Contractors for Success

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Dorothy Manning
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1 Managing a Project and Outside Contractors for Success July 20, 2011 A Society of Broadcast Engineers Webinar John Luff, Consultant HD Consulting, Pittsburgh

2 Topics What does it take to manage a project? Project management process Tools you can use Working with outside resources

3 Where to Start? What has to be managed? Scope, Dollars, Dates What, by whom, by when, with what resources Process: Define the problem carefully Decide what success will look like Break the problem into bite sized chunks Create structure matching the project Pick tools and communications strategies

4 Project management fundamentals Successful project management requires: Careful definition of the problem to be solved Assembly of a team of experts with defined roles Breaking project into specific milestones and assigning them to team members

5 Project management fundamentals Successful project management requires: Thoughtful communications on status and issues to be resolved Respectful and non-confrontational management style NOT AUTHORITARIAN! Attention to detail Thorough documentation Willingness to adapt to changing reality no dog in the hunt

6 Creating a project team Project champion Chairman of the board, CEO Project manager Chief operating officer and chief financial officer Operating departments Engineering, finance, installation, documentation

7 Steps in a project Build a business case and conceptual plan. Optimize the plan and formal decision to move to implementation. Develop Goals Detail the design. Approve final design and budget. Move to implementation. Test, commission and train.

8 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

9 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

10 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

11 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

12 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

13 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

14 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

15 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

16 Process Before you Begin Establish the business case Obtain approval to proceed Establish the Team The Team establishes the GOALS Breakdown the work and assign tasks Get it Done! Review the Goals - were they met? Celebrate Success

17 Setting Goals 1st step after team is assembled Goal setting precedes detailed project development Everyone Contributes All input is captured; no one s ideas are superior Purpose: determine what will define a successful conclusion Define the concrete deliverables Budget, drawings, bids, operational plans, training, system test results

18 Setting Goals

19 Setting Goals

20 Project Manager Keeps the project schedule and budget Communicates regularly with the whole team and all outside resources Proactively assigns tasks to team members and monitors their progress Keeps project goals and objectives in mind in all decisions Success of the project is the PM s responsibility. The PM works through the Team

21 Tasks Assign tasks that are quantitative, measurable and short in duration. Build a detailed timeline showing all tasks. Set regular meetings to review successes and issues to be confronted.

22 Stage 1 Output t documents Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

23 Stage 2 Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

24 Stage 3 Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

25 Stage 4 Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

26 The work breakdown No milestones longer than 2 weeks Detail is essential Create drawings is too broad and not manageable. Create intercom interconnection ti drawing works!

27 Tracking projects Keep track of task assignments and progress Time and task relationships Gantt charts Pert charts

28 Gantt chart Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

29 Excel Gantt chart (

30 Excel Gantt chart

31 The project plan Project management software Much more than pretty charts Track personnel (Resource) utilization Display critical path task that holds project hostage Performance against budget

33 Resource allocation

34 Resource allocation

35 Resource allocation

36 Resource allocation

37 Communicating Keep communications regular Send report out on the same day every week Insist on status t reports Do nothing without documenting it nothing verbal only Respectful, thoughtful communication only Firm but reasonable tone

38 Communicating Keep communications regular (Weekly) report contains Meeting minutes Status of tasks scheduled for completion this period Tasks assigned at meeting (who and when) Tasks expected before next meeting

39 Regular Project Meetings Meetings must have an agenda Keep it short; 30 minutes ideal Celebrate successes Note failures, and move forward Remain strictly factual; deal with management issues offline and in person Don t use to avoid communicating.

40 Weekly Status Update Include: Expected milestones in near term Detailed meeting minutes Task assignments added Tasks completed Status of schedule and budget Risks to schedule Time and place of next meeting

41 Managing for results Involve key players in defining and maintaining goals benchmarks for success Develop consensus Winning could risk developing a team At points of stress, go back to consensus building based on original goals

42 Project management software Microsoft Project Primavera Project Planner (P3) BaseCamp (Web-based based tool) EasyProjects.net (Web-based tool) Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

43 Today s Projects Less focus on hardware More than rack and stack and wirelists More focus on software integration ti and software development (customization) Handling metadata and file formats is critical Data flow is the new schematic Careful attention to standards is critical Process is especially important, and foreign

44 The quality of a system is highly influenced by the quality of the process used to acquire, develop, and maintain it. Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, 2007

45 Software projects Engage all vendors in one team. Define your expectations carefully. Detailed workflow and I/O from systems May be subproject led by separate committee Research agile software development.

