Dr. George Jergeas PEng

1
Managing Fast Track Projects A Guide and
Checklists

• Dr. George Jergeas PEng
• University of Calgary
• Project Management Specialization

2
Reference
This presentation is based on the European
Construction Institute (ECI) - UK ECI
Manual The Fast Track Manual A guide to Schedule
Reduction for Client and Contractors on
Engineering and Construction Projects
3
Agenda

• Introduction
• Different Project Stages
• Concept Stage
• Development Stage
• Definition Stage
• Design Stage
• Procurement Stage
• Construction Stage
• Commissioning
• Operation Stage
• Key Issues

4
Introduction

• Takes place more quickly than normal
• A difficult and often stressful route to follow
• There is no boundary between a normal project and
  a fast track project
• Projects ranged from 4 - 36 months
• Schedule reduction 10 - 29
• Cost increase 10 - 20

5
Reasons for Fast Track

• Urgent requirements by client
• To maximize profit or limit loss
• Imposed deadline
• Start of academic year
• End of current lease
• New legislation
• Minimize disruption of services

6
Objectives

• To assist who are considering a fast track to
  make the right decisions
• To help implement fast track strategy successfully

7
Key Success factors

• The calibre of individuals and their working
  relationships
• The adequacy of the definition of the project
• Strategy adopted and systems for implementation
• The passion to succeed on the part of key
  participants

8
Definitions

• A managerial approach to the achievement of
  early project delivery, involving the application
  of innovations in the management of construction
  procurement and recent advances in the process
  that, bringing into play
• The integration of construction and design phases
• The involvement of the contractor in both the
  design and construction phases
• Overlapping of work packages to enable
  construction of sections of the project to
  proceed while the design for other sections is
  being progressed
• The employment of the expertise of suppliers in
  design and construction
• Kwakye, 1991

9
Definitions

• Design and construction are overlapped and
  different sections of the plant are designed and
  built in parallel with significant additional
  risk due to the links between the design of
  different parts of the plant
• Turner, 1996
• The reduction of the the schedule to the minimum
  practicable is the principal driving force for
  one or more stages of the project

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Project Stages
Normal Project
Fast Track Project
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General Principles

• Work Package Overlap
• Work packages are progressed in parallel
• Overlap the stages for each work package
• Early Decisions
• Experienced judgement and empowerment
• Commence design before scope has been defined
• Must accept wrong decisions

12
General Principles

• Integrated Project Team
• Main parties are combined into a single
  organization and participate to the limit of
  their capability in achieving the project
  objectives
• Partnering
• Benefits
• Availability of additional expertise
• Avoiding learning curve errors
• Reduction in the overall workload
• Commitment to the project definition and schedule
• Design and construction developed together

13
General Principles

• Additional Staff
• More labour will be needed at peak period as a
  consequence of scheduling activities in parallel
• More management resource will be needed to deal
  with interface and progress issues arising from
  inter-dependencies between disciplines and
  between design, procurement and construction
• Schedule Reduction Techniques
• Project must be managed in an efficient manner
  making full use of project management and
  schedule reduction techniques

14
General Principles

• Additional Risks
• Decisions based on limited information, cannot
  always be right first time
• A structured and thorough risk management process
  needed

15
Advantages vs. Disadvantages

• Advantages
• Time to market
• Commercial benefits
• Short schedule (at least 10)
• Reduce time period for risk exposure
• Disadvantages
• Additional risk factors, very limited
  alternatives
• Increased amount of PM, control, etc.
• Cost increase (at least 10 20)

16
Characteristics that Support Strategy

• Ownership
• Client support
• Project sponsor or champion
• Stakeholder support and commitment
• Organization
• Project team needs to be simple, clear and devoid
  of rigid hierarchy
• If parent organization has a functional matrix
  structure, the functional line must be
  subordinate to the project management (task) line
  for the duration of the project team

