Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Project Delivery
It is easy to start a successful Drone Project Control program in your organization by following the stages outlined in our practical guide.
Project Critical Chain and Critical Path. Can They Work in Harmony?
Explore the application of the Project Critical Chain and Critical Path in a real-world project example that was impacted by multiple types of critical constraints.
How to Choose the Best Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis Methodology
Schedule Delays in projects are a harsh reality. With so many uncertainties, you are almost always bound to face delays for one reason or another in projects. When delays happen, schedule delay analysts bear the burden of selecting the appropriate schedule delay analysis methodology to analyze and quantify schedule delays, and concurrent delay. However, selecting […]
The Best Project Controls Conferences in 2022 You Don’t Want to Miss
Project Controls Conferences in 2022! Would you consider attending one? Either your goal is learning new strategies, getting motivation, discovering new cutting-edge tools and technologies, or meeting like-minded professionals, attending conferences is a surefire way to achieve your professional goals. I always come away from conferences feeling energized and empowered to take my skills to […]
A Magic Elixir for Some But Not All? Why IT Has Failed the Construction Industry
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Information Technology has brought immense efficiencies to factories and supply chains, making them faster and more responsive. IT has transformed nearly every industry one can think of and conferred real competitive advantages to its early adopters. However, those transformations and competitive advantages have largely bypassed construction. It’s not for lack of trying. The industry […]
T-Shaped Project Controls Professionals
T-Shaped Project Controls Professional vs. an I-shaped Project Controls Professional! Which one are you T or I ?! You might say… “ what on earth are you talking about”? What is a T-Shaped Project Professional or I-Shape? Have you made up these terms? Well, if you’ve never heard of a T-shaped project controls professional, you […]
4D Scheduling- Types of the 4D Schedule Models
You might have heard the terms “4D Schedule Models”, “4D Scheduling”, “4D BIM”, “4D BIM Modelling”, “4D Simulation”, and “4D BIM Planning.” For simplicity, let’s refer to these terms as “4D Scheduling”. But, what do we mean by “4D Scheduling”? What is 4D Scheduling? 4D Scheduling is simulating the planning sequence of construction activities […]
The Best Project Controls Conferences in 2021 You Don’t Want to Miss
Project Controls Conferences in 2021! Would you consider attending one? Either your goal is learning new strategies, getting motivation, discovering new cutting-edge tools and technologies, or meeting like-minded professionals, attending conferences is a surefire way to achieve your professional goals. I always come away from conferences feeling energized and empowered to take my skills to […]
Top 10 Technologies that Will Transform the Future of Project Management
Are you ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution? What are the top ten new technologies that will transform the global economy by 2025? How these new technologies will impact the future of Project Management? Watch the video below to get answers to the above questions. Download the free audio mp3 podcast of this episode on iTunes. Note: […]
Top 4 Key Attributes of Effective Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) in an Organization
Do you run a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) in your projects? Does your company have an effective Quantitative Risk Analysis capability? An effective Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) capability will not exist in a vacuum. QRA capability will be a function of an organization’s overall risk management capability. What does it take to […]
4 Key Principles to Best Prepare for the 4th Industrial Revolution
Are you ready for the 4th Industrial Revolution? The 4th Industrial Revolution is going to bring exponential changes to the way we live, work and relate to one another due to the adoption of new smart technologies. Imagine the connected machines that interact, visualize the entire production chain and construction process, communicate data in real-time, […]
Big Data and Its Impacts on the Future of Cost Estimating
We have all probably heard the term “big data,” another term that can be many things to many different people. But what is BIG DATA and what’s its impact on the future of cost estimating? Larry Dysert, the Cost Estimating thought leader has opened up the concept of Big Data and how it will impact […]
Get Started in Power BI- The Power BI Starter Guide
How do you get started in Power BI? Before diving into the content and providing you the Power BI starter guide, let’s have the same understanding of what Power BI is all about. What is the Power BI? Power BI is a business analytics service by Microsoft that puts visual analytics at your fingertips. […]
What are the key differences between Project Planning vs. Scheduling?
