Organized Project Delivery happens when everyone is on the same page with the same documents and there is one source of truth, with all documents audited, archived, and supported.
For everyone to be on the same page, we have to all operate from the same definitions. Here are some essential parts of organized Project Delivery to help guide you through the process.
Closeout Checklist
Where are your closeout documents? Are they stuck in CD delivery? Held hostage to the general contractor? Access to your complete library offers the ability to run your facility for the next 50 years and is absolutely essential. Delivery of closeout documents should be completed immediately at the end of each and every project. One owner told us that the people who built the project were on to bigger and better projects so the sense of urgency to finish their closeout documents was gone and it took way longer than it should.
Audit Trail
Audit trails provide insight into oversights. This is a daunting task that involves organizing, naming, and delivery of documents to all stakeholders. Communication with the team regarding oversight provides peace of mind to owners and eliminates unnecessary change orders. On one of our projects, we had 1,100 placeholders, 6 buildings, and high-level security, and because of our oversight, we caught many mistakes. On one, for instance, the GC sent us drawings for a building that were actually for another building. With our team and oversight that included robust audit trails we prevented sending the wrong drawings to those 1,100 plan holders, Audit trails reveal the potential pitfalls and can change orders accordingly.
Changed Documents
This is a simple yet overlooked idea: who changed the documents, meeting minutes, submittals, etc., and when? Having just one administrator and one library eliminates unauthorized changes. On several different accounts, we have discovered changed orders, changed contracts, changed meeting minutes, and changed submittals that would have led to errors or malfeasance in the project. One of our clients was even able to find an extra warranty inserted for his glass, which he didn’t need or want as his project was designed to set the precedent for a standard warranty expectation. The additional warranty could have cost the company millions in future claims had it not been identified and removed.
PIM (Project Information Manager)
The most important person on your project is your Project Information Manager, who manages essential project information delivery. On your project, who oversees all the information? Who is the administrator for all the information? Who does the linking, archiving, and handles all interfaces with silo technology? Do you trust them? Do they have the keys to your bank account? Does this person represent you or does your PIM represent the GC? One of our clients said, “Keeping the fox from the chicken coop gives us peace of mind and the ability to make great decisions.”
Budget vs Spend
The budget is set with reserves, however, who is privileged to know the true budget for your project? As it stands, the secret process behind most budgets is called martinis: drinking with a “fox” or “good guy,” which will result in a project spending different than your set budget. The way to protect the budget is to have everything in one place just two clicks away. I was in a meeting with an owner who invited us to dinner with the GC. At this dinner, we felt like the armed guards protecting the owner. We watched dry martinis with several olives be delivered to the table, and as the alcohol flowed, the project numbers escaped. We knew we needed to support the owner as he had just been scammed out of his budget.
Naming Conventions
Naming conventions are essential to good project management. Who knows what RFI 006 is on your project? Who determined the name? Having one defined set of naming conventions that everyone on the project understands saves you from digging to find out what odd names mean. Tracking documents well supports great decisions and keeps things organized for all stakeholders. Who is in charge of the naming of your documents?
Production vs. Productivity
What’s the difference between production and productivity? This is a common question. In the old days, you would request the same information through multiple telephone calls, send one email at a time, or use desktop management software which, as one contractor told us, is a thing of the past. Production can happen in a vacuum but works best when everyone has the same information at the same time. True productivity happens using document delivery with accountability.
BIM (Building Information Modeling) to Closeout
Tracking what happens with your Building Information Modeling (BIM), knowing who and what is in the model, and providing closeout delivery make your BIM model more robust and ready for future problem-solving. MySmartPlans technology provides a 3D PDF that delivers documentation with access to your BIM model with just a point and click!
Own VS Rent Technology
Why buy when you can rent per project? Training time is the biggest challenge on any project. Studies show 22 hours per employee to learn new technology. This is in contrast to push-button technology with silo delivery that supports everyone on the team, eliminating training time by having only two button clicks to access the necessary information, which delivers your project on time and on budget.
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