Building Information Modeling (BIM)

There are many questionnaire surveys are carrying out related to BIM, by the under graduate students who are studying the quantity surveying, building economics, construction management… etc. These questionnaire surveys I used to received from ‘LinkedIn’, but I do not have any idea about BIM. I have got an article about BIM, which is prepared by RICS. The same I shared here and I hope this will be a useful document to all.

Before, there are some sentences about RICS.

Royal Institute of Charted Surveyors (RICS)
RICS is the world's leading qualification when it comes to professional standards in land, property and construction.

In a world where more and more people, governments, banks and commercial organizations demand greater certainty of professional standards and ethics, attaining RICS status is the recognized mark of property professionalism.

Over 100,000 property professionals working in the major established and emerging economies of the world have already recognized the importance of securing RICS status by becoming members.

RICS is an independent professional body originally established in the UK by Royal Charter. Since 1868, RICS has been committed to setting and upholding the highest standards of excellence and integrity - providing impartial, authoritative advice on key issues affecting businesses and society. RICS is a regulator of both its individual members and firms enabling it to maintain the highest standards and providing the basis for unparalleled client confidence in the sector.

Source: RICS Middle East and North Africa (Press Release 2014)

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is both a new technology and a new way of working. BIM is a term that has been around for a while in manufacturing and engineering industries, and is now beginning to make an impact in the construction sector. At a strategic level, BIM offers the capacity to address many of the industries failings including waste reduction, value creation and improved productivity.

The process of implementing BIM moves away from using conventional word-processing and CAD into the increased use of common standards and product orientated representations. BIM changes the emphasis by making the model the primary tool for documentation, from which an increasing number of documents, or more accurately “reports”, such as plans, schedules and bills of quantities may be derived.

BIM involves much more than simply implementing new software. It is a different way of thinking. This requires a move away from the traditional workflow, with all parties (including architects, surveyors and contractors) sharing, and effectively working on, a common information pool. This is a substantial shift from the more traditional convention where parties often work on separate information pools using several different (and usually incompatible) software packages. In essence, BIM involves building a digital prototype of the model and simulating it in a digital world.

Essentially, BIM combines technology with new working practices to improve the quality of the delivered product and also improve the reliability, timeliness and consistency of the process. It is equally applicable to asset and facilities management as it is to construction. In its purest form, BIM provides a common single and coordinated source of structured information to support all parties involved in the delivery process, whether that be to design, construct, and/or operate. Because all parties involved with a BIM project have access to the same data, the information loss associated with handing a project over from design team to construction team and to building owner/operator is kept to a minimum.

A BIM model contains representations of the actual parts and pieces being used to construct a building along with geometry, spatial relationships, geographic information, quantities and properties of building components (for example manufacturers’ details). BIM can be used to demonstrate the entire building lifecycle from construction through to facility operation.

Often (mistakenly) referred to as 3D, 4D or nD, BIM should not be confused with the number of dimensions used to represent a building. At its simplest level, BIM provides a common environment for all information defining a building, facility or asset, together with its common parts and activities.

This includes building shape, design and construction time, costs, physical performance, logistics and more. More importantly, the information relates to the intended objects (components) and processes, rather than relating to the appearance and presentation of documents and drawings. More traditional 2D or 3D drawings may well be outputs of BIM, however, instead of generating in the conventional way ie. as individual drawings, could all be produced directly from the model as a “view” of the required information. BIM changes the traditional process by making the model the primary tool for the whole project team. This ensures that all the designers, contractors and sub contractors maintain their common basis for design, and that the detailed relationships between systems can be explored and fully detailed. Working with BIM will require new skills and these will have to be learned from practice.

BIM is not a panacea – it remains just as possible to produce a poor model, in terms of its functionality, its constructability or its value, as it is to produce poor drawings, schedules or any other, more traditional, form of information. Also, in the absence of any pro-active collaborative management effort, models may end up being prepared to suit the originator as opposed to being structured and presented with all parties to the design and construction team in mind. Ensuring that there is an agreed structure and exchange protocol in place to suit all parties will improve certainty, confidence and consistency. By moving to a shared information model environment, project failures and cost overruns become less likely. BIM certainly means having a better understanding and control of costs and schedules as well as being able to ensure that the right information is available at the right time to reduce requests for information, manage change and limit (or even eliminate) unforeseen costs, delays and claims.

