Overview
Our client is a large Tier 1 utilities provider to millions across the Northeast. They are routinely engaged in several new and replacement utility services projects, building and maintaining existing infrastructure for both residential and manufacturing facilities.
The client determined they needed to implement and migrate to a more advanced scheduling tool to manage ongoing projects. In a move to transition to the next phase of their Program Management Office (PMO) and engineering department, they sought a third-party to assess their existing systems and provide a clear roadmap for modernization.
Among their challenges:
- Their PMO and engineering departments were maturing, experiencing personnel turnover, and undergoing changes to their project lifecycle process
- Due to regulatory pressures and delivery results, the utility required a more enterprise view of their scheduling tool for capital projects
- They lacked the internal expertise and resources needed to provide the proper assessment, roadmap, and migration to enterprise scheduling tool
Our Approach
PFES deployed several subject matter experts (SMEs) to assess the state of the client’s PMO and engineering department. Over the next several weeks, they conducted an information gathering phase, holding interviews with key stakeholders and company personnel. The SMEs also collected process documentation and analyzed how the client utilized their existing scheduling tool, Microsoft Project (MSP). Additionally, they identified aspects of the client’s scheduling and delivery process, as well as potential opportunities for improvement.
Throughout, PFES discovered several opportunities within the client’s existing processes to increase efficiencies and implement best practices:
- Project schedules were created separately and updated by project managers, engineers and construction personnel depending upon the region
- Project schedules were difficult to access across departments and lacked a consistent communication process
- Inconsistencies across files with documentation and process flows complicated overall project management
PFES’ findings were in alignment with the client’s organizational leadership, and the evaluation provided validation for proposed and continuous improvement initiatives. The SMEs recommended a consistent, centralized approach across the organization. Other best practice implementations were described using a roadmap to eliminate inefficiencies, mitigate risk, and improve project management and delivery.
To remedy their business challenges, it was determined by both parties that the client would migrate their systems from Microsoft Projects to Primavera P6 (P6), a best practice application utilized across the industry.
Quickly, PFES and the client developed and baselined a schedule for the MSP to P6 migration. From there, SMEs designed the new platform within P6 to align with the client’s enterprise and organizational structure, as well as work breakdown structure of their business unit and project deployment.
PFES came to understand the current state of the MSP schedules (coding, logic, etc.) and began converting the client’ Microsoft Project documentation to the new P6 platform. A Rolling Action Item List (RAIL) was also used to identify, track, and resolve any challenges encountered, keeping the migration to enterprise scheduling tool on track.
Outcome
PFES completed the migration with minimal complications and conducted in-house and virtual trainings for the client’s staff on the new software. Additionally, PFES offered ongoing support following the project’s main phase of development and deployment.
This service provided the change management and hands-on training required for a smooth transition, allowing the client’s staff to use the new scheduling tool on their own and become comfortable with its utilization and implementation. Any issues they experienced were forwarded to SMEs for a rapid remediation and resolution.
With the P6 database and platform developed, the client has a centralized, enterprise view of their energy and utility projects. They now have a consistent, unified approach for scheduling, capital project process flows, and updates / documentation cross-divisionally which has streamlined their project management.
The migration was so successful that the client tapped PFES for a continuous maturation plan for their other software applications. Currently, PFES is assisting the client integrate their work management tool with P6 along with continuous P6 DBA Administrative support.
The Perfect Consulting Partner to Utilities
Our team consists of industry heavyweights that bring substantial expertise to the table for our clients. We partner with you to reduce risk and uncertainty in your capital projects, delivering initiatives on time with significant cost savings while meeting industry and safety standards. Contact us today to find out how we can help.