17
Characteristics that Support Strategy

• Desirable Team Characteristics
• Honesty - Openness - Trust
• Anticipation and avoidance of issues rather than
  waiting for them to turn into problems
• Mutual support - issue resolution, coaching
• No blame culture
• Access to all parties, no communication barriers
• Lean organization, which aids communications and
  speeds decision taking
• Full time members
• Authorized and empowered team members
• Decision making on the spot without referring

18
Characteristics that Support Strategy

• People and Relationships
• Technical competence
• Decisiveness - self starter - can do -
  flexibility
• Ability to forecast outcome and act accordingly
• See the big picture
• Willing to collaborate
• Enthusiasm
• Strong leadership
• Managerial competence
• Openness

19
Characteristics that Support Strategy

• Motivation
• Create a team culture that avoid de-motivation of
  individuals who are keen to succeed, but are
  prevented by the organization, procedures,..
• Working part of a team, working equally hard and
  supporting each other
• Appoint key positions to individuals known to be
  good motivators
• Early identification and removal of
  under-performing individuals
• Team building and partnering sessions
• Incentive/penalty clauses

20
Characteristics that Support Strategy

• Contractual arrangements
• Achieve win-win situation
• Pre-selected, preferred contractor
• Reimbursable basis, with incentives
• Lump-sum can also be used
• Partnering
• Up front agreement for payment for changes and
  extras

21
Characteristics that Support Strategy

• Communications
• More informal communication - face-to-face
• Barriers should be removed - information flows
  directly between the parties regardless of parent
  organization and level of hierarchy
• Responsibility for communication lies with the
  individual who has made a decision
• Frequency and progress meetings
• Frequent and concise reporting

22
Concept Stage

• Introduction
• Time to establish the concept is NOT recoverable
• The opportunity to influence the outcome falls
  off rapidly
• People
• Stakeholders (ALL Should be identified)
• Integrated Team (Sponsor, Project Manager
  Senior Managers from different key players)
• Qualified personnel and motivated

23
Concept Stage

• Scope
• Identify the real Goal and Objectives of the
  client
• Identify Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
• Strategy
• Fast tracking should be avoided unless the client
  business benefits from early completion
  significantly and outweigh risks
• Contract strategy addressed and outlined

24
Concept Stage

• Business and PM Systems
• Business Planning
• process for weeding out poor projects
• A smooth transition from business process to PM
  process
• Stage gates process
• Communications
• Rapid transmission of information
• IT systems
• Publicity needs to be controlled
• Risk Management
• Cost and Risk
• Determination of cost is difficult
• Limited industry information on fast track
  projects
• As accurate as possible estimate to help in the
  decision to adopt a fast track strategy

25
Concept Stage

• Logistics
• Consideration to location of new asset in
  relation to
• Location of customers
• Source and availability of feedstocks, component
  parts
• Supply routes
• Transport security and cost of supply and
  products
• Existing assets
• Workforce skills and availability
• Also should consider
• Locations of parties involved
• Client site - design office - contractor -
  contractors and sub-contractor - suppliers
• Sources of construction equipment - material -
  supply routes and methods - Site access and
  controls

26
Definition Stage

• Introduction
• Lack of adequate definition has arguably been
  responsible for more project failures
• Expenditure of 25 of the total design effort
• Design will need to be progressed on those
  elements of the definition that are sufficiently
  secure in order to feed information to
  construction at the earliest practicable time
• Quality of project definition is very often a
  casualty, with the potential for overruns of cost
  time

27
Definition Stage

• People
• Clarity of objectives
• A clear focus on the objectives as agreed with
  stakeholders at the concept stage must be
  maintained in order to aid in the decision making
  process
• Stakeholders
• The significant stakeholders early identified
  should continue to be involved, consulted and
  advised
• Any other identified stakeholders should be
  involved ASAP
• Integrated Team
• If the project has not so far been led by the
  project manager who will be responsible for
  seeing it through to beneficial use, that
  individual should be appointed at the beginning
  of the definition stage