Clients are often in the best position to lead the introduction of BIM. Understanding the value of building information and its impact on the clients own business is leading many clients to require BIM to specify the standards and methods to be used in its adoption. Clients can also provide clear requirements for facilities management information to be handed over at project completion more easily with BIM. Some international clients are even now going so far as to penalise lack of information (or the lack of its provision at established points in the construction process).

More recent experience indicates a trend in large clients and government agencies across the globe to mandate the use of BIM, not only for delivery of the building, but also as a tool to manage operationally. BIM is equally applicable to support FM and asset management as it is to design and construction. Indeed, the output of the design model may well replace the need for traditional O&M manuals. Being able to interrogate an intelligent model, as opposed to searching through outdated manuals, perhaps linked to interactive guidance on the repair and/or maintenance process has obvious advantages.

However, the largest single barrier to exploiting BIM is the lack of awareness. Clients are frequently unaware that they can have a major influence on the deliverables from a project.

BIM has the potential to impact every aspect of the Surveying Profession. It has applications for those involved with Property, FM, Building Surveying, Civil as well as traditional building construction, and should be seen as an opportunity to deliver new service streams and to extend our professional reach into new areas spanning the complete asset life cycle. BIM is not going to go away, and so we must, therefore, learn to adapt and embrace or risk the threat of losing ground to others.

I will share one more article about BIM (BIM is key to future of QS profession).

Construction Company Organization (LLC)

How a construction company organizes for its work depends on number and size of projects, project complexity, and geographical distribution of the work.

 Limited Liability Company

A form of organization known as the limited liability Company (L.L.C.), permitted in most states, and combines many of the attributes and advantages of the corporation and of the partnership. For example, the owners of an L.L.C., who are known as ‘‘members’’ after executing the required legal articles of organization, enter into an operating agreement in which one of their number is designated as the manager of the company.

The company does not pay taxes on its profits, but rather the individual members have the prorate share of their percentage of ownership of the company added to their income for taxation purposes. On the other hand, there is no individual liability of any of the members for losses or debts of the company as there would be if the ownership were in the form of a partnership. Additional members may be added to or dropped from the company by a vote or written consent of 100% of all of the members.

No member, other than the manager, has any power or authority to bind the company, unless such a person has been specifically authorized in writing by the manager to act on behalf of the company. A manager may be removed in the event of his or her neither willful or intentional violation nor rack less disregard of the manager’s duties to the company. The manager’s replacement will be selected by the members who originally selected the manager. Such replacement will be decided by a majority vote of the members.

Reference
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION HANDBOOK

Robert F. Borg

Chairman, Kreisler Borg Florman General Construction Company

Scarsdale, New York

Manage Political Problems as Issues

This article copied from some other website.
The larger your project gets, the more you will find that the issues you encounter are political in nature. "Politics" is all about interacting with people and influencing them to get things done. This can be a good thing, a bad thing, or a neutral thing, depending on the tactics people use. Let’s consider some examples of how utilizing political skills might be good, but can also be bad.

You are able to move your ideas forward in the organization and get people to act on them (good), by currying favor, suppressing other opposing ideas and taking credit for the ideas of your staff (bad).

You have an ability to reach consensus on complex matters with a number of different stakeholders (good), by working behind the scenes with people in power, making deals and destroying people who don’t get on board (bad).

You receive funding for projects that are important to you and to your organization (good), by misrepresenting the costs and benefits, and by going around the existing funding processes (bad).

The point of the examples is to show that influencing people and getting things done in a company is a good thing and “office politics” can have good connotations or bad. 

Dealing with office politics is not a standard project management process. However, once the politics start to impact the project adversely, the situation should be identified as an issue, since it is a problem whose resolution is outside the control of the project team. You can’t utilize a checklist to resolve political issues. Political problems are people-related and situational. What works for one person in one situation may not work for another person in the same situation because people, and their reactions, are different. Identifying the problem as an issue will bring visibility to the situation and hopefully get the proper people involved in the resolution. Keep three things in mind to manage a political issue.