Project planning vs. scheduling- are they the same? You might have heard the role of Planner/Scheduler in a project. Does it mean that Planners & Schedulers do the same work? Are “Planning” and “Scheduling” the same terms? If not, what are the key differences between Project Planning vs. Scheduling? Check this video by Dr. Saleh […]
5D BIM and Cost Estimating; Past, Present, & Future
What is 5D BIM? What are the impacts of 5D BIM on the future of cost estimating? Larry Dysert, the Cost Estimating thought leader has opened up the concept of 5D BIM, its evolution from the past to the future, and its impact on the future of cost estimating. Watch the video below for full […]
How to Create a Schedule Dashboard in Power BI using P6 Schedule Data
What is the most common way of looking at a construction schedule? Do you use a schedule dashboard or special schedule report? For many, it usually involves going into Primavera P6 and adjusting groupings and applying filters (sometimes very lengthy and complex filters that become hard to follow). Once the set of activities are selected, […]
The Best Project Controls Conferences in 2020 You Don’t Want to Miss
Project Controls Conferences in 2020! Which one(s) would you attend? What Project Controls conferences have you attended in the past? Which one was the best? Was it the best because it created a positive impact on you? I still clearly remember the first couple of conferences, which had a tremendous impact on my professional and […]
Nuggets of Wisdom from the Creator of Earned Schedule, Walter Lipke
Watch my interview with John Hollmann for some insights on how you too can become an influencer in your field.
The 5-Step Proven Process in an Effective Project Controls Software Implementation
Have you ever been involved in Project Controls software implementation? What steps do you need to follow to ensure having an effective Project Controls software implementation before you roll out the software to all the projects you are managing? Check this video to discover the 5-step process that you need to follow to ensure you […]
The Top 7 Integrated Project Controls Software You Need to Know About
As the technology evolves, more and more integrated Project Controls software has come to the market to support the increasing demand of Project Controls. Considering a variety of options we have, the question is, which Project Controls software to choose from? Whenever I talk about the Project Controls software, I always get the question, what […]
How to Select the BEST Project Controls Software
Considering a large amount of data that needs to be processed in projects, Project Controls software is essential. It allows the processing of extensive information that can be retained for analysis, reporting, and benchmarking. But the question is which Project Controls software is the right fit for your projects? Watch this video to figure out […]
How the Anticipated Cost Report Method Helps in Managing Construction Costs
Changes are inevitable in construction and in any project. There might be costs that were not budgeted or authorized initially. A change due to differing site conditions, design errors or omissions, or a scope change due to owner’s added requirements may lead to change orders. Besides change orders, which are additions to the original contract, […]
Core Estimating for Owner Companies
How can you increase core-estimating maturity for Owner companies and improve project performance and increased capital efficiency in today’s construction industry? Introduction Owners rely on cost estimates to perform an economic analysis of the return on their capital investments or capital expenditures (CAPEX). Estimates are critical to early planning and de-risking of project budgets developed during project authorization. When Owner companies place little […]
The ABC’s of the Planning & Scheduling Certifications
Have you ever considered attaining a professional certification in Planning & Scheduling? Do you know of internationally recognized Planning & Scheduling certifications? Are you interested to know how you can become a certified Planner/Scheduler? This article will answer your questions about the project planning & scheduling certifications. I’m going to introduce you to various certifications […]
5 Tips for Project Controls Job Hunting Success
“ I have applied for any job posting you can imagine, but no success…” “Things are pretty grim, the oil and gas industry has been further down and more people have lost jobs including myself, it’s tough…” “ I was let go from the company in the latest round of layoffs last week…” “ We are going through […]
5 Key Lessons I Learned That Transformed My Year
As we are approaching the end of the year and are busy with doing our last-minute Christmas shopping to bring joy to our loved ones, I thought what gift I can give you that could serve you not only during the holidays but also for the year ahead. I thought it is best if I […]
Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis FAQs
Chris Carson, FRICS, FAACE, FGPC, PSP, DRMP, CEP, CCM, PMP, a thought leader on Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis, conducted a live webcast on “Forensic Schedule Analysis Lessons You Need to Learn Today To Proactively Prevent Claims Tomorrow”. Chris Carson shared some important lessons learned from 40 years of performing forensic schedule analysis, scheduling, and schedule […]
My Interview With the Vice President of an Award-Winning Fortune 500 Company
I had the honor of interviewing Matt Sellers, the Vice President of Project Development at Kiewit, one of FORTUNE 500 world’s most admired companies. Matt Sellers is truly the epitome of southern hospitality. Born and raised in Texas, he was nothing but charming and gracious in our interview as he answered my myriad of questions […]
How to Display the Critical Path Leading to a “Specific Activity” in P6?
In Primavera P6 Professional, when you use the default “Critical” filter, it will display the critical path for the entire project (up to the last activity on the critical path), Figure 1. What if you want to show the critical path leading to an activity, which is somewhere in the middle of the project, not the […]
How to Calculate Earned Schedule
In this training, I am going to show you how you can calculate the “Earned Schedule”. I assume you already know what “Earned Schedule” is. If not, please make sure that you watch another video that I have prepared for you entitled “Earned Schedule- An improvement to EVM Scheduling Metrics.” To measure Earned Schedule, we […]
Earned Schedule- An improvement to EVM Scheduling Metrics
Earned Value Management (EVM) is a powerful tool for evaluating the schedule and cost performance of projects and predicting future results. However, existing earned value schedule performance metrics does not do a good job with schedule performance evaluation and prediction. Use of “Earned Schedule” enhances the earned value management ’s ability to better represent and […]
Why the EVM Scheduling Metrics Are NOT Reliable!