28
Definition Stage

• People
• Suitably qualified and experienced personnel
• The team should not be selected only on their
  technical and managerial competencies but also
  on their ability to
• Overcome the obstacles and succeed in achieving
  the project CSFs
• Work with high level of uncertainty
• Work flexibly outside the normal work boundaries
• Co-operate with others for the benefit of the
  project
• Project Scope
• It is essential that the project team have a
  clear understanding of what has been agreed by
  stakeholders to be in the scope and what is
  outside the scope

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Definition Stage

• Scope
• For technical definition consider
• Fit for purpose (which may not be ideal
  sometimes)
• Fastest to manufacture/construct rather than
  cheaper
• Reuse of design from existing assets
• Modular design
• Pre-fabrication of components
• Minimization of project scope lean construction
  approach
• Reduction in the number of processing steps in a
  manufacturing plant

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Definition Stage (Cont.)

• Scope
• Reduction in the size of the asset
• Elimination of non-essential elements of the
  design
• Standardization of layout or repeated units
• Standard / off-the-shelf components
• Simplification of design dependencies
• Simplification of the build/construct/assemble
  process
• Avoidance of innovation/new/untried elements in
  general
• Early identification and ordering of long
  delivery items
• Constructability / Operability
• This stage should also include
• Arrangements for handover and commissioning
• Proving and warranty test to be carried out
• Definition of beneficial operation / use as the
  end point of the project

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Definition Stage (Cont.)

• For the Overall Scope also consider
• Achievement of the overall project objectives,
  both what is to be done and how it is to be
  achieved
• Whether phased completion would be acceptable
• Arrangements for handover and commissioning
• Proving and warranty test to be carried out
• Definition of beneficial operation / use as the
  end point of the project
• Project specific critical success factors

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Definition Stage

• Project Strategy
• It should take into account the same aspects
  which were considered in the concept and
  development stages that include
• Work Breakdown Structure and the ability to spilt
  the project into relatively independent parts
• Willingness to take early decisions and accept
  competent solutions
• Ability to keep options open until the last
  responsible moment
• Elimination of hold points for the approval of
  design
• Agreement that the project will accept the best
  decision in light of the information available at
  the time
• Acceptance of risk taking, and the impact of each
  risk
• Delegation and empowerment of the team to promote
  decisions
• Early applications of authorization and approvals
• Availability of benefits / incentives for all
  project parties
• Opportunities to allocate risk and share rewards

33
Definition Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Planning
• It is essential that, as the definition evolves,
  work is scheduled on the basis of achieving the
  earliest beneficial use of the finished asset
• It is also essential that interactive planning
  process advocated as a team building activity
• Project Process
• Based on the project organization, the project
  procedures may be those of the client, the
  contractor or one of the other parties
• Standard processes need to be modified to
  accommodate the degree of overlap between various
  stages
• Authority to approve modifications should be
  assigned ASAP
• A project risk management system must be set up
  as part of the project procedures
• A good system for project documentation is
  essential

34
Definition Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Project control
• Care is needed to ensure that previously rejected
  ideas are not reintroduced at the definition
  stage
• The use of Value Engineering / Constructability
  is essential to enhance the decision making
  process
• Project Communications
• A good communications system need to be
  established and maintained
• This could include intranet, Extranet, Internet,
  Chat rooms, Bulletin Boards, Event Calendars,
  Data Base, etc.
• The greater the level of integration in the
  sharing and re-use of information the more that
  the communication system will support the project
  and enhance success

35
Definition Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Cost and risk
• Cost
• Approval of cost will have to be given on a lower
  level of definition and with a wider tolerance on
  the estimate if the project is to proceed
  unhindered by the supply of funds
• A cost estimate to within plus or minus 10 will
  not be obtained until the end of the design stage
• It is recommended that a control estimate should
  be produced once all the necessary details are
  known
• During this stage it will be necessary to address
  the potential cause of increased cost which may
  rise

