The Three Pillars of Project Management
The three pillars of project management: Review / Assess / Improve
Review
The review process is a snapshot of current status, progress, issues, challenges, and contractors/vendors commitments, in comparison to the project timeline, budget, and specific outcomes.
Example: The initial assembly of project schedule shows a parallel path for remediation efforts and utility infrastructure installations. Upon continual review, a schedule collision can be forecast if further remediation needs are discovered. The assessment pillar will present options ahead of the ‘problem’ becoming a problem.
What to review? (among many others)
- Submittals against Criteria
- Current Spend and Burn Rate
- Burn Rate vs. Project Schedule
- Key Benchmarks
- A/E/C Pay Applications
This pillar must be active throughout every project phase, and beyond delivery of space.
Assess
The assessment analyzes short and long term impacts, options, and potential outcomes based on the review – Maintain the current direction? Identifying corrective actions? Set a new direction?
Example: A change order is proposed by the GC to address a missing electrical circuit. A review serves to determine the source and responsibility of the missing circuit; an assessment serves to identify options, and, any other schedule or budget impacts this may create. Understanding the relationships, responsibilities, and contract structure between Owner, Architect, and Contractor is key to alignment.
What to assess?
What to assess is determined by what you review, but how to assess the information (and thus options) should always be anchored to the defined goals of the project outcome –
- Due Diligence →Options
- Contract Structure →Options
- Change Orders/Logs →Options
- Value Engineering →Options
- OAC Meetings →Options
- Work Product →Options
The assessment pillar keeps the driving force behind the idea aimed at the outcome.
Improve
Improvement is the active implementation of the ‘go forward’ decision- this can include efforts to maintain the current course.
Example: The assessment process has revealed significant local market rate and product differences for HVAC trades. The improvement step may be to contract a singular preferred vendor with a national reach and fixed volume pricing. This improvement can enable greater accuracy in concept budgeting for future projects
The improvement process can help make future projects of a similar caliber more efficient and within budget.
What to improve?
- Budget &Time/Schedule Allocation
- Contingency Use
- Communication Tools
- Project Team Members
- Field Coordination
- Concept Budgets/Schedules
The improvement pillar is the re-start to the evolution life-cycle; review of the improvements come next.
Find Success with Pivotal Project Management
The three project pillars (Review, Assess, Improve) hold the project phases together. The common area in which most Clients tend to fall short: Time! Many ideas and projects focus on the gross monetary requirements, but fall off the tracks due to a miscalculation, or mismanagement, of time requirements. Every project has a proposed schedule, but failing to implement these three pillars can result in severe financial impacts or failure.
Pivotal Project Management Inc. manages the driving force of your idea to outcome by offering CRE Owner’s Representation, Program Management, and Construction Project Management Services. www.pivotalstrength.com