Try to recognize situations and events where politics are most likely to be involved. This could include decision points, competition for budget and resources, and setting project direction and priorities.

Deal with people openly and honestly. When you provide an opinion or recommendation, express the pros and cons to provide a balanced view to other parties. Make sure you distinguish the facts from your opinions so the other parties know the difference. 

If you feel uncomfortable with what you are asked to do, get your sponsor or your functional manager involved. They tend to have more political savvy and positional authority, and they should be able to provide advice and cover for you.

If you feel good about what you are doing, how you are influencing and how you are getting things done, then you are probably handling office politics the right way. If you feel guilty about how you are treating people and if you have second thoughts about the methods you are using to get things done, you are probably practicing the dark side of office politics.

5 tips for managing scope changes

When you start a project, you think you know exactly what you need to deliver, but then along comes a change. It can be hard to say no to a senior manager, and often the changes suggested are great improvements that you should really incorporate into the project.

So how do you manage the impact on the project scope, the team, the budget and the schedule? That's a lot of things to consider for one change! Here are 5 tips for successfully managing changes to scope on your project.

Tip 1: Record all the changes
First, regardless of where the change comes from, it should be recorded somewhere. Use software (or else use excel) to make this job easier as it helps you prepare a consolidated list of all submitted changes and what happens to them afterwards.

Tip 2: Assess changes
Assess all the changes that have been submitted. Some will be great ideas and some won't be! Work out what impact they will have on the project and the benefits, and then you can put forward your considered recommendation to the project sponsor about whether to incorporate them into the project or not. The sponsor will make the final decision, but will be looking to you for that recommendation to approve or reject the change.

Tip 3: Prioritize changes
Assuming the change is approved, you will have to work out what sort of priority it needs. Is it something that you should drop everything for and work on now? Or can it wait a bit longer? Your team can help with this, and you'll also get a view from your project sponsor. Prioritizing is really useful if you have a number of changes as it will help you plan the work in the right order.

Tip 4: Review your plan accordingly
It is rare that you can incorporate a change without changing anything else on the project. Changes will have an impact on the project budget, schedule, resource plan and even the risks and issues log. Go through your entire project and work out what needs to be updated as a result.

Remember to share all the changes with your project team so they are also aware of anything different that they have to do now.

Tip 5: Don't agree to everything!
Don't say yes to anyone who suggests a change until it has been properly analyzed! Otherwise you could promise to deliver something that turns out to be really difficult or not something the sponsor will agree to. And you don't have to agree with your sponsor either. While they have the final say, if you don't agree with a change you can record this in the issues log but you will have to incorporate the change into the project.

5 Steps to Delegating Your Tasks

Step 1: Put Yourself in a Position to Delegate
Delegation is when you assign responsibility to another person to carry out a specific task. The task could be large (such as "revamp our training department" or small (such as "take this letter to the post office").

It doesn't matter how large or small the task is. What matters is that there is another person that you can delegate the task to.

 You don't have to have an empire of people around you that serve as your minions. Rather, you do need to put yourself in an organizational position that there are good people to whom you can delegate responsibility. These people could report to you directly. Or, there may be a group of people that are in a support capacity in the company that you could rely upon. Regardless, you need to be in a position to delegate tasks to others, if you want to get more done than you have hours available in the day.

Step 2: Get Ready Mentally

The second step is to make sure you have mentally accepted the fact that you need to delegate to others. You may be hesitant to delegate to other people for a number of reasons.

You may fall into the trap of feeling that it will be faster to get something done yourself rather than having to explain it to others. Or, you may feel as if the other person already has enough to do and you don't want to add more to their plate. You need to move beyond this type of thinking in order to effectively delegate your tasks.

You will never be able to grow as a project manager if you feel that another person can't do something as fast or as proficiently as you. Sure, the first couple of times may be a bit rough, but you will be surprised how much easier things become. You'll also be pleasantly surprised when you find they can do something even better than you!

Step 3: Create Your "To-Do List"

Your next step is to put your "To-Do" list together. Take some time to do this right. One of the best ways to do this is to clear your desk and pull out your favorite pen and pad of paper. Start thinking about all the things that you need to get done.