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Workshop 1 Risks
List risks associated with the increased level
of overlap between definition and design stages
of a project.
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Solution Workshop 1

1. Design and construction rework arising from lack
   of firm definition
2. Additional management effort at peak to control
   the project
3. Use of additional resources arising from repeat
   work and parallel working requiring more than
   optimal number of people
4. Essential additional items to achieve the CSFs
   which creep into the scope through lack of firm
   definition
5. Procurement against best/guaranteed delivery
   rather than lowest price
6. Additions to equipment orders as details evolve
7. Additional expediting

38
Solution Workshop 1

• Air freighting to speed delivery
• Incorrect initial material quantities which may
  give rise to surpluses, or shortages which will
  need to be topped up at premium costs
• Additional contingencies being included in
  quotations to cover unknown elements where there
  is no scope
• High allowances in tender prices to cover
  penalties for defaults
• Overtime and shift working resulting in higher
  cost and loss of productivity
• Over design vs. waiting for detailed information

39
Design Stage

• Introduction
• The main purpose of this stage is to finalize the
  design requirements for the project
• This stage requires a good understanding of the
  options for compressing the schedule
• It requires the use of the most up-to-date proven
  computer aided design
• People
• Clarity of objectives
• The most elegant design is useless unless it is
  capable of being built safely and to time and
  budget, this has to be fully understood by the
  project team and senior management

40
Design Stage

• People
• Stakeholders
• The interests of all stakeholders should be kept
  under review as the design progress so that
  interested parties can be kept up to date and
  involved at the earliest appropriate stage
• Alliances
• Establishment of a long-term relationship between
  the companies and team involved helps to ensure a
  rapid start-up of the team involved on the
  project at each stage
• Integrated Team
• This stage requires the use of single design team
  incorporating the expertise of all discipline and
  involving those responsible for subsequent stages
  of the project
• The design should be able to be right first
  time to minimize the number and duration of
  design reviews

41
Design Stage

• Integrated Team
• The team need to be supported with appropriate
  collaboration and communication systems
• Team members should have clearly identified roles
  and objectives to eliminate duplication and
  inefficiencies
• The team members need proper empowerment to
  promote rapid and effective decision making
• Team members should be very competent and
  experienced in order to enhance the efficiency of
  the design
• Project Scope
• Clarity of definition
• The problem with some fast track projects is that
  detailed design has to proceed without total
  clarity of definition
• It is a a matter of judgment as to which areas
  are sufficiently well defined to proceed without
  incurring too great risk

42
Design Stage

• Project Scope
• Extent of design
• The extent of design details need to be defined
  from the beginning. Some elements of design has
  always been left to contractors on site to
  complete
• There will be no benefit if the easy 95 of the
  project is fully detailed and the contractor is
  left to struggle with the difficult 5
• Design can only be based on the best option at
  the time given information available
• Early involvement of contractors and suppliers is
  essential

43
Design Stage

• Over-design
• In the absence of hard information it is
  necessary to make more generous allowances than
  would normally be the case
• The level of the over-design will depend on the
  extent of the un-known, the significance and
  perhaps the cost of the time
• The design can be based on the maximum expected
  values e.g., weight of structure, pressure in
  system together with an appropriate safety factor
  rather than waiting until precise values can be
  calculated.
• Example There maybe little cost difference for
  the project as a whole if piling is 30
  over-designed or 50 over-designed, but may allow
  site work to proceed well ahead before the
  accurate details of the superstructure can be
  determined.

44
Design Stage

• Design process
• The design sequence must be planned to ensure
  that the schedule needs of construction drive the
  design process for the production at the right
  time of
• Design information
• Drawings
• Documents
• Materials
• Equipment
• Long lead item data sheets and specifications
  will need to be produced out of sequence with the
  rest of the design.

