Advanced project scheduling: proper practices for integrated project schedules

© Project Value Delivery - 2020
w w w . P r o j e c t V a l u e D e l i v e r y . c o m
Integrated Project Schedule:
Proper practices
Schedule Hierarchy
Integrated Project Schedule Technical Quality
Webinar
September 2020

Problem statement:
No proper project schedule?
- Are you surprised your
project fails?

w w w . P r o j e c t V a l u e D e l i v e r y . c o m 3
• A vast majority of projects operate without
a proper integrated project schedule!
– Inadequate level of detail
– Lack of full coverage of scope
– Improper logical linkage and build-up
• In this presentation we will focus on 2 key elements
for the Project Manager:
– Proper schedule hierarchy and characteristics of the
Integrated Project Schedule
– How to quickly check the technical quality of your project
schedule
Project Failure is often not a surprise

1. Project Value Delivery: short introduction
2. Basic and advanced concepts of Schedule
Hierarchy
3. Integrated Project Schedule technical quality
4. Advanced technique for complex projects:
convergence planning
Contents

Project Value Delivery1

We empower organisations to be reliably
successful in executing large, complex projects
Project Value Delivery´s DNA
Empowering effective teams
across organisational and
geographical boundaries
Global interventions, often on
multi-location and multi-
cultural project teams
We don’t just advise,
we do the work
Owner and Contractor
Clients
A small, high impact team of
experienced project
specialists
Large, complex projects
(up to multi-billion USD and global)
across energy, mining and
transportation industries

OffshoreOnshore
Our clients include owners and contractors
Owners/
Operators
Contractors
Rail &
Transportation
n
Renewables
Explosives Mining
Oil and Gas
Nuclear Power plant

• Company active globally since 2011
• Detailed track record available on demand. We have repeat business with most clients.
Our Clients

Global coverage from Europe and Singapore
AssignmentsProject Value Delivery Entities

Our people
6 experienced Consultants in Europe and Asia
Louise De Nève
Principal Consultant
• 15 years experience in the Document management
• 8+ years experience as System implementation project manager
Stéphane Grauls
• 19 years experience in oil & gas industry
• Supply-Chain expertise and system implementation project manager
Helga Persson
• Substantial experience in subsea construction projects
• Expert facilitator and learning solutions designer
Pierre Jung
Senior Consultant
• 5+ years experience Project Management Office (PMO)
• System implementation project manager
Kathleen Chee
Consultant
• System implementation
Fabienne Ellington
Subsea Consultant
• 20+ years experience in the oil & gas industry
• Senior management and engineering positions
4 Partners
Jérémie Averous
Managing Partner and Founder
• 20+ years executive level experience from nuclear and
oil & gas industries.
• Project Controls expert
Ingvar Skogland
Managing Partner
• 20+ years experience mainly in the oil & gas industry
• International Project Director for large complex projects
Jean-Marc Bourachot
Partner
• 20+ years experience in the nuclear and aeronautics
industries
• Project Director on French and international projects
Babu Surendran
Senior Advisor
• 40+ years experience in the oil & gas Industry
• Project Director on many international projects
• Each assignment is led by a Partner with support, when needed, of our consultants
• We can mobilise additional partner-level resources on specific industries / disciplines

Basic and advanced concepts of Schedule Hierarchy
Characteristics of the Integrated Project Schedule
2

Stuff we hear all the time
Problem statement
I haven’t looked at the project
schedule for 6 months.
I don’t understand it anyway…
Project director
We can’t show what’s really
happening in the schedule,
because then the Client would
know it
Project team member
(very frequent)

HOW
..are you taking
decisions?!?

Is that the way you are flying?

WHERE ARE WE?
(Are we on course?)
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO BE BACK ON COURSE?
The Three Fundamental Questions

KNOW WHERE YOU ARE
…and where you are heading!

• It is essential to have a good quality schedule to drive a project
– Logically linked
– Covering the entire scope (!)
– Properly linked between disciplines (E-P-C-C)
– Minimum of artificial constraints
• The Project Director’s involvement is required
– Minimum familiarity with scheduling tool to challenge the planners
– Have heuristics to check quality
Why does the PM need to check whether the
schedule is healthy?