“Your critical path schedule shows behind schedule. How come your EVM schedule performance indicates an ahead of schedule status?” “What is wrong with your SPI report?” “We are going to finish this project 3 months behind the schedule. Tell me why your SPI is showing a good schedule performance?” Have you ever faced an angry […]
Certifications in Planning/Scheduling
Summary: Have you ever considered attaining a professional certification in Planning/Scheduling? Do you know of internationally recognized certifications in Planning/Scheduling? Did you know that several international associations provide a variety of certifications in Planning/Scheduling including: Certified Scheduling Technician (CST) PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)® Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Are you interested to know how you […]
The Cream of Project Controls
Recently there was a tremendous opportunity to learn from one of today’s premier project-controls advocate and thought leaders on topics relating to what most current project controls professionals may very well be occupied with on a daily basis. Lessons from experience have taught this author that every opportunity to hear Chris Carson – Vice President […]
How to Standout from the Crowd in the Competitive Job Market
How many times have you submitted your resume to an online job posting that 100% matched your qualifications, but never heard a word back? How many times have you heard that landing a job is getting hard these days due to a bad economy, bad luck, and outsourcing? Have you ever thought what is causing […]
How to Quickly Identify Behind Schedule and Over Budget Activities in Primavera
Have you ever wondered how you can quickly detect the activities in the schedule that are behind? Did you know that in Primavera P6, you can quickly identify behind schedule and over budget activities by using graphical indicator in User Defined Fields (UDF)? In this tutorial, I will show you how to define User Defined Field indicators […]
5 Important Lessons Most Project Controllers Learn Too Late in Their Career
After years of working with experienced Project Control teams in various organizations and industries, I believe there are important lessons that most Project Controllers learn too late in their career. Watch this video to learn these top 5 important lessons: Download the free audio mp3 podcast of this episode on iTunes. Like this episode? Please share it so […]
How to Perform Schedule Time Impact Analysis in Primavera P6?
A Schedule Time Impact Analysis is a method used to determine the extent of impact from potential delay in the construction process. This schedule analysis method involves inserting additional activities indicating delays or changes into an updated schedule representing progress up to the point when a delay event occurred to determine the impact of those delay activities. […]
How to use Earned Value Management in Primavera P6? [Tutorial]
Have you ever wondered how you could apply Earned Value Management in the Primavera P6 scheduling tool? Wouldn’t it be nice if you can integrate your project cost with the project schedule right within your scheduling software? Primavera P6 enables you to control project progress and performance using Earned Value Management technique. In this tutorial, I […]
3 Things You Missed By Not Attending 2017 AACE International Conference
I enjoy attending conferences. I like the awesome speakers, the takeaways, and lessons, the great connections, the food, the environment—all of it. Every year, I invest in my personal or professional growth by attending at least one great conference. In fact, I went to two different conferences this summer in just a week period. Where […]
How to Download a Free Trial of Primavera P6 Scheduling Software?
If you have ever wanted to learn Primavera P6 scheduling tool or wanted to get into the planning/scheduling field, one of the barriers that you would face is getting access to the Primavera Software. It might seem a big investment especially if you are a beginner who wants to learn Primavera. You might be looking […]
The Common Uses of S-curves in Projects
Summary: Have you ever wondered why most Project Managers are interested in seeing S-curves in project reports? Do you know what the common uses of S-curves are in projects? S-curves are great graphical project management tools for planning, monitoring, controlling, analyzing, and forecasting project’s status, progress, & performance. They show the progress of work over […]
The Philosophy Behind S-curves
Summary: Have you ever wondered what an s-curve is in projects? Do you know why Project Managers are interested in seeing s-curves in project reports? Well, an s-curve is a project management graphical tool that displays cumulative data ( e.g. project’s costs, hours, progress, or quantities) against time. The term S-Curve denotes the tendency of […]
A Journey from the “Dinosaur’s Age” to the Chief Cost Estimator!
