Foresight and PTAG Webinar recap : Accelerate your major construction project delivery with AI – April 25, 2024

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During this webinar hosted by Tom Smedley (Foresight) and Patrick Dubreuil (PTAG), participants explored how AI, machine learning, and natural language processing can revolutionize construction project management. The session, focused on addressing common challenges like delays and cost overruns, was held on April 25, 2024, drawing a diverse audience of industry professionals eager to leverage technology for better outcomes.

PTAG leverages AI tools by blending it with our deep expertise in project controls and project management, ensuring a secure project context-centric approach to handling project complexities. By integrating the benefits of AI with the contextual expertise the PTAG team brings, enhances decision-making through predictive analytics and performance insights. This combination leads to improved project delivery by enhancing schedule adherence and optimizing resource allocation. By focusing on client-specific needs and outcomes, PTAG ensures that tools like Foresight not only support but also drive superior project performance and efficiency. This strategic combination underscores PTAG’s commitment to innovation and excellence in project management.

This is the recap video recording of the webinar, which was originally recorded on April 25, 2024

Want access to past webinars? Please visit: http://www.ptaginc.com/webinars

Stay tuned for future webinars and industry updates from PTAG!

Best Practices Webinar: Accelerate your Major Construction Project Delivery with AI

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See a demo of how AI can help you execute projects faster

If your construction teams are suffering from delays and cost overruns on major projects, there is a solution. By applying AI, machine learning and natural language processing to project schedule data, you can unleash predictive insights about delay risks and work prioritization.

Join Foresight and PTAG on April 25,2024 at 11 am (EST) as we discuss best practices for how AI can improve your planning, execution, and risk recognition.

We’ll demonstrate how unlock the hidden value in your Oracle Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project data, including how to:

· Identify Priorities and Set Action Plans

· Collaborate with Diverse Stakeholders

· Recognize Risks and Bottlenecks

· Learn from Past Projects

· Enhance Schedule Reporting and Visibility

Attendees are eligible for a complimentary AI-enabled schedule health check!

See for yourself how quick and easy it is to overcome the shortcomings of legacy scheduling software.

SIGN UP TODAY!

Planning For Startup

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Startup is the transitional phase between plant construction completion and commercial operations, including all the activities that bridge these two phases. Critical steps within Startup include system turnover, checkout of systems, commissioning of systems, introduction of feedstock, and performance testing.

The importance of Startup planning is exemplified by the pressures to increase profits by reducing costs, reductions in owner staff and increases in outsourcing of services, demands for shorter project life-cycle times, and a lack of planning capabilities and supportive tools. These business and project challenges demand increases in organizational efficiency and management effectiveness.

Successful project delivery and commercial operation requires a successful Startup. Research indicates a reasonably strong correlation between Startup success and comprehensive Startup planning.

PTAG provides a Startup Planning Model for Startup activities through all eight project phases:

  1. Requirements Definition and Technology Transfer
  2. Conceptual Development and Feasibility
  3. Front-End Engineering
  4. Detailed Design
  5. Procurement
  6. Construction
  7. Checkout & Commissioning
  8. Initial Operations

PTAG/Foresight Joint Webinar: Accelerate your Capital Project Delivery with AI

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How AI can help you build megaprojects faster

If your construction teams are suffering from delays and cost overruns on major projects, there is a solution. By applying AI, machine learning and natural language processing to project schedule data, you can unleash predictive insights about delay risks and schedule compression opportunities.

Join Foresight’s Atif Ansar and PTAG’s Michael Dubreuil subject matter experts on November 16th, 2023, at 2 pm EDT as they demonstrate how to unlock the hidden value in your Oracle Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project data.

Dr Atif Ansar

Foresight Works Ltd., Executive Chairman, & Faculty, Saïd Business School, University
of Oxford

Michael Dubreuil

PTAG- Managing Partner

In this webinar, you will learn the following:

  • Why capital projects need AI
  • How projects can benefit from AI
    • Identify priorities and set action plans
    • Collaborate with diverse stakeholders
    • Recognize risks and bottlenecks
    • Enhance schedule visibility and easily generate reports

See for yourself how quick and easy it is to overcome the shortcomings of legacy scheduling software. 

And remember: by attending, you’ll eligible for a complimentary AI-enabled schedule health check.