Characteristics of the
project schedule

Eisenhower:
“In preparing for battle, I have always found
that plans are useless but planning is
indispensable”
Have a sound baseline
and remain agile and flexible
Project Planning objectives

The Project Schedule is an essential tool for decision-making
• It needs to be updated at least monthly and
reflect accurately the reality of the project to lead to sound decisions
• The Project Schedule needs to:
– be integrated (E-P-C-C-I)
– show appropriate views for decision-makers
• By package/ deliverable for Project Managers
• By discipline for Department Managers
Scheduling is for decision-making

Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke*:
“No plan of operations extends with certainty
beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main
strength”
Be agile - the plan does not survive the first
encounter
*Chief of Prussian General Staff 1857-87
The schedule will not survive the first
real encounter with project reality

On a large complex project,
unexpected things
will happen!

What we have seen in some E-P-C organisations
• Schedules typically with more than 5,000 activities (15,000 links)
– Nuclear Power Plant: Fully linked level 2 schedule with 100,000 activities (!)
– FPSO: Level 3 schedule with 15,000 to 25,000 activities
• Technical weaknesses
– Activity links do not show critical path, too many SS and FF links
– Resourcing not consistent / mistakes
– Inconsistent level of detail between E-P-C-I
Schedule Management

Project Planning detail level
Project planning detail
Too little detail
will not allow to grasp
the project drivers
Too much detail
drowns the team
and removes agility
Effectiveness
Optimal
planning detail
range

• No proper identification of critical path and, more generally, of the drivers
and constraints of the project;
• No proper identification of resource requirements;
• Poor anticipation of interfaces between activities and contributors;
• Poor progress update due to insufficient granularity of baseline planning;
• Generally, excessive optimism regarding project execution;
• Insufficient baseline for actual progress measurement and control of the
project.
Not enough planning detail?...

• Project Team spends too much time planning and defers important long lead
activities;
• Lack of plan overview and understanding of the main drivers due to excessive
detail and possibly difficult to manipulate plan format;
• Excessively detailed plan creates excessive workload to accurately update
progress and reforecast schedule at the expected update frequency;
• Lack of agility and reactivity when unexpected events happen.
Too much planning detail?...

• The adequate size for an integrated project schedule should be
around ~1,500 – 2,500 activities (tasks) depending on project
complexity, irrespective of the project total size
– Additional milestones etc can be added
Problem statement:
With a limit of ~1,500 to 2,500 activities, how can we still have all the
detail we need to drive the project schedule at the lower work level?
So, what is the right level of detail?

Need for a schedule
hierarchy

Construction detailed
schedule (s) by discipline
Recommended Schedule Hierarchy
for Simple Projects
Simplified Project Schedule
200 – 400 activities
Moredetails
Morefocus
Integrated Master Schedule
1,500 – 2,500 activities

Moredetails
Morefocus
for Large, Complex Projects
Document list &
detailed
engineering
schedule
Procurement
Detailed Plan
Construction
Subcontractor’s
schedules
Commissioning
Plan / schedule
Startup
Plan
Convergence Plan /
Management high level
schedule
(no links)
WHATEVER THE
SIZE AND
COMPLEXITY OF
THE PROJECT

Moredetails
Morefocus
for Large, Complex Projects - Owner
Convergence Plan /
Management high level
schedule
(no links)
E P
Contractor A
Master Schedule
Contractor B
Master Schedule
Contractor C
Master Schedule
C I C E P C I C E P C I C
E P C C
Owner Scope

Project Control traps
• Too much detail!
• Not enough time for
analysis

• Consistency between the different schedules
must be maintained
– Role of the project scheduling team (lead planner)
– Different possible organisations:
• Schedules only produced by planning team
• Field Engineers/ Construction & Operations
Managers can produce detailed schedule on MS
Project and weekly coordination meeting with
the scheduling team
Schedule hierarchy consistency

• Contractor A typical schedule:
– 10% of Engineering
– 20% of Procurement
– 60% of Offshore Operations
– 10% of commissioning
• Contractor B typical schedule:
– 60% of Engineering
– 20% of Procurement
– 10% of Construction
– 1 activity for commissioning
Schedule balance
Question:
Guess what is the historical
discipline of each organisation?