Have you ever wondered how “Project Controls” was performed back in the “Dinosaur’s Age,” when the computers didn’t exist? The “Age of Computer” began at some point in the mid-1990’s. Do you remember the big computers back then? I still remember the super large computers that I used to work with at the University back […]
How to Succeed as a Document Controller? (Interview with Ken Clevenger)
How to succeed as a Document Controller? This is a question that is best answered by a senior Document Control Director & Manager. I had the honor of interviewing one of the most inspiring and supportive leaders in the area of Document & Information Management, Ken Clevenger. Ken shared his 20-year experience and expertise in […]
How to Succeed in Your Project Controls Career? [Interview with Roberto Orlandi]
I had the honor of interviewing one of the most inspiring, successful, and dedicated Project Control Directors & Managers, Roberto Orlandi. Roberto shared his 20-year global experience in Project Controls and provided guidance on the following topics: The global position of the Project Controls career The current and future market demand of a Project Controller How Project Controls differs […]
Certifications in Project Risk Management
Summary: Do you know what certifications in project risk management are available? Are you interested to know how you can become a certified risk management professional? There are two internationally recognized certifications in project risk management that I highly recommend you to consider if you are a project risk management practitioner or you perform cost […]
How Cost Contingency is Calculated?
Imagine that you are asked to estimate the total cost of a project. You have measured the quantities, and estimated the cost and price of each resource required for executing the scope of the project. After all the hard work that you have put into developing the cost estimate, you are asked how confident you […]
What is Contingency Reserve in a Cost Estimate?
Summary: Have you ever reviewed a Cost Estimate of a project? Have you ever wondered what “Contingency” is in a Cost Estimate? Do you know why a contingency reserve/ fund is allocated to a cost estimate? Cost contingency is a reserved fund that is added to a base cost estimate to account for cost uncertainty. […]
Essential Tools To Master in Project Controls
Summary: There are plenty of tools available today for Project Controllers to help them better manage and control projects. As technology evolves, more tools become available for use. This can become overwhelming as to what tool to choose from for controlling projects. Sometimes, finding and selecting the right tool is a project of its own […]
Certifications in Cost Estimating
Summary: Are you interested to know what internationally recognized certifications are available in Cost Estimating? There are several Cost Estimating associations that provide a variety of Cost Estimating certifications: ICEAA’s Professional Cost Estimator/ Analyst (PCEA®) AACE’s Certified Estimating Professional (CEP) ASPE’s Certified Professional Estimator (CPE) ICEAA’s Certified Cost Estimator/ Analyst (CCEA®) Watch this video to […]
How to Succeed in Cost Estimating? An interview with Ramani Sundaram
How to succeed in Cost Estimating?! This is a question that can be best answered by a senior cost estimator. I conducted an interview with Ramani Sundaram, a senior cost estimator with 25+ years experience, to share his experience as a cost estimator and provide his insights on Cost Estimating. Before I go to the […]
How Cost Escalation is measured in a Cost Estimate?
According to Wikipedia.org, “Changes in the cost or price of specific goods or services in a given economy over a period of time is defined as “Cost Escalation” [1]. Very often, the common question from an owner to an estimator is “Is your estimate in current dollars or escalated dollars?” Any cost estimate is a […]
Top 5 Skills of a Cost Controller
Summary: Have you ever been in a project that finished over budget, and nobody could explain exactly why? Have you ever seen a cost report in a project that only showed the budget versus the expenditures? Have you ever published, or seen a cost report, and had no clue what the cost metrics meant? If […]
What is the Difference Between Project Controls & Project Management?
Summary: I get this question a lot, “What is the Difference Between Project Controls and Project Management?”. I believe there are 3 key differences between Project Management and Project Controls: 1- Project Control is a subset of Project Management with the primary focus of managing the project’s cost and schedule. 2- Project Manager is directing the […]
How to Become a Certified Cost Controller?
Summary: Are you interested to know how you can become a Certified Cost Controller? Do you know what internationally recognized certifications are available in Cost Management? AACE International provides a variety of certifications in Cost Management including: Certified Cost Technician (CCT) Certified Cost Professional (CCP) Earned Value Professional (EVP) Watch this video to learn the […]
How Does a Project Controller Control a Project?
Summary: Have you ever wondered how a Project Controller controls a project? Do you know what the role of a Project Controller is in a project; from its initiation to completion? An effective Project Controls starts early in the project when the project is initiated and continues throughout the project life cycle until the project […]
What is Negative Float and How to Deal With It in Primavera P6?