45
Design Stage

• Design process
• Visual appearance and structural design may need
  to be compromised to achieve the fastest
  completion
• Design option selection may be based on fastest
  to manufacture or build rather than lowest cost
• Design will overlap with procurement and
  construction
• Design of work packages will be in parallel
• By-pass design areas with insufficient
  information and work to assumptions put
  experienced team members to work resolving the
  issues within the black box area
• Incorporate constructability to ensure the
  optimum construction productivity
• Design holds must be minimized as possible
• Design reviews must be carried out very
  thoroughly

46
Design Stage

• Design process
• Design freeze
• The overlap between definition, design and
  construction means that the number of unknowns
  remains higher than in a normal project while
  work is proceeding on the following stage
• Only freeze part of the design which then have to
  be accepted as constraints on the rest of the
  design

47
Design Stage

• Strategy
• Simplicity and repetition
• Reduction in the number of processing steps in a
  manufacturing plant
• Reduction in the size of the asset
• Elimination of non-essential elements of the
  design (de-scoping)
• Standardization of layout or repeated units
• Simplification of the build / construct /
  assemble process
• Standard / Reusable / Off-the-shelf-design
• Consideration should be given to re-use design of
  an existing asset
• An existing asset can be used to train both the
  constructors and users of the new asset
• Base the design of the long delivery items on
  those that already exist so that material
  procurement and fabrication can be started at the
  earliest possible time.

48
Design Stage

• Strategy
• Modularization
• If the overall design can be structured as a
  series of units or modules then there is the
  potential to introduce a number of schedule
  reduction approaches
• Progress separate modules in parallel using
  separate design teams, suppliers, construction
  contractors
• Care to identify all the interdependencies
  between the separate modules and to ensure that
  these are taken into account as the design
  progresses.
• If a number of the modules can be of similar
  design then should be possible to utilize the
  experience gained on early modules to improve the
  efficiency and time
• In a process plant design as a number of parallel
  streams, rather than a single large stream
  Smaller and off-the-shelf items
• Consider the concept of sub-modules mounted
  within plant p may be interchangeable

49
Design Stage

• Strategy
• Prefabrication / Pre-assembly
• Manufacture modules off the site and under
  factory controlled conditions
• Cladding panels complete with windows, external
  fittings, internal finishes
• Fully finished air handling units
• Skid mounted plant
• Fully finished bathrooms
• Standardized internal partitioning
• Completed, tested, validated pilot/ process plant
• Design tools
• The low technology approach will often be found
  (on many projects) to be the quickest to produce
  results
• Consideration to the use of the latest, proven,
  design (CAD) and communication systems (IT)

50
Design Stage

• Project Management Systems and Procedures
• Planning
• Planning of the design must be driven by the
  requirements of later stages, mostly the
  construction stage.
• Interactive planning which involves all members
  of the project team in problem solving and plan
  optimization.
• Critical Chain project planning methodology has
  been credited with a significant reduction in
  project duration. The methodology results in the
  schedule contingency, which is normally hidden in
  the planned duration of each activity, being
  removed from the critical chain of activities and
  being replaced by a number of buffers of project
  contingencies that are provided to protect blocks
  of activities and are visible to the project team
  

51
Design Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Project Control
• Effective project control is one of the keys to a
  successful fast track
• It must be a dynamic process with a very short
  cycle time so that deviations are recognized and
  corrected
• Design progress measurements should be at the
  simplest level
• Frequent up-dates of measurements / information
• Progress information / reports are simple,
  concise and easily available to relevant people
• Monitoring of key trends flogging adverse
  trends and forecast out-turns that are not in
  accordance with the schedule including schedule
  float.
• Exception reporting of items not completed to
  schedule
• Progress against deliverables, milestones, CSFs
  and forecast out-turns
• Earned Value measurement