• Concentrate on the interfaces between disciplines
– Balance between each stage of E-P-C-C
• The typical duration of an activity should cover a
number of reporting periods
• The activities should be easy to update with actual
physical progress measurement
• Vary the detail of the sequences of activity according
to their criticality
• Use custom fields to code the activities according to
all the different views and filters you intend to use

Summary part 1

Summary - part 1
• As a Project Manager, you need to make sure you take decisions on a
proper schedule
• The integrated project schedule needs to be
– balanced
– focused on interfaces between disciplines
– with a limited complication (1,500 to 2,500 activities)
• Implement a schedule hierarchy to cover all level of scheduling details

Interlude

Integrated Project Schedule
technical quality checks3

As a Project Manager with no particular
scheduling experience,
- how can I know in a few minutes what is
the actual technical quality of the schedule
produced by my planning team?
Problem statement

• On the pdf printout
– Critical path
– Total Finish Float and other views
– Baseline vs update/forecast
– Balance between disciplines
• On the original schedule file
– Useful heuristics
– Coding
Schedule correctness checks

Checks on the
schedule pdf

Schedule printout

Schedule printout
Total Float Column Visible Critical Path
Baseline indication
Constraint

• Total Finish Float > x days to be
questioned (100 days is a good rule of
thumb)
– Possibly, poor linkages
– Critical path to be checked for relevance
– Look at visible constraints
Heuristics

Schedule printout - VIEWS

• Important to have balance between E-P-C-C
• Too often one discipline is dominant
– History of the company
– History of the Project Director
– History of the planner
Balance between disciplines

Checks on the
schedule source file

Heuristics on level of linkage:
# Links between 1.5 and 2.2x
the number of activities
Valid for execution phase
schedules only
Checks on the schedule source file

• Order of magnitude links
• Avoid open-ended tasks
• Minimize constraints
• Avoid Start-to-Finish links (except milestones)
• Avoid negative lags – change to positive lag
on SF link

Checks on the schedule source file (analysis software)

DCMA: Defense Contract Management Agency (US DoD)
Schedule Check – DCMA framework
# Quality Criteria Threshold
1 Logic Tasks without predecessor or successor <5%
2 Leads No leads
3 Lags Number of lags <5% of the links
4 Links types FS links > 90% of the links
5 Hard constraints Hard constraints <5% of (incomplete) tasks
6 Float Number of activities with float > 2 months is less than 5%
7 Float No negative float
8 Task duration Tasks with duration > 2 month is less than 5%
9 Invalid dates No invalid dates (actual start later than status date)
10 Resources If schedule is resourced, missing resources
11 Missed tasks Activities that have slipped baseline dates < 5%
12 Critical path test Test delay in critical activity leads to same delay in project
13 Critical path CP Length Index Measures aggressiveness of the schedule
14 Baseline execution More than 95% of the tasks planned in baseline completed

Refer to document DCMA-EA PAM 200.1
Earned Value Management System Program Analysis Pamphlet –
October 2012
Schedule Check – DCMA framework
Additional tests
# Quality Criteria Threshold
15 Logic More than 10 predecessors
16 Logic More than 10 successors
17 Logic Summary tasks with link

Example of DCMA based schedule analysis tool

Dynamic checks
• Change significantly (even if not realistic) the duration
of tasks and check that the entire network flows
• Follow the linkages in particular on the critical path
(sampling) to check adequacy of schedule
• Check expected linkages between scopes and E-P-C-I

Schedule realism
checks

• Challenge estimates
• Realism of resourcing on 3 levels
– Available resource level
– Resource density (congestion)
– Resource mobilization/ demobilization
Schedule Realism check basics

• Check estimates’ documentation
– Proven benchmarks
– Good quality documentation of process
• Be cautious with ‘human estimating’
– Calibration
– Padding (judgment on estimates)
– Optimism (uncertain R&D activities)
• Check the order of magnitude of the overall
duration with respect to industry norms!
Schedule Realism check basics:
Challenge Estimates

For international projects
it is essential to understand the main holiday periods in all sites
and not expect significant progress at these periods
• Summer holiday (Western countries)
• Christmas (Christian countries)
• Chinese New Year (S-E Asia)
• Ramadan month (muslim countries)
• Monsoon season for outside works
• Etc.
Where are the holiday periods?

Resourcing histogram by AREA
Density limit
Zone 2.1

Resourcing histogram by DISCIPLINE
Availability limit of
E&I personnel

Pct change month on month by discipline / Max should be below 15% of peak manpower
Resourcing histogram: Mob/Demob
15%/mo of
peak Rule

• Be ultra cautious with automatic
resource-levelling!
• Do all resource levelling manually!!
Resourcing

Advanced technique for
complex projects: convergence planning4

Convergence Monitoring
is
the best tool for
leading
complex projects
in the real world

Complex System =
System with many independent components and strong interactions
What is a Large, Complex Project?