This doesn't have to be in any particular order. Include those tasks that are related to projects (such as updating a status report) to everything else (such as completing your open enrollment insurance form).

Let everything come out on this piece of paper. You can include personal, professional, or other obligations and commitments you have. You'll start to feel better as you begin to size up how many things are weighing you down.

 Step 4: Cull Your List

You are going to have a sizable list. You will be amazed at how much 'stuff' you have on your plate to accomplish. Some of these things are extremely important and others now appear to be just a waste of time.

 Go through this list and delete as many items as possible. There may be items on your list that are MONTHS old that you've been carrying in your head for that entire time. Get rid of it. There may be items that you at one time thought were important but now they just seem trivial. Cross them out!

You are now left with a purged and manageable list that you can delegate to others. Narrow your delegation list down even further by removing those items that ONLY you can do.

 Step 5: Begin Delegating
Take this relevant and meaningful list of tasks and meet with those who are on your team. Let them know the process you've just been through and the fact that you need their help.

You need to focus on tasks that are in your area of expertise - where you can make the biggest difference for the entire team. You can then divvy up what is left on your list and spread it out amongst the team.

Your team will appreciate your request for help and that these tasks really are important to get done quickly.

The 5 Steps to Planning Your Project

Creating a project plan is the first thing you should do before taking on any kind of project. Follow these 5 steps to put your project plan together...

Step 1: Define the Project Goals
The first thing you need to do is define the project goals. These goals are the very reason or purpose that this project is being contemplated. How do you do this? The best way is to conduct interviews with any and all stakeholders that have an interest in this project succeeding. Focus on their true needs that will create real benefit and value once the project comes to completion. This will result in a long list and there's no way you will make everybody happy. Take some time to prioritize the goals so the most important ones are worked on first.

 Step 2: Identify Project Deliverables

You now have a prioritized list of goals in hand that this project must meet. The next step is to identify the deliverables necessary to meet these goals. These deliverables could be something as tangible as opening a new facility or as intangible as improving training for the call center. Identifying as many deliverables as possible will create the basis for your Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

 Step 3: Determine Who Will Do the Work

The next step in the project planning process is to determine who will do the work. This becomes easier to define now that you have the deliverables identified. There's a logical path to follow as the ownership of deliverables is usually self-evident. For example, you know the training department will be responsible for creating user manuals and the IT department will be responsible for upgrading everyone's hardware. You can then get down to an individual resource level as the plan progresses.

 Step 4: Establish a Project Schedule

Now that you know the goals of the project, what needs to be done, and who will be doing the work it becomes a simple matter to assemble a project schedule. The best way to do this is sit down with the owners of the deliverables and explain to them clearly what must be accomplished. Obtain their feedback for how long each deliverable will take and when they feel the work can begin. It is unlikely at this point that the

schedule will work out perfectly, but this will serve as a starting point for negotiations around deadlines, resources, and scope.

 Step 5: Create Supporting Documentation

There are literally dozens of supporting plans that can augment the project plan. You can determine how much or how little of that documentation you want to pull together based upon the complexity or visibility of the project. But, there are a handful of supporting documents that you will always want to include in your project planning process.

 These are:

Communications Plan - This plan determines how everyone will be communicated with as it relates to project status. This includes how the weekly progress report meetings will be conducted, how escalations will be handled, and which stakeholders need to know which information throughout the life of the project.

 Risk Management Plan - This plan identifies those things that have the possibility of going wrong on a project and turning into big issues that could knock it off track. Be sure to include not only the risk, but also what is being done to mitigate the risk.

 Change Management Plan - There is almost a 100% guarantee that something is going to change on your project. Be sure to have a process in place that acknowledges the fact that change will occur.

Following the 5 Steps to Planning Your Project above will change "Ready, Fire, Aim" to "Ready, Aim, Fire" and help you get more done in less time!

How to be a Great Project Leader

Being a fantastic leader is all about the way you motivate and inspire your team. Take these five tips to boost your leadership skills:

1: Set Clear Goals
Whether it's building the pyramids, landing on the moon or winning the NBA final, every great Project Leader in history has set very clear goals for their team.