Foresight’s ability to assess and analyze P6 data is impressive, saves us time and generates valuable insights, helping our efforts enormously with clients

Senior Project Manager, PTAG
Register Now!

Collaborative contracting for Small Modular Reactors Webinar Recap- October 25, 2023

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The world will increasingly rely on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to meet its emission reduction targets as it transitions its sources of energy generation. Compared to other generation alternatives, SMRs provide a safer, more reliable, economical, and environmentally responsible alternative for energy generation to supply industry and society.

In this webinar PTAG’s Michael Dubreuil and Bruce Burwell along their CII colleagues presented an update on how Industrial IPD (I2PD) and CII Best Practices are supporting early first-mover SMR projects in both the United States and Canada with growing international interest.

The following topics were discussed in this webinar:

  • The projected SMR market demand
  • Early adopters of Industrial IPD for SMRs
  • What are the key features and benefits of Industrial IPD
  • Several CII Best Practices that will help facilitate industry readiness

For those who missed the live event or wished to revisit the valuable discussions, we have uploaded the full webinar recap video.

This is the recap video recording of the webinar, which was originally recorded on October 25, 2023

Important Lessons learned from Modularization

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Modularization entails the large-scale transfer of stick-build construction effort from the jobsite to one or more local or distant fabrication shops/yards to exploit one or more strategic advantages. However, the construction industry has been slow to achieve high levels of modularization. It has reached a ceiling regarding the percentage of stick-built work hours being exported offsite. The research effort led to the development of five distinct solution elements:

  1. Business case process
  2. Execution plan differences
  3. Critical success factors
  4. Standardization strategy
  5. Modularization maximization enablers

PTAG has industry-specific teams ready to address the question of what changes or adaptations in traditional project work processes are required to create an optimal environment for broader and more effective use of modularization. For successful modularization to occur, substantial owner involvement must occur early. The scope of research limited this team’s work to the industrial sector; however, its research findings may apply equally well to the commercial and infrastructure project sectors.      

The following figure shows the lessons learned for Front End Planning, Engineering, Contracts and Procurement, Fabrication, Transportation, Site installation, and Staffing.

Planning For Modularization

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Planning for modularization is the evaluation and determination of offsite construction in the front end planning phase to achieve specific strategic objectives and improve the project outcomes. The process includes developing a business case and execution strategy for large-scale transfer of stick-built construction effort from the job site to fabrication shops or yards.

In order to achieve higher, more successful levels of modularization, industry and project
leaders should be attentive to the five different elements of the solution, as illustrated in the following picture:

  1. Business case process
  2. Execution plan differences
  3. Critical success factors
  4. Standardization strategy
  5. Modularization maximization enablers

The modularization business case process should be applied at the earliest opportunity. Project teams should consider the modular approach the “default” approach in order to
allow the advancement of modularization in the industry

Industry-wide barriers continue to challenge the broad-based achievement of high levels of modularization. There are ten maximization enablers to act as counter-measures to these challenges and to accelerate modularization across the industry.

At PTAG, our industry-specific teams are ready to implement modularization on your project to enhance various aspects of project management, including time, cost, safety, quality, and productivity.

Partnering (part 2)

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What makes partnering successful?

Within the construction industry, partnering – an optimal relationship between a customer and supplier – offers many opportunities to improve construction projects’ total quality and cost-effectiveness while developing an atmosphere conducive to innovation, teamwork, trust, and commitment. Partnering can be used to attain total quality management (TQM).

Key Elements of Partnering:

a. Long-Term Relationship

b. Commitment

c. Continuous Improvement

d. Trust

e. Investment

f.  Alignment

g. Synergism

h. Shared Risks

i.  Mutual Rewards

j.  Equity

k. Systemic Relationship

l. Competitive Edge

Benefits of Partnering:

a. Continuous improvement of the quality of services and products
b. More effective utilization of resources
c. Improved profits (value) for all parties
d. Encourages innovation on projects
e. Develops long-term teamwork, trust, and commitment
f.  Allows for continuous planned development of new skills and processes

Major Concerns of Partnering:

a. Protecting proprietary information
b. Evaluation/assurance of value received
c. Fair sharing of risks by all parties
d. Obtaining/maintaining total commitment
e. Creates strong dependency on partner
f.  Limits competitive market strategy
g. Integration of differing company cultures

Results, Process, and Relationship Measures

To assess the true benefits of partnering, track and measure performance in a partnering relationship, then compare those results with the same data from before the adoption of partnering. Research suggests using the following measures:

  1. Results: hard measures based on objective analysis of performance relative to
    quantifiable standards
  2. Process: used to assess the existence and performance of work processes
  3. Relationship: qualitative measures used to assess the health of a partnership or project
    team, or the perception of its performance by key customers

The partnership triangle shows the criticality of the integration or links of the measures with each other and the business drivers.