52
Design Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Design Approval
• To ensure that the client fully understands the
  detail of the assets being created and does not
  come up with additional or alternative
  requirements during procurement, construction or
  commissioning phases, it is necessary to have
  good design approval system which includes
  sign-off by the client.
• Approval of the design sub-units that are the
  responsibilities of specialist vendors may need
  to take place on their premises to avoid delays
• Design verification
• Verification should commence as soon as possible
  to limit the amount of re-work

53
Design Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Change Control
• Effective change control system is essential, but
  is difficult to enforce due to the increased risk
  of rework arising from the overlap of design and
  construction.
• Rapid rejection and approval will help to limit
  rework and minimize the impact of change
• Communications
• Good verbal communications need to be established
  between the parties so decisions are known
  quickly and design can progress rapidly.
• Meetings should be kept to a minimum and focused
  on decision taking rather than communication of
  matters purely for interest.
• Communications within the team should take place
  as needed and not be restricted to a meetings
  timetable
• Communications with other parties outside the
  design team need to be kept up to speed with
  design details as they evolve
• Full use of IT systems for storage and
  communication of information

54
Design Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Constructability Reviews
• The integrated team is best placed to address the
  issues which arise from Constructability
  considerations as the structure and detailed
  design are evolving.

55
Design Stage

• Cost and Risk Considerations
• The main risks in this stage are of increased
  cost and delay due to sub-optimum design or
  incorrect design resulting in rework
• The root cause can be either commencing detailed
  design before a comprehensive and firm definition
  has been agreed or from the early decision
  approach where there are interdependencies
  between the elements on which parallel working is
  taking place.

56
Workshop 2 Risks at the Design Stage

• List the risks associated with increased overlap
  between design and construction stages
• List the risks associated with increased overlap
  between design and procurement stages

57
Workshop 2 Solution

• List the risks associated with increased overlap
  between design and construction stages
• Product which is to be manufactured on the plant
  fails its trials
• Failure of innovative designs as a result of
  putting them into practice without sufficient
  development
• Failures of innovative methodologies as a result
  of hasty and insufficiently considered
  application
• Increased level of rework as a result of
• Lack of firm definition
• Omissions as a consequence of out-of-sequence
  design
• Changes to design of fabricated items after
  delivery to site
• Increased whole of life cost due to sub-optimum
  design
• Conflict

58
Workshop 2 Solution

• List the risks associated with increased overlap
  between design and construction stages
• Increased capital cost arising from
• Modularization e.g., extra structural steel,
  extra joint/connections, greater precision
• Over-design due to judgments based on limited
  information
• Sub-optimum design through the use of standard
  designs or reuse of existing design
• Problem at design and construction discipline
  interfaces

59
Workshop 2 Solution

• List the risks associated with increased overlap
  between design and procurement stages
• Lack of understanding of scope
• Design changes requiring revised contract and
  purchase orders leading to delays or cost
  increases
• Errors or omissions in purchase of materials or
  equipment
• Reduced certainty of outcome for all project
  parameters cost, time, quality, safety
• Interdisciplinary design conflicts arising from
  out of sequence working
• Problems with systems integration
• Inappropriate form of contract for those
  contracts which are let on the basis of
  inadequate or incorrect design information
• Selection of inappropriate contractors
• Inappropriate allocation of risk

60
Design Stage

• Logistics
• Design team location
• The design team is the center of the project team
  activities
• If the whole project team cannot be located
  together, consideration should be given to locate
  them all together through the design stage
• Access
• Arrangements should be made for design team to
  gain access to project site as early as possible

61
Construction Stage

• Introduction
• Manage the additional risks
• Achieve high productivity from construction work
  force
• Good understanding of options for compressing the
  schedule
• Good risk management and communication system
• Coordination among all contractors and suppliers
• People
• Clarity of objectives
• The CSFs and what is expected of site staff in
  achieving these CSFs should be communicated to
  all construction staff
• The key performance indicator against which
  construction performance is to be measured should
  be explained
• The interests of the site workforce should be
  identified (working arrangements, working
  periods, flexibility and critical path activities)