 Keep your goals "smart" (i.e. specific, measurable, action oriented, realistic and time bound). Only set 2-3 goals. Keep them short, punchy and meaningful. The key is that everyone in your team must be able to remember the goals set, without writing them down. If you can do that, then you're already on the road to success.

 2. Motivate Individually

Find out exactly what it is that motivates every person in your team. For some it's money, for others it's doing work that they enjoy and for others it's working with a great team.

 If you know what it is that motivates every individual in your team, then you can do what it takes to keep them motivated throughout the project. Implementing just one approach to motivating your team (e.g. team building exercises) is not enough. You need to mix it up. That way you can match everyone's individual needs, to keep them pumped and working as hard as possible towards the project goals.

 3. Track Progress Clearly

As well as setting goals and motivating your team to achieve them, you need to monitor progress each week to make sure you're on track. Make sure you tell your team every week-what they've achieved and what they haven't. Talk through the wins and losses, the challenges and issues. Get their feedback to ensure buy-in.

 4. Reward Good Performance

Great Project Leaders always reward and recognize great performance in the team. You need to constantly think of new ways of rewarding your team for the right behaviour.

Implement two types of reward systems. The first are rewards that are provided when the team achieves certain targets. For instance you might hold a team dinner or social function if the team completes Phase 1 of the project delivery on time.

The second type of reward system is more personal. For those team members that perform at exceptionally high levels, offer them special rewards for good performance. Remember that rewards don't have to be expensive. It's usually the thought that counts and the recognition that goes with it.

 5. Professional Development

Great Project Leaders are constantly looking for ways to improve how they lead the team. So keep working on your presentation, communication and documentation skills each week by taking time out to learn on the web, watch videos and taking training courses.

If you improve your professional skills every week, then so will those within your team-boosting your chances of success.

So that's it. If you can set clear goals, track progress, reward and recognize your team and improve your professional skills-then you're sure to become a Great Project Leader!

The Value of Project Templates

Most Project Managers have old documents lying around, that they refer to when starting new projects. But it takes time to sift through it all to find what you need, only then to have to rewrite it all for your new project. That's where templates come in useful. So read on to learn...

 The Value of Project Templates

We're often asked "Why are templates so valuable" so we thought we'd answer the question in this newsletter. There are 5 great reasons why managers and teams find templates so useful. Here they are:

They save you time

On every new project, you have to create new documents to plan, track and report on status. This takes time, especially when many of the documents you create are going to be a one-off. So to save time, use templates to create your documents quickly and easily.

 If the templates you use have been well written, then they should be pre-formatted with all of the sections, tables, charts and forms you need. This way, you can avoid having to spend time formatting your documents and purely focus on completing the content. On average, most people save 25% of their time completing project documents, by using properly formatted templates.

They give you direction

In addition to saving you time, well written templates step you through the sections needed to write your document from start to finish. They tell you what you have to write, how and where. They give you direction, so it's crystal clear what has to be done to complete your document.

They make it easier

In short, a good quality template will make the task of creating a project document as easy as 1-2-3. You don't have to stress about what needs to go in your document, how to format it or how to write it up. The template will tell you what information needs to be entered, and it should include practical examples to help you along the way.

They boost your quality

It makes sense that if you use high quality templates, then you will generate high quality documents. High quality templates should be professionally designed, written by experts and aligned with worldwide standards.

They give you confidence

Have you ever been asked to write a document that you're unfamiliar with or have never written before? If so, then you can use a template to get the document layout, tables, charts and completion instructions at your finger tips. All you need to do is to fill-in the gaps. By using templates to complete new documents, you will gain a higher level of confidence in your work, helping you to excel in project management.

The 5 Skills You Need as a Project Manager

Managing a project is a challenging task. But if you can master these 5 skills, then you're well on your way to project success...

1: Planning

Every Project Manager has to become a great planner. You need to plan your project, the tasks entailed, resources, equipment and materials needed. Create a bullet proof Project Plan at the start of each project and measure progress daily.

You also need to plan your team's tasks for the week and check that those tasks are being completed every day. You job is simple-you feed your team with work from your plan, and you track and measure progress. That's what being a Project Manager is all about.

