Employ strategic integrations, configurations and standards that improve project data to keep costs and schedules on track
The construction industry continues its growth trajectory with an emphasis on the renewal of critical infrastructure and decarbonization. By some estimates, megaprojects are poised with $50 billion in 2019 to $350 billion by 2029. But even with the booming market, companies still struggle to complete projects on time and on budget. McKinsey reported that, on average, projects overrun their budgets and schedules by 30 to 45 percent.
Companies often miss their targets for several reasons, including manual estimation errors, insufficient historical data and an inadequate understanding of work completion. So how do you avoid a costly, long-overdue project and ensure one that delivers on time and within budget? In many cases, the answer is good project controls.
When organizations optimize their control systems with the proper integrations, configurations and standards, spreadsheets and manual data entry are replaced to gain a seamless, holistic view of their entire project. Leaders can use timely, accurate and complete data connected across multiple systems, applications and databases to ensure progress and identify problems before they derail delivery.
Project Controls Challenges
Even as digital transformation initiatives sweep across the construction landscape, many of today’s companies still use spreadsheets for project control reporting. And while they may deploy enterprise software like Oracle P6, they use manual processes when it comes to reporting. They spend a lot of time downloading cost, schedule or risk data and then displaying it using spreadsheets and manipulating data for reporting purposes that give it a “management overlay.”
This involves multiple steps, numerous systems and manual data entry. It can also involve plenty of redundancy, with the cycle repeating itself every month or as needed.
Moreover, when necessary, data is stored in multiple departments and databases, trying to piece together the data into a complete view of project scheduling and costs, which leads to errors and miscalculations. There is a lack of consistency in viewing projects because of an overall lack of a holistic view.
Distinct groups involved in a project—whether it is engineering, survey, construction or field services— often have several different ways of working that include:
- Different sets of structures
- Different ways of control
- Different ways of breaking down data
- Different levels of detail
- Different coding configurations
These variations from department to department make it challenging to compare common data, especially when rolling up to higher reporting levels. Poor project control planning leads to a host of serious problems, including:
- Scope creep
- Inadequate budgeting
- Insufficient risk analysis
- Lack of accountability
- Stakeholder disengagement
The ultimate result? Projects run over budget and over time.
Optimizing Project Controls
The catalyst for improving project control reporting involves connecting disparate systems and applications through proper integrations, configurations and standardization.
With the right integrations, companies can connect their enterprise systems into a seamless IT ecosystem. Integrating ERP, CRM, project management, risk management and compliance combines previously siloed data and removes the need for manual processes and middleware (like spreadsheets). This unlocks the ability to develop, monitor and update plans. Companies can combine technologies like a geospatial solution to visualize and analyze data using maps, making it easier to identify problems.
The interoperability supplies a holistic view of buildings, roads, utility lines, health and safety hazards, landowner information, as well as labor, materials and costs throughout the project’s lifecycle. Project planning and job site construction teams can operate from a standard data set that unifies the master project schedule and the day-to-day work plans.
Project data can be correlated and analyzed in new ways to help organizations make better decisions, spot problem areas and drive continuous improvement.
Integrated project control solutions will improve efficiency in:
- Monitoring performance
- Analyzing variances
- Carry out corrective measures
- Report results
In addition, organizations must configure enterprise-class applications such as P6 and Unifier to avoid problems from the beginning. It enables a top-level view of reports and supports view as it scales down in granularity. This includes developing dashboards and analyses that speak a common language across projects and selecting applicable metrics that align with the specific over-arching project goals. Metrics like scope, schedule, cost and risks provide quantitative or qualitative insights into progress and performance.
Companies must also set standards for scope, schedule and budget. For example, standardizing something as simple as calendars can have a profound impact. Some departments or divisions will run software with a weekly calendar, with every four weeks marking a period, and others may run different software with a monthly calendar that begins on the first of every month. All these various systems and standards must reconcile with each other and account for the different variables to ensure compliance.
Optimizing project reports involves mapping data pipelines for multiple sources that often reside in different databases. Organizations must establish master data management over various systems to maintain standard definitions. This facilitates objects having the same meaning and level of detail across projects. It also ensures smooth data exchange between integration points.
Once tools are configured to work, perform, and report as needed, the next step is to build processes and procedures that support users. These enablement services include change management and adoption strategies. Companies should identify the person or people to own reporting duties—and not arbitrarily add the responsibility to someone already at full capacity in their current role. The person or team needs to control access to the application, the configuration and the security profiles, which include privileges around who can do what, where and who can see what.
Delivering transparency around the procedures, including the mapped-out data pipelines that deliver controls data to stakeholders, helps build trust in the solution. Standardizing and configuring correctly can expose processes to establish confidence in the numbers. This includes showing customers the dashboards for inspection and customizing them as needed.
Leverage TRC’s Innovation Combined with Experience
With a deep understanding of megaprojects and infrastructure built on years of service, TRC provides superior project control solutions that digitally transform workflows.
TRC’s comprehensive technology expertise is built on strategic partnerships with leading project controls software providers. TRC is an Oracle partner specializing in Primavera and Deltek with expertise in Cobra, Open Plan and PM Compass, Contruent (formerly ARES) PRISM and Safran Risk. In addition, TRC designs and delivers spatially integrated visualization and analytics solutions with project control data, including ERP, BIM, 4D, 5D, asset management and workforce management systems.
With TRC as your project controls partner, you gain:
Domain expertise: TRC has significant project control systems experience in the construction sector at government and contractor organizations. We also have extensive experience in successful delivery within the primary program and utilities sectors.
Unique functional coverage: We leverage substantial GIS expertise to design and deliver spatially integrated visualization and analytics solutions with project controls data (ERP, BIM, 4D, 5D, asset management and workforce management systems).
Independence: TRC is vendor agnostic and works with all the major products in the project controls space. Our independence and experience mean we can identify the best technologies, vendors and solutions to meet customer requirements without bias.
Security and certifications: TRC holds Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certifications and our employees have a minimum of BPSS and many of our support staff hold SC security clearances.
IT proficiency: Our staff maintains a deep understanding of all facets of the enterprise IT for construction solutions, including the configuration, infrastructure, network, technology, application and users.
User understanding: We understand why Primavera is used in organizations and the business processes entailed. Our solutions do not just focus on the technology but on ensuring all users’ requirements are fulfilled.
Optimize Project Controls for Better Business Outcomes
Project controls reporting involves spreadsheets and manual data entry more often than should be. Companies spend an inordinate amount of time and energy extracting data, manipulating it and presenting it without any type of digital, connected workflow.
Optimizing backend IT through system integrations, configurations, standards and proper people strategies overcomes these shortcomings. Companies can automate processes, streamline workflows and create more accurate and timely reports. The result is greater analysis to monitor progress and identify problems immediately, ensuring projects finish on time and on budget.
Visit today to learn more about how to optimize construction and infrastructure IT.