62
Construction Stage

• People
• Integrated team
• Single integrated team with one culture should be
  carried through to the construction site (it may
  be difficult with many suppliers)
• Contracts between the parties involved need to be
  set up to promote integration and co-operation
  and to enable all parties to be available as and
  when demanded by the schedule.
• The following elements have been noted as being
  helpful
• Effective management of the overall team effort
• Contractual obligations for all parties to work
  co-operatively regardless of direct contractual
  relationship
• Design staff to be based on the construction site
• Rapid response from engineering staff not site
  based

63
Construction Stage

• Integrated team
• Vendors available to assist in the erection, site
  testing and pre-commissioning
• Dedicated staff to co-ordinate and expedite
  permits, clearness, etc.
• Commissioning staff used as construction
  inspectors
• Client and commissioning staff involved in punch
  listing of defects
• Project facilitators to deal with hold ups,
  interface problems
• Joint construction and commissioning punch
  listing team
• Punch list rectification squad which is separate
  from the normal construction squad to hit
  critical items while avoiding disruption to
  construction progress
• Testing as part of the installation process, not
  subsequent activity

64
Construction Stage

• People
• Delegation and empowerment
• Authorize and empower members of the project
  team to promote rapid and effective decision
  taking at the lowest competent level
• Necessary numbers and skills must be made
  available to meet the demands of the schedule
• Supervision ratios may need to be increased
• Skilled and experienced staff are employed
• Construction team motivation is essential to
  enhance success
• Remove disincentives and provide incentives
• Schedule is challenging but realistic
• Demonstrate management dedication and commitment
• Remove underperforming staff from team
• Simplify work methods
• Avoid non-essential overtime
• Supply design information, materials, equipment,
  support services

65
Construction Stage

• Scope
• A clear definition of scope in form of drawings
  and specifications, codes, standards and best
  practices.
• Need to now what is required and how to deliver
  he scope
• Strategy
• Construction plan
• Satisfy conditions for plant commissioning and
  handover
• Provision of agreed documentation to following
  stages
• Pull through of design, materials, equipment,
  resources
• Inclusion of output from Constructability reviews
• Utilization of latest proven methods and
  technical improvements
• Detailed planning / control for critical path and
  special operations
• Modularization and off-site fabrication
• Locations of site facilities, workshops, etc.
• Complete weld preps prior to installation of
  steelwork/pipes
• Pre-painting of pipes and steel

66
Construction Stage

• Site contracts
• Number and arrangement of contractors should be
  optimized for speed of construction
• Management and resources
• Number and skills supplied to meet demands of
  plan
• Competence in required project management and
  discipline skills
• Workforce clocking / accommodation / messing
  facilities close to work faces
• Materials and equipment
• Materials and consumables supplied to ensure no
  delay through shortage
• Materials management system to supply materials
  and equipment safely and efficiently to the work
  face
• Generous supply of construction equipment,
  personal protective
• Construction, commissioning and operational
  spares ordered with equipment

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Construction Stage

• Quality assurance
• Build quality in. Do the job right the first time
  (inspection does not improve quality)
• Systems designed to minimize rework
• Ensure that the latest revision is n use and
  previous issues have been withdrawn
• Access
• Good, safe site access
• Generous lay-down, storage and work areas for
  pre-fabrication, assembly and inspection/testing
• Safe and unobstructed access to the work face
  e.g. scaffolding
• Maximum use of mobile access devices such as
  Cherry Pickers and scissor lifts
• Safety, Health and Environment

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Construction Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Planning
• Construction requirements in terms of design,
  planning approvals, contracts, materials,
  equipment services and documentation should be
  built into the project plan from the earliest
  practicable time.
• Only in this way will it be possible for the
  preceding stages (Development, design,
  procurement) to organize their work so as to
  produce constructable design packages and
  constructable procurement packages
• Construction plan should be based on the
  requirements for pre-commissioning and
  commissioning
• Keep plan under review throughout the
  construction period.