Simple Project
Convergence process
Complex Project

Project Performance Driver
(or, what kills a project)
Convergence process
Simple project Complex project
Efficiency Convergence
Potential upside/
downside±10% +20%
- 30, -50, -100%

• For Complex Projects, the focus of project
management needs to be on convergence
– Main driver: avoid standby of project & major assets
– Project management is geared on timely delivery of
all required deliverables
– This might require investment = additional cost
upfront
Very different project management focus & process
than Simple Projects
Convergence process

The theory of constraints teaches:
Bottlenecks in a project
There is a very limited number
of constraints (bottlenecks)
that drive the performance of
the entire system

Most
Projects fail
because of a
small piece
missing…

Convergence Planning
Gate 1
Deliverable 1
Deliverable 2
Deliverable 3
Gate 2
Deliverable 1
Deliverable 2
Deliverable 3
Gate 3
Deliverable 1
Deliverable 2
Deliverable 3
Gate 4
Deliverable 1
Deliverable 2
Deliverable 3
Gate 5
Deliverable 1
Deliverable 2
Deliverable 3

Gate ID GATE WS2-04 Gate Date 12/04/2015
Gate Name READY TO START UTILITY PACK 3
Resp. Person Mr. Package Manager Gate
Status
Key Deliverables Resp. Deliverab
le Status
Key Deliverable 1 Mr. A
Key Deliverable 2 Mrs. B
Key Deliverable 3 Ms. C
Key Deliverable 4 Mr. A
Key Deliverable 5 Mr. D
Key Deliverable 6 Ms. E
Typical Convergence Plan Gate format

GENERAL/COMMISSIONING
RISERS
FLOATER
FLOWLINES/EXPORT LINES
Offshore Deepwater
construction
MOORINGS
GENERAL/COMMISSIONING
TOPSIDE T&I
JACKET TRANSPORT & INSTALL
SOIL PREPARATION
Conventional
Offshore
construction PILING
Examples of convergence frameworks

• Each Gate is associated with a date
– Date is fixed and cannot be changed
• Early warning system
• Reference baseline remains
• Senior Management reviews and supports
actions to comply with convergence plan
Convergence planning

Convergence planning – the TOYOTA way – true case
2,5 years
6 months
T-2 years
Supplier late by one week
Production line
and ready suppliers
Start of Production
• on time
• on cost
• on quality

  
New vehicle Project
Visit of the Toyota
President
 fire fighting mode
 team of engineers sent
from Japan to rectify !

• Example of convergence plan posting

Convergence monitoring tool
• Identify all deliverables linked to the main project convergence points
• Download every month from Main Project Schedule the end dates of
relevant chains of activity
• Monitor month after month evolution of the float for the main activity
chains – Compare remaining float with a fixed milestone date
Convergence Monitoring Tool

Float Monitoring Example
Deliverable that is delayed without impacting the critical path
Float
Update1
Required
Delivery
Month
Update2
Update3
Update4
Update5
Master Schedule Update Date

Here this deliverable becomes
critical path for the project
Float Monitoring Example
Deliverable that is delayed and will impact the critical path
Float
Update1
Required
Delivery
Month
Update2
Update3
Update4
Update5
Master Schedule Update Date

This will give a high level dashboard
Additional deliverables:
Tool for project management
WARNING: requires conventional schedule to
effectively reflect latest knowledge
Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4
Module 5 Module 6 Module 7 Module 8

Summary part 2

Summary - part 2
• Even without deep scheduling experience you can know easily what is the
quality of your project schedule and drive a high level of expectations with
the scheduling team
• For complex projects, convergence planning is a useful tool to focus on the
key deliverables that enable the project and implement discipline in holding
milestone dates

Summary

• Your project schedule is essential
• It needs to respond to some basic quality features to
respond to your needs
• Without deep scheduling knowledge it is still possible
to easily assess the quality of the project schedule
• Remain flexible and agile:
– not too many details!
– more details is not necessarily better
• Advanced techniques such as convergence planning
exist for complex projects
Key take-aways

• We provide the most advanced Project Control and Project Management
training on the market – specifically developed by Project professionals for
Project professionals
• We leverage our acclaimed public books into custom handbooks for your
organisation
Advanced Competency Trainings
Custom handbooks for
your organisation
Reference handbooks for
the project practitioner

Thank you!

We E m p o w e r O r g a n i s a t i o n s
To b e Re l i a b l y S u c c e s s f u l i n
E xe c u t i n g L a r g e , C o m p l e x P r o j e c t s
Discover more on

Advanced project scheduling: proper practices for integrated project schedules

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

Similaire à Advanced project scheduling: proper practices for integrated project schedules

Similaire à Advanced project scheduling: proper practices for integrated project schedules (20)

Plus de Jeremie Averous

Plus de Jeremie Averous (9)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Advanced project scheduling: proper practices for integrated project schedules