with the project team to recover the delays.
- Draft contractual correspondences that will help move the project forward.
- Attend more progress meetings with Subcontractors to highlight potential project risks.
This way, we can remove the connection between the number of hours we have as an input and the work we produce as an output. Advanced Excel, Pivot Tables, Power Pivot and Macros are also good examples of Permissionless Leverage. In my opinion, nothing beats Power BI in planning at the moment.
By now, it should be clear which type of leverage you want to have in your project. You need to constantly find ways to explore Permissionless Leverage opportunities and depend less on Permissioned Leverage. Permissionless Leverage gives you freedom, makes you work smarter, saves you time, reduces costs, boosts profits and amplifies planning results.
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