PTAG helps you to benefit from partnering by:

a. Continuous improvement of the quality of services and products
b. More effective utilization of resources
c. Improved profits (value) for all parties
d. Encourages innovation on projects
e. Develops long-term teamwork, trust, and commitment
f.  Allows for continuous planned development of new skills and processes

Partnering (Best Practice)

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Having a strong partnership makes a tremendous impact on projects.

PTAG has industry-specific teams ready to help you build a united team
with a common objective, improving quality,
reducing costs, and increasing efficiency.

Partnering is a long-term commitment between two or more organizations as in an alliance or it may be applied to a shorter period of time such as the duration of a project. The purpose of partnering is to achieve specific business objectives by maximizing the effectiveness of each participant’s resources.

Partnering’s bottom line: a construction industry process that strengthens both projects and partners, tightens schedules, safeguards quality, and enhances each partner’s competitive edge.

Partnering requires changing traditional relationships to ones that exist within a shared culture without regard to organizational boundaries. These relationships are based on
trust, dedication to common goals, and mutual understanding of individual expectations and values.

Successful partnering involves selecting a qualified partner, establishing a rapport between the two major players in the project, and then expanding the commitment to other key players in the project.

Six key factors in implementing and managing successful partnering relationships are:

  • Establishing Trust
  • Getting Top Management’s Support
  • Establishing Win-Win Objectives
  • Addressing Internal Barriers
  • Getting Champion to Direct the Process
  • Developing Measures, Linked to Objectives

Managing an Effective Partnering Relationship is a Five Phase Process:

Phase 1 – Owner’s Internal Alignment

Phase 2 – Partner Selection

Phase 3 – Partnering Relationship

Phase 4 – Project Alignment

Phase 5 – Work Process Alignment

Lessons Learned Program (LLP)

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Lessons Learned (LL) is knowledge gained from experience, successful or otherwise, to improve future performance. Each company should develop a Lessons Learned Program (LLP) to promote success and achievement. The Lessons Learned Program involves the people, processes, and tools that support an organization’s collection, analysis, and implementation of validated lessons learned. People possess organizational knowledge. The procedures must be structured to allow people to collect, analyze, and share knowledge easily.

Overall, Lessons Learned Programs are essential to the construction industry. The key to achieving an effective and sustainable Lessons Learned Program is the degree of continuing commitment and leadership from the organization’s top management. Lessons Learned will become even more critical as employees age and retire and turnover increases. Additionally, globalization also increases the need for LLPs to ensure that an organization is able to address critical issues such as culture, language, distance, and diversity.

  • Every organization should move forward in developing or improving a lessons learned program.
  • Leadership, top-level and tactical, is the essential prerequisite for the success of these programs.
  • Organizations should become “teaching” organizations rather than organizations that only collect or learn from the past in an ad hoc or passive manner.
  • Organizations should adopt an active implementation strategy to ensure that lessons are used.
  • Although technology is vital in developing and using the Lessons Learned Program, the importance of organizational culture should not be underestimated.
  • The quality of lessons learned is more important than the quantity of lessons in the database.
  • Both owners and contractors can benefit from lessons learned programs. Necessarily, the captured lessons learned will be focused on different areas based on the organization’s business needs.

There are three main components to the Lessons Learned Program (LLP):

  1. The collection involves gathering data and information on the experiences of individuals and teams in the organization. Collection can occur at multiple stages of project execution.
  2. Analysis can be performed by a team or a subject matter expert (SME). This step is necessary to ensure the information gathered is relevant, correct, and easily understood.
  3. Implementation can involve changes in practices and procedures or changes in the project execution. Lessons learned should be implemented quickly to ensure they are helpful for the organization.

PTAG has industry-specific teams ready to manage and organize this knowledge to benefit your organization in the form of a reduction of total project cost and/or reduction of project schedule.