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Construction Stage

• Planning
• Only the minimum number of essential activities
  on the critical path
• Maximize benefits from prefabricated elements
• Plan construction of repetitive units as a
  manufacturing process
• Package work to allow multiple work fronts in
  parallel
• Plan construction sequence so as to meet
  pre-commissioning and commissioning needs
• Base the schedule on shorter time intervals i.e.
  days or hours for critical tasks
• Site access arrangement
• Establishment of site infrastructure
• Work permit provision
• Resource demands of the schedule recruitment,
  induction, training
• Move from area based to process system
• Commence construction based on early design
  information
• Key long lead and critical activities
• Contingency planning for critical activities
• Constructable work packages
• Deferment of non-essential items until late in
  the program

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Construction Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Project Control
• Control must be a dynamic process with very
  short cycle time and include the following
• Frequent monitoring of all trends in work
  progress
• Frequent monitoring of changes
• The use of simple progress indicator graphs
  (S-curve) on a daily basis
• Simple progress reports and easily available to
  relevant people
• Exception reporting of items not completed to
  scheduled
• Progress against deliverables, milestones, etc.
• Earned Value measurement
• Change Control
• Design changes are to be avoided
• If design change is essential, implement through
  change control system
• Resist verbal request at all costs

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Construction Stage

• Project Management Procedures
• Communications
• Communications should be
• Simple limited to what is necessary
• Pertinent
• Timely
• Using best available mechanism face-to-face
• Use of IT and 3D design tools to have a clear
  understanding of the product
• Enable all parties to work together with an
  improved understanding of the design intent to
  avoid delays arising from misunderstandings and
  interdisciplinary conflicts

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Construction Stage

• Cost and Risk
• Mechanism for controlling costs through efficient
  use of labour and materials and the avoidance of
  rework including rectification of defective work
• Strategies to achieve high productivity
• Multiple shift or night shift will add to cost
• It may be necessary for the client to provide
  advance payment to enable contractors to commit
  materials and resources ASAP.
• Balance between risk and reward

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Construction Stage

• Logistics
• Design support for construction should be located
  on site
• If not possible then effective IT system should
  be used to improve communications and enable
  marked up drawings to be rapidly transmitted
• Maintain the momentum of the construction site
  and avoid the need to move site labour on to less
  urgent work due to hold ups on the critical
  activities
• Procurement support should be provided and
  include
• Documentation covering both purchasing
  transaction and documentation
• Good receipt procedures
• Inspections requirements
• Quarantine of incorrect or defective goods
• Storage and conservation
• Handling and delivery to the work face
• Surpluses
• Returns of incorrect, defective materials and
  equipment

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Key Issues

• With Fast Track
• Control is redefined from monitoring results to
  making things happen
• Performance is maximizing value and minimizing
  waste at the project level
• Value to the client is defined, created and
  delivered throughout the life of the project
• Coordinating action through pulling and
  continuous flow as opposed to traditional
  schedule driven push with its over-reliance on
  central authority and project schedule to manage
  resources and coordinate work
• Decentralizing decision making through
  transparency and empowerment (effective
  communication)

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Key Issues

• Key organizational features include leadership,
  teamwork and trust
• The construction requirement is the basis for
  planning the supply of design, documentation,
  materials, equipment and resources
• Providing the wrong goods or service the right
  way is waste do the right project before you do
  the project right
• Project control is controlling the project, not
  just retrospective monitoring
• Good communication are needed to support decision
  making
• Eliminate ineffective time on site activities
• Significant attention to project with new
  technology

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Managing Fast Track Projects A Guide and
Checklists
Thank You