A few short years ago, the EDG tools for project controls were similar to those of our competitors. They consisted of independent schedules and an assortment of spreadsheet processes which required a lot of manipulation, increasing the possibility of errors, inconsistencies and erroneous outputs.
As the corporate workload increased and the type of projects we executed became larger and more complex, it became evident that improved processes would be needed to provide EDG with adequate tools and to satisfy client requirements. At this time, EDG decided to advance our standing in the industry by focusing on the market desire for a strong and effective project management and controls department. To effect this necessary change, we approached the problem on three fronts: people, tools and processes.
First, we embarked on a mission of recruiting a staff of experienced and knowledgeable project controls personnel to form a highly capable and motivated team. As a result of these efforts, the team currently consists of seven people in the Houston office and four in the Metairie office – all reporting to the project controls manager.
Second, we acquired the necessary tools. For scheduling, we use the industry-standard Primavera® products. However, for full integration of estimating, scheduling, time-writing and reporting, it was necessary to develop in-house tools. For this reason, a database was developed which could more effectively and efficiently provide our clients with information on spent, earned and forecasted man hours, as well as project progress. For consulting firms such as EDG, man hours can be translated almost directly to dollars. In this way, progress and cost can be reported in a virtually limitless number of ways.
Finally, we formalized our processes to ensure consistency across all projects by developing a suite of standard operating procedures (SOPs) that dictate how each control function will be executed. These SOPs cover:
- Scope development (CTR)
- Planning and scheduling (networks, bar charts, histograms)
- Progress measurement and reporting (progress curves, earned value)
- Change management
These developments have put EDG at the forefront of our industry in the project controls area. The project controls team provides services to all projects and ensures that controls and reporting are accurate and fully transparent, contributing significantly to project success and client satisfaction.
Typical examples of the tools and outputs can be found here.