Information is powerful. Misinformation is Dangerous.
If were talking about project controls then the metrics we use to measure the project need to be reliable and accurate. I’ve seen many large schemes have metrics which are easily manipulated to meet the targets which have been set. Which is more important, meeting the target or reporting the truth that the metrics aren’t meeting the target? This can easily be the problem when setting targets.
Senior management can make some very important decisions based on the project controls information. Manipulated information is the Rubbish In. Miss information can lead Senior management to make the wrong decision. This is the Rubbish Out.
The other side of the coin here could be the programme reliability. That’s to say continually missreporting the status of the planned completion until recovery of the programme is beyond achievable. Reporting issues or a slipping planned completion early on allows time for something to be done however if this goes on unreported or covered up for too long then mitigation wont be possible until its too late.
Being transparent with information will allow Senior Management to make an informed decision. The better the information they are fed the better the decision is likely going to be. Identifying trends, outputs and completion movement early on will allow action to be taken. Manipulating data, hiding the true completion slippage and hiding issues only allow them to fester, its always best to get the issues out in the open so something can be done about them.
Having good information is the foundation. Maintaining and reporting good information only goes to improve the accuracy of the decision making process.
This all starts with the Tender. Making sure price and programme are aligned rather than pricing the BoQ. A well thought out tender plan will put you in good stead for project delivery. A rushed and ill thought tender may still win you the project but you will have no idea what you’ve let yourself in for unless you produce a robust forecast and delivery programme however by this point it could be too late depending on the type of contract.
Another element where Rubbish In – Rubbish Out comes to play is in the assessment and production of claims. A poorly prepared or demonstrated entitlement claim could easily lead to the assessment and agreement coming up short of the true entitlement. Poor records also hamper the best claims consultants. Inaccurate or missing records will affect the quality of any claim or demonstration to entitlement. Rubbish information in a claim will result in a poorer result.
KCES Limited offer a full lifecycle of programme management solutions from Tender through delivery to EoT claims and Lessons Learnt reviews. Sometimes an outside view is what it takes to highlight issues or improvements. It can be all too easy to get blinkered.
Planetal provides Tendering, Delivery Planning and Forensic Delay Expert Services to the construction industry. For more information on how we can help click one of the links below:
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