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9 Suggestions for Overcoming Barriers to Good Design When Using Modern Methods of Construction (Mmc)

The term ‘Modern Methods of Construction’ (MMC)  embraces a range of technologies involving various forms  of prefabrication and off-site assembly.

MMC is increasingly regarded as a realistic means of  improving quality, reducing time spent on-site, improving  on-site safety and addressing skills shortages in the  construction of UK housing.

Bridge Crossing Modern Design
Bridge Crossing Modern Design

The variety of systems now available potentially allows the  designer enough choice to sidestep problems deriving  from constraints posed by the use of any one method.  MMC systems, from closed-panel timber framed  systems to bathroom pods are a palette from which  designers can make choices. They are not necessarily  stand-alone solutions that anticipate all the needs of  an individual site and can be mixed and matched  as appropriate.

These limitations are not obstacles to achieving the good design in MMC-based schemes, but may hinder  the incorporation of more complex and innovative  types of MMC from which greater overall benefits  may be obtained  which  are considered under the  following headings:

1. COST UNCERTAINTY

There is no doubt that, given products of comparable  performance the key issue in purchases of MMC construction  systems is the price. At present not enough is known  about the potential costs of using volumetric and  closed panel systems to enable confident specification  at an early date. This inhibits designers from exploring  the full potential of MMC systems. This is particularly true of the less repetitive,  small, one-off scheme, where a smaller margin  of benefits is gained from using MMC. The principal  barrier to the uptake of MMC, therefore, seems  to be the perception of cost uncertainty with respect to using more complex systems.  Without doing substantial project-specific research,  consultants and their clients simply do not know with  enough degree of certainty how much the volumetric or  closed panel systems are likely to cost, and what  would be the savings to overall project costs produced  by potential speed gains to offset against increased  capital expenditure.

This is due to the complexity of assessing the ratio of  cost of repetitive elements where pricing is relatively  straightforward to the cost of adjusting elements or  building in another method for the abnormal condition.  Decisions to use innovative systems are likely to be  made once designs are well progressed to enable  teams to be more certain of costs. This can increase  the potential for change or result in design compromise  as the designer attempts to incorporate the specific  limitations of a particular system in their design.

In an attempt to improve this situation, the MMC consultant and or clients  could  pull together a  directory of MMC  expanded to include cost comparison data. The huge  range of variables involved inevitably makes this  difficult, but a database of current construction cost  information  would be an  invaluable resource.

Contemporary Building Facade
Contemporary Building Facade

2. PLANNING PROCESS AND EARLY COMMITMENT  TO A SYSTEM

The time it can take to obtain planning permission has  obvious implications both for project cost but also, in  some circumstances, for architectural  design innovation.

Most of the more complex types of MMC have an  impact on dimensioning, the choice of external finish  and detailing may have some effect on the buildings  mass. Therefore,  the construction system should be  chosen prior to a planning application to avoid  abortive work, redesign or amendment, or even  resubmission for planning permission.

However,  developers  whose money is at risk, frequently hold  off deciding on the construction technique until the last  practicable moment, in order to get any advantage from  fluctuations in material or component pricing.

Given the potential for lengthy duration of planning  applications, this means that there is little incentive to  prepare initial designs for planning with a prior decision  to incorporate MMC firmly embedded. In cases where  the developer has a financial or business link with the  supplier, this is less likely to be the case. As the majority  of commercial or  residential developments involve some kind of arrangement with a developer, agreement on construction systems is often left to the stage after planning.

3. TIME INVESTMENT

Another very significant factor is the time investment required at  the early stages of projects. This is needed to develop the design when the project is still at risk. There is a  direct relationship between the scale and complexity of  MMC component and the amount of time required to  develop a design at an early stage.

The introduction of advanced or complex MMC  techniques into the design process is potentially costly  to the design team. A significant amount of research is  needed to explore alternative systems, to obtain  verification of suppliers’   credentials, investigate  mortgage and insurance issues, visit previous sites,  talk to system suppliers, obtain technical performance  guidelines, understand junctions and interfaces, coordinate  other consultants, obtain building control input  and so on.

For a consultant, the only way of investing in this  research is either through timely payment of increased  fees by a visionary understanding client or through the anticipation of increased future productivity through repetition when a  project is phased, or large enough, or likely to be  followed by another similar project.

The potential of learning a system and then being able  to repeat lessons learned efficiently is a powerful  incentive for both client and consultant. By contrast, HTA’ s project at Basingstoke is an example  of a phased project with a three to four-year duration allowed the design team to repeat  various elements of the design, and the manufacturer to  develop improved solutions to technical and supply  problems.

HTA’ s project at Basingstoke
HTA’ s project at Basingstoke

4. INSUFFICIENT COMMUNICATION

Improved dialogue at the outset of the  project is  vital if design quality is to be  maximised. Constraints and opportunities implicit within  a particular system are more easily incorporated into  design if partners communicate pre-planning.  Increased early communication can be fostered through  improved long-term partnering relationships.

Clients  should also partner with a range of suppliers and  architects so that choice and flexibility is not restricted.

