Project Review

Once we have outlined the basic schedule, we need to review it to make sure that the timing for each activity is aligned with the necessary resources. Here are tools commonly used to do this:

• 'What if' scenario analysis – This method compares and measures the effects of different scenarios on a project. We use simulations to determine the effects of various adverse, or harmful, assumptions – such as resources not being available on time, or delays in other areas of the project. We can then measure and plan for the risks posed in these scenarios.
• Resource leveling – Here, we rearrange the sequence of activities to address the possibility of unavailable resources, and to make sure that excessive demand is not put on resources at any point in time. If resources are available only in limited quantities, then we change the timing of activities so that the most critical activities have enough resources.
• Critical chain method – This also addresses resource availability. We plan activities using their latest possible start and finish dates. This adds extra time between activities, which we can then use to manage work disruptions.
• Risk multipliers – Risk is inevitable, so we need to prepare for its impact. Adding extra time to high-risk activities is one strategy. Another is to add a time multiplier to certain tasks or certain resources to offset overly optimistic time estimation.

Methodology

Level 1 Master Schedule

This schedule is a non-networked bar chart covering the total project scope and the overall project time frame, and establishes the Project Baseline.
It shall be in sufficient detail to show the overall EPC phasing of the major portions of the project.
The major project milestones and dates, and all contractual milestones should be clearly identified along the top of the schedule drawing.
The Project may, at their discretion, opt to overlay the Project Percent (%) Complete Curve, and/or the Project Staffing Histogram on the PMS, though this is not compulsory.
This high level schedule is intended to provide a summary overview only, and it is desirable it not take up more than one sheet.
Following development and review it is recommended practice that a copy of the PMS is signed by the ENKA Project Manager and the Client counterpart together with other major project participants.
The schedule may be required by the Bank, Client and Management to enable them to see at a glance the shape of the Project, and the time spans envisaged and agreed upon. Therefore as this schedule may be used by many people who may not be familiar with EPC practices and terminology, it should be as jargon-free and as clear as possible.

Level 2 – Summary Schedule by Complex or Area

This schedule shall be produced directly as a “roll-up” from the Level 3 networks.
The schedule is in summary bar chart format and covers the overall project time frame(s) for the element of work covered.  It is not networked, in the traditional sense in that it is a roll-up of the level 3 CPM schedule
The main use of the Level 2 material is to provide a summary overview of their scope of work to the individual managers e.g. Engineering, Procurement and Construction.
Content must therefore facilitate establishment of the schedule components at the Facility level and by Phase or Work Package where this helps in defining the relationships. Where possible each element should be considered as a separate manageable asset.
It is recommended that each section i.e. E, P or C Level 2 schedule takes up no more than two to three sheets.

Level 3 – Project Network Schedules

The Level 1 schedule shall serve as the outline basis from which to develop the Level 3 Networks.
The Level 3 schedules are probably the most important working tools used on the project, as they comprise the backbone of the planning system.
The total Project may be broken into sub-projects, and the activities logically linked in line with the overall Project Execution Plan. These sub-projects may be, for example, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Commissioning and Start-up or they could be by Unit or some other form of work package.   These integrated networks must link all activities from the initial front-end Design Engineering through to Mechanical Completion and into handover to facilitate the use of Critical Path Analysis.
The output from the Level 3 networks and systems shall be utilized to develop reports and graphics for progress reports such as:

·         Critical activities listings 

·         Basis for detailed work planning 

·         Summary bar charts

·         90 days look-ahead bar charts

·         Material procurement and subcontract award dates

·         Bulk material installation curves (Commodity Curves)

       The schedule shall be correctly –when the Utility Flow Schemes and system wise material take-off issues complete- interfaced with the Pre-commissioning and Commissioning schedule as well as the Start-up Schedule when part of our Contract.

The networks shall be updated at agreed cut-off dates and schedule reports generated and incorporated in Project reports.
A work breakdown structure (WBS), in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverable oriented decomposition of a project into smaller components. It defines and groups a project's discrete work elements in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project.
A work breakdown structure element may be a product, data, a service, or any combination. A WBS also provides the necessary framework for detailed cost estimating and control along with providing guidance for schedule development and control.
The work breakdown structure is a tree structure, which shows a subdivision of effort required to achieve an objective; for example a program, project, and contract. In a project or contract, the WBS is developed by starting with the end objective and successively subdividing it into manageable components in terms of size, duration, and responsibility (e.g., systems, subsystems, components, tasks, subtasks, and work packages) which include all steps necessary to achieve the objective.
The work breakdown structure provides a common framework for the natural development of the overall planning and control of a contract and is the basis for dividing work into definable increments from which the statement of work can be developed and technical, schedule, cost, and labor hour reporting can be established.
A work breakdown structure permits summing of subordinate costs for tasks, materials, etc., into their successively higher level “parent” tasks, materials, etc. For each element of the work breakdown structure, a description of the task to be performed is generated. This technique (sometimes called a system breakdown structure) is used to define and organize the total scope of a project.
The WBS is organized around the primary products of the project (or planned outcomes) instead of the work needed to produce the products (planned actions). Since the planned outcomes are the desired ends of the project, they form a relatively stable set of categories in which the costs of the planned actions needed to achieve them can be collected. A well-designed WBS makes it easy to assign each project activity to one and only one terminal element of the WBS. In addition to its function in cost accounting, the WBS also helps map requirements from one level of system specification to another, for example a requirements cross reference matrix mapping functional requirements to high level or low level design documents.