 2. Prioritization

You are the one person on your project who needs to be an expert in prioritization. Every day, your team will struggle to manage priorities because there will always be too much to do. Your job is to give them crystal clear priorities every week, to help them manage their day. It keeps stress levels low and helps them work efficiently.

 Without clear priorities, your project will be like a ship without a rudder. Coasting along inefficiently, without a precise direction in mind.

 3. Delegation

You can't do everything. You might be capable, but there won't be enough hours in the day. So you need to become a great delegator. If tasks arise that others can do, then delegate them. Your job is to keep the ship on its course, not man the engines.

 Delegate even the smallest of items, as they still require attention and focus. Delegate even when you could do something better or faster than your team. The only time not to delegate is when there's no-one to delegate to. Even then, see if you can get budget to hire another person to help you out. Remember-you can't do it all.

4. Leadership
Great Project Managers are great leaders. They set the course, lead the team in the direction required, they motivate team members individually and look after their welfare.

 Great leaders know what it is that motivates their people. They put them in roles they enjoy and are naturally talented at. They listen and they genuinely care. To inspire your team to achieve success, you need to become a great leader.

 5. Communication

As a team member, you need to know what has to be done, how and by when. That's where the Project Manager's communication skills come into play. You have to constantly communicate the goals, timeframes and set expectations to your team.

Then communicate feedback as progress happens. Tell people directly where they are going right and where they need to improve. Communicate clearly and concisely. Follow up in writing when it's important, so you don't have to remember everything said.

So that's it. If you can plan, prioritize and delegate your work as well as communicate and lead, then you will become a top notch Project Manager.

How to Start New Projects

Every time you're given a new project, take these steps to ensure you're on the right track from the outset:

Taking Responsibility

Before you agree to take on the responsibility of managing a project, make sure there is adequate sponsorship, and that you have adequate funding and resources to complete it on time. Your gut feel should be that the project is achievable and that whatever happens, you'll have the full support of your Sponsor through the project. If it's not feasible or you lack support, then solve these two problems first, before you start out.

Clarifying the Scope

Great, so you've agreed to take responsibility. The next step is to review the scope of the project to ensure that all of the deliverables to be produced during the project are adequately defined. You don't want to get part way through the project only to find that your customer actually wanted additional deliverables that weren't planned.

So sit down with your customer and clarify all of the deliverables on day one. The complete set of deliverables forms the "scope" of the project and it's critical that you document these in as much depth as you can, before you get started.

The Deadline

A "Project" is an activity which must be delivered by a specified date. That date is usually called the project "Deadline". You need to agree the deadline with your customer, and it must be feasible to achieve.

Rather than agreeing on a fixed date, instead try and agree on a fixed timeframe for delivery. Set an "ideal delivery date" and a "last delivery date". Make the ideal delivery date achievable. That way, the last resort date, which may be a week, month or more later, gives you the contingency you need in case the project is delayed.

Setting Priorities

Now that you have an approved set of deliverables, scope and deadline, you need to set the project priorities. Do this by showing your customer the complete list of deliverables

to be produced, and ask them "if for whatever reason, we couldn't complete all of the deliverables on time then which could be done after the deadline, if any?". Push as hard as you can to get them to agree that some deliverables can be produced after the deadline if need be, because it gives you extra contingency for when you need it. Then ask your customer to prioritize the list of deliverables from highest to lowest so that you can align these priorities with the tasks in your plan.

Understand the Drivers

You really need to understand as much as possible about your customer's business to know why the deadline, scope and priorities have been set as they have. Ask your customer what's driving the deadline, why you can't reduce the scope further and why the deliverables have been prioritized as they have. It's critical that you understand the answers to these questions before you start out, so that you satisfy their requirements in full.

Also, document these conversations with your customer and get them to formally approve them. That way, you have a formal agreement of the scope, deadline, priorities and drivers at the outset.

How to Deliver Challenging Projects

There are 5 classic signs of a "challenging" project. We’ve described them below and offer you advice for managing them:

 Tight Deadlines

If your project deadline is practically unachievable, then here's what to do. First, try and get it delayed. If you can't, then immediately replan your project so you know by how much you will be late. If it’s more than 10% then try and find more resource to help you deliver it more quickly. And if you can’t get the resource, then reduce your scope. Identify non-critical deliverables and get your sponsor to agree that you can complete those deliverables after the deadline has passed.

Otherwise, you need to revisit the tasks in your plan to see if you can produce the same deliverables, with less tasks and effort than before.

Limited Budget

If your budget has been cut back, then try and find another sponsor in your business to provide the additional funding required. If cash flow is the problem, then negotiate with suppliers to take delayed payments. Use internal resource rather than external contractors, as they are usually cheaper. Rent equipment rather than buy. Re-negotiate with your suppliers to reduce their deliverables and therefore, their costs. And lastly, reduce staff overtime and offer them unpaid leave when they have down time.

 Resource Shortage

If you don't have sufficient resource to complete the project, then take these steps. Review your deliverables and ensure you focus on the critical ones first. Try and find people in your business that can be succeeded to your project, without you being charged. If you can't, then you need to work incredibly smart. So take time out each day to prioritize your tasks and ensure everyone is spending their time wisely. Work extra hours if necessary, but don't burn out. You can only work smart if you’re "as fresh as a daisy".

Scope Changes
If your scope is constantly changing, then you need to nail it down. Start by identifying the tasks on the "critical path" and sticking to them, regardless of the change requests that arise. Identify your project priorities and get them approved by your sponsor. Make sure each priority is linked to a business objective, so that they are harder to change.

Being a Super-Hero

Does everyone expect you to be a super-hero by delivering your project with less time, budget and resource than you need? If so, don't worry - it's normal. The trick is to manage people's expectations, by under promising and over delivering. Keep people well informed, so they know what you'll deliver, how and by when.

By taking these tips, you can deliver challenging projects with a smile, and gain a reputation for super-hero like qualities!

How to Scope your Projects

The "project scope" consists of all of the things that must be produced to complete a project. These 'things' are called deliverables and you need to describe them in depth as early in the project as possible, so everyone knows what needs to be produced. Take these 5 Steps to scope your projects:

 Step 1: Set the Direction

Start off by setting the direction for the project. Do you have an agreed Project Vision, Objectives and Timeframes? Are they specified in depth and has your customer agreed to them? Does everyone in the project team truly understand them and why they are important? Only by fixing the project direction can you truly fix the project scope.

 Step 2: Scope Workshops

The best way to get buy-in to your project scope is to get all of the relevant stakeholders to help you define it. So get your project sponsor, customer and other stakeholders in a room and run a workshop to identify the scope. What you want from them is an agreed set of major deliverables to be produced by the project. You also want to know "what's out of scope".

 Run the workshop by asking each stakeholder for a list of the deliverables they expect the project team to deliver. Take the full list of deliverables generated in the workshop and get them to agree on what's mandatory and what's optional. Then ask them to prioritize the list, so you know what has to be delivered first.

 Step 3: Fleshing it out

You now have an agreed list of deliverables. But it's still not enough. You need to define each deliverable in depth. Work with the relevant people in your business to describe how each deliverable will look and feel, how it would operate and how it would be supported etc. Your goal here is to make it so specific that your customer cannot state later in the project that "when they said this, they really meant that".

 Step 4: Assessing Feasibility

So you now have a detailed list and description of every deliverable to be produced by your project, in priority order and separated as mandatory / optional. Great! But is it feasible to achieve within the project end date? Before you confirm the scope, you need to review every deliverable in the list and get a general indication from your team as to whether they can all be completed before your project end date. If they can't, then which deliverables can you remove from the list to make your end date more achievable?

Step 5: Get the thumbs up

Present the prioritized set of deliverables to your Project Sponsor and ask them to approve the list as your project scope. Ask them to agree to the priorities, the deliverable descriptions and the items out of scope.

 By getting formal sign-off, you're in a great position to be able to manage the project scope down the track. So when your Sponsor says to you in a few weeks time "Can you please add these deliverables to the list?", you can respond by saying "Yes, but I'll either have to remove some items from the list to do it, or extend the project end date. Which is it to be?". You can easily manage your Sponsors expectations with a detailed scope document at your side.