We all have learned a lot about calculating Total Float and Critical Path in a network diagram and have seen zero total floats for critical activities or positive floats for non-critical ones. In real projects, we will encounter with negative floats in a schedule network diagram. Have you ever wondered what causes the negative floats […]
The Winner of Project Control Article Writing Contest
Project Control Academy held its first “Project Control Article Writing Contest” in Q2 2016 and invited all Project Control Professionals from all over the world to participate in the contest. The primary reason for conducting this contest was encouraging Project Control experts to share their knowledge, experience, and expertise with other professionals. We had a […]
The Critical Skill Each Cost Estimator Should Master in Cost Estimating
Throughout my 30+ years in the construction industry, many of those in the cost estimating field, I met great estimators as well as estimators who lack the confidence to say: Yes, I calculated this cost, this is how I did it, and this is the benchmark data to prove it. My curiosity was always to […]
Project Planning Puts You in Control
Every objective, intention, idea, project, task or whatever is expected in a future time (minutes, hours, days, months or years later) to be realized, starts with proper project planning, implementation, referencing-the-plan and taking corrective actions to realize the intended objective. Project Planning and Execution Project planning involves clarifying an objective (project, idea, concept etc.) by […]
The Power of Project Controls
What is Project Controls? To define the subject, Project Control, I would like to start by defining the two words “project” and “control” in isolation and then try to make sense of them combined. Now, according to PMI’s PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, “project” is defined as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, […]
Understanding and balancing project constraints, a key to project success
As usual, in the cool of the evening after a hard day job, if I was able to make it home early from work, I would take a stroll or go cycling around my estate to burn some calories and sometimes, fraternize with neighbors and security guards. I do this to understand if anything has […]
The Beginning of a 4D Journey
Over the past few months I’ve been working with our building team as it takes it’s 1st steps into the world of 4D scheduling. If you’re reading this, you probably agree with me that this is the way of the future. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, 4D scheduling is the bringing together […]
No Matter Where You Started in Project Controls, Keep Going
There are many ways to skin a cat, and there are even more ways to build a house. Although many seasoned pros in the construction industry may prefer that a budding planners & schedulers have a background in engineering or construction, we all know that often this is not the case. Many get a start […]
What Makes a Great Conceptual Cost Estimate? 7 Factors to Consider
Years back, my boss used to say “You will know whether your estimate is accurate or not, only after the project is finished”. This is so true. Estimating is not an exact science and by definition, the estimated number is only a predicted outcome. Conceptual estimates start with the feasibility or order of magnitude estimate […]
How to Add Massive Value in Project Controls
Have you ever wondered how you can have more exposure & credibility in the area of your expertise? How to be recognized as a subject matter expert (SME)? Wouldn’t it be nice to actually add value to the world? Tough questions, I know. But I firmly believe that you can add value to the world. […]
Fortuneteller of Project
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a fortuneteller in projects? A fortuneteller of project who could predict what is going to happen in the project at any moment in the future? Someone who could tell you how much more money and time you require to finish the journey of a project? Can you guess who […]
Project Controls and Steering a Ship
What comes to your mind when you hear the term “Project Control”? Does taking control or authority over projects come to your mind? Actually, in the world of project management, the term “control” has very little to do with dictating people what to do. The term “control” is similar to steering a ship. It’s about […]
Key Role of Project Controls in Successfully Managing Your Projects
Do you know the status of your project in terms of cost and schedule? Do you think with all of your hard work and your team members efforts, you would be able to finish your project on time? How about finishing on budget? If your answer to any of these questions is NO, don’t feel […]
Execution Of Project Controls: Three key components in project controls that you need to know about
We have prepared a new short video that teaches you about the execution stage in project controls. In this video, you will discover: – The three key components in project controls that are examined in executing a project – Project controls flowchart for the execution of project controls stage – What should be recorded during […]
Triple Constraints in Project Controls
When you start your journey as either a Project Controller or a Project Manager, one of the most important things you need to know is how to plan your projects. In order to develop an effective plan, however, you need to be aware of the triple constraints! Do you know what the triple constraints in […]
Understanding Critical Path Method (CPM)
Critical Path Method (CPM) is one of the fundamental concepts in Project Controls. The training video below provides you an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Critical Path Method. This video is part of the Time Planning module from the Applied Project Control Training Program. In this Critical Path Method video you will learn: – […]
Kentz Selects Project Control Academy for Project Control Training Solutions
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, MAY 31, 2014 –Project Control Academy, a leader in providing world class training solutions and consulting services in the field of Project Controls, is pleased to announce that Kentz has selected Project Control Academy as their global provider of Project Control training solutions. As the first step, Applied Project Controls Video Training […]
Project Controller vs. Good Communicator
You can be the best data analyzer, an expert in Earned Value Management, or a very good planner/scheduler. However, if you don’t have good “communication” skills, you won’t be able to go far in Project Controls. If you are not comfortable picking up the phone or meeting people face-to-face, Project Controls is NOT for you. […]