46 Agile software development Scrum Development Goal is speed over complexity Control scope Guaranteed delivery of workable versions Short timeline two to three weeks Daily meetings with no chairs Comprehensive status reports

47 Agile software development Each scrum produces deliverable version Well suited to incremental development and testing of complex systems Adaptable to deployment of some broadcast systems

48 Getting the most from Outside Resources

49 Why? Overworked staff Project might deplete operations staff May actually cost less Access to key skills Experience in design/build projects not common to broadcasters New technology to be implemented Reduce risk in project

50 Possible Resources Consultants generally don t build Many small or single practitioners Some large firms with depth, and large payroll Integrators also offer consulting Detailed engineering and documentation Installation and commissioning Equipment resale

51 Their business models Consultants bill for labor only. Don t expect Volume discount Integrators depend on: Labor volume and margin Equipment volume and margin Balancing multiple projects

52 How much will it cost? Hourly billing can grow exponentially. Fixed price bids = lowest price? Unknowns are priced into bids. Joint confidence in scope reduces cost One supplier = negotiation leverage Match services to vendor s core expertise Avoid subcontractors you lose control

53 Choosing an integrator Request for Proposal (RFP) Asks for binding proposal Cannot be vague Request for Information (RFI) Describes what you want and leaves options open Leaves binding price to a separate negotiation

54 RFP Process Create an RFP with proposed major equipment. Requires up-front planning Does not facilitate vendor creative engineering Vendor add insurance dollars

55 RFI Process Design an RFI. Gathers key data on candidates Allows flexibility and creativity in solution approach Ask for preliminary price estimate

56 RFI contents Describe your project, including project goals Request information, such as: Company history, size, location(s) Description of their processes Project management Engineering Prebuild and on-site installation Commissioning and training

57 RFI contents Ask for a list of manufacturers equipment offered. Get staff details. Proposed project manager Proposed key engineering i personnel Request sample contract copy. Get references, for similar projects.

58 RFI contents Do they supply electronic (editable) document copies? Do they have experience with architects t and engineers? Ask for creative narrative project approach. Ask why they are uniquely qualified. Ask for order of magnitude price. Get proposed schedule.

59 RFI contents Ask about software integration. How do they approach integrating software from multiple vendors? Get a clear impression of past success/issues.

60 The whole process After conceptual plan completion, write RFI Issue it to three to six firms Give two full business weeks for responses Organize a review committee PM leads other key individuals id Avoid conflicts of interest, including personal relationships with vendors

61 The whole process Each person scores each answer Rank for overall score Key issues might elevate or kill individual responses Check references Call each one, on the record Keep thorough notes

62 The whole process Ask manufacturers about each integrator Who in the firm do you trust the most, the least. Pick top two and request a formal presentation. Allow fixed time for presentation ti (45 minutes). Allow similar time for questions. Allow vendor to summarize and close. Why are they best for your project

63 The whole process Pick top respondent for negotiating a binding proposal. Refine price proposal and payment schedule. Lock in staffing. Negotiate t contract t and terms. THEN, setup kickoff meeting with ALL parties involved.

64 The project team

65 The project team

66 Communications Primary path PM to PM Specialists directly Customer Services Representative

67 The project team Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

68 Managing integrators Keep change orders off the table. Insist all COs must be approved in advance Define the CO process and unit pricing approach in writing Watch out for personnel changes You bought a specific team Insist on list and sell pricing on all hardware.

69 Managing integrators Retain the ability to negotiate with manufacturers with integrator present Keep a strong relationship with technical and sales staff of all key manufacturers Insist integrator take responsibility for software implementation HUGE part of all modern projects

70 Awordonpricing on Labor is an integrator s product Pay them adequately Cutting margin will change the relationship Highly skilled consultants and engineers ARE expensive Equipment margin Often <10% little room for deeper discounts You are paying for logistics costs, value added

71 Awordonpricing on Consider cost up pricing. Integrator s cost plus fixed markup Material handling fee Fixed percentage for owner supplied hardware Cutting them out of the sale leaves them out of the loop when problems arise. Delivery? Software?

72 Other consultants Architects Valuable skills in defining and managing construction Find a professional with broadcast experience. Acoustics experience is key. Check references. Visit projects if possible.

73 Contractors Use an architect or construction management firm it will keep you sane. Don t attempt to design/build unless you know them well. Check the details religiously. Acoustic details Electrical details

74 Resources NAB Engineering Handbook. Focal Press The AMA Handbook of Project Management. Paul C. Dinsmore. Bladwells Book Services, ISBN Effective Project Management: How to Plan, Manage, and Deliver Projects On Time and Within Budget. Robert K. Wysocki, Robert Beck, Jr., David B. Crane. New York. Wiley c1995. Getting a Project Done on Time: Managing People, Time, and Results. Paul B. Willams. New York. Amacom. c1996. Project Management. Andy Bruce, Ken Langdon. New York. Dorling Kindersley Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Harold Kerzner. New York. Wiley. c1998. Originally published in the NAB Engineering Handbook, (c) Elsevier Used with permission.

75 Questions? (Eastern Time Zone)

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