5. INEXPERIENCE

Generally, the inexperienced client or design team will  have to do more research, with the result  that there is likely to be significant design development  without a specific system being incorporated.

This is a  disincentive to using a more complex system involving a  higher proportion of MMC, where early decision making  and knowledge of a system’ s capabilities have a decisive influence on the nature of the architecture.  However,  encouraging the take up  of MMC through the use of a dedicated funding mechanism may  assist clients  in  finding time for  research into suitable MMC techniques.

Dome Construction Berlin
Dome Construction Berlin

6. SUPPLIER’S ROLE

Site capacity  studies and early stage pre-planning design studies  could be undertaken directly by system suppliers  on behalf of clients, cutting out the usual procedure  of commissioning design work by independent  consultants.

7. ASSUMPTIONS

There are a  number of assumptions that  are generally held about certain types of MMC that may  have been valid at one time but are no longer true today.  There is a need for reliable and up to date information  comparing system criteria, performance data, timescales, lead in times, capacity, construction time,  sequencing issues, limitations, and benefits.

Therefore  it would be helpful if a forum  for discussion and experience exchange was set up.

8. DEMONSTRATING THE BENEFITS OF MMC

There is still a large amount of skepticism about the  need to go very far down the line with MMC. This is  reflected in the acceptance of the desirability of  maintaining or indeed enhancing the pool of traditional  craft skills throughout the UK.

A balanced view is that there is a demonstrable need  for the wider use of MMC which is recognized by both  industry and government.  The best way for clients  and the public generally to  become more confident and knowledgeable about the  quality of design achievable through MMC is to see it  demonstrated.

9. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

There is no doubt that spreading the burden of  investment through the life of a project helps to ensure  a higher standard of specification and hence quality. In  the Netherlands, a ‘ Green Financing’   system has been  developed by the Dutch government that provides  favorable loan finance when certain sustainable  standards are reached. In the UK, the Gallions HA  has  pioneered  a study of this, based on a scheme in  Thamesmead, ‘ the Ecopark project’.

Eco Park is an eco-friendly business park built on the False Bay coast. This business park is at the cutting-edge of sustainable design and offers a unique working environment in a secure, well-managed facility.
Eco Park is an eco-friendly business park built on the False Bay coast. This business park is at the cutting-edge of sustainable design and offers a unique working environment in a secure, well-managed facility.
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The Hard Side of Change Management

Change management is an approach to transition individuals, teams, and organisations to a desired future state. For over three decades, academics, managers, and consultants, realising that transforming organisations is difficult, have avoided  the subject.

My Way or the Highway

Major organisational change is profoundly difficult because the structure, culture, and routines of companies  often reflect’s persistent and difficult-to-remove ways of working, which are resistant to radical change even as the environment of  organisations change.

What started out as a financial buzzword in the early nineties  has become fundamental business practice, with executives recognising the need to keep abreast  with the competition in a rapidly developing corporate new world.

Navigating  change

Globalisation and the constant innovation of technology result in a constantly evolving business environment. There is an ever-increasing need for Change Management Lead’s / Senior Managers who can help organisations successfully navigate change in today’s business environments. The focus of this movement to date has been on how to  partner with organisations to define education, training and communication platforms that help to support the change initiatives and concerns of company employees. The critical aspect is a company’s ability to win the buy-in of their organisation’s employees on the change initiative.

While a project team is important for success, a senior level advisor is invaluable and can work  with an organisations  leadership team to avoid common pitfalls that change management projects often fall into. There are four key areas where an Advisor should act as this resource as follows:

1. Defining A  Strategy  

Executives should start by asking themselves  what exactly needs  changing and why? Organisational change directly affects all departments from entry level employees to senior management and  must be aligned to a  companies  strategy. Too many programs are heavy on the jargon and light on the substance.  Executives are often sold on an idea only to realise as the change initiative begins that they need a different outcome, tool or process to be successful.

In this situation the strategy for change needs to be re-aligned with the organisation and its goals.

An outside senior advisor with a unique perspective of the organisation will  play an important role in helping an executive to explore and shape the strategy they are defining and highlight whether it will truly create the outcomes they desire. This upfront partnership can save money  on the back end of a project, by avoiding costly re-scoping of initiatives.This relationship  between senior advisor and executive should therefore begin as early as possible in the process.

2. Coalition Building

Its important to give  people multiple opportunities to share concerns, ask questions, and offer ideas  and to make following up with answers and updates a top priority.  Executives must reach out across their functional work streams to build a large cohesive team to support the project once the correct strategy has been set and the urgency for the project has been established. A good senior advisor will be able to guide an executive though these interactions.

As a senior change management professional, it is important that you help leaders of the organisation craft the correct message. While leaders often know what it is they want and see the urgency for themselves, the outside view that a coach provides can support the development of a team around the initiative and  help to navigate the strategic and political interests in linking the change to the interest of multiple team members.

The more people are involved in the process, the fewer will  be acting as internal saboteurs.

Communication Is Key to Successful Change Management

3. Communication

Don’t confuse process visioning, planning and endless powerpoint presentations with communication.  

Change is uncomfortable, and adapting to