Saturday, July 11, 2020
Hi again Mitch!
I appreciate your time in reviewing and then commenting on this post.
"Why?"
Because what I stated in the initial post, and the quote about FEL by Barshop (2003") below supports, is the most effective and efficient time to make the project assessment evaluations is BEFORE signing a contract to deliver. Once the contract is executed, well, please view the graph attached.
According to Barshop (2003), "Front-end loading (FEL) is a process by which a company translates its marketing and technology opportunities into capital projects. The objective is to align project objectives with the business need and to develop the most efficient process design and execution plan to achieve the project objectives" (p. 17).
Opportunity Framing: [1]
-à PLEASE OPEN ATTACHMENT.
Mitch, I find your style of writing exhibits a desire to "Get on with it." And I do appreciate the project vocabulary upgrade as I had not known the expressions FEL and OF. After some more research on those phrases, they reminded me of professionals from the past in the E/A/C profession who had, more frequently than not, a three-step project MO:
1. Nail the contract ASAP!
2. Lack of adequate project start-up Q&A dialogue.
3. Projects budgeted with 15 to 30 % profit closed out with a 2% to 5% return.
What I proposed happens before "Stop talking, we're already behind! Get it going and I'll get back to you later."
I look forward to our continuing dialogue
Stay Healthy!
Cheers,
Bill
[1] https://www.triple-eee.com/index.php/cms_categorie/74836/content/categorie/id/74836/CurrentLanguage/3
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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-08-2020 03:40 PM
From: Mitchell Winkler
Subject: "Silent" Project Start-up Questions.
I'm a big fan of planning and get the approach presented in your post. A related, and possibly more apt approach to Civil Engineering type projects, is Front End Loading. The basic concept behind Front End Loading is that the bulk of value creation / destruction for a given project happens in the planning stage. You can have the best execution, but you can't save a poorly planned or defined project. Conversely, it's hard to add material value during execution. I would encourage you and others to look at Front End Loading, if not already familiar with the concept. There are a lot of good resources to be found on the web that explain the concept in more detail. Your post also brings to mind Opportunity Framing. Opportunity Framing is a systematic process for asking 1) where are we now, 2) where do we want to go, and 3) how do we get there. Opportunity Framing when applied effectively, can create a deep understanding the problem and solution space, help prioritize critical work and activity tasks, and provide a vehicle for building stakeholder engagement and support. More details can also be found on the web. Opportunity Framing is one of the most important tools in my tool kit and has never let me down.
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Mitch Winkler P.E., M.ASCE
Houston, TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2020 12:34 PM
From: William Hayden
Subject: "Silent" Project Start-up Questions.
"To understand how to improve you've got to know where you're failing first."
Those project phase failure-zones that appear to be "Common" are:
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Project Proposal Language.
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Negotiation Balanced Tradeoffs.
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Contract Language Specifications
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Project Startup Meeting.
In my opinion, the very last opportunity to frame the success of your project is in the phase "Project Startup Meeting."
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For the edification of all, please read the attached paper.
And then share your thoughts about:
1. What makes sense.
2. What doesn't; and,
3. What alternatives you suggest might address the subject better.
Stay Healthy!
Cheers,
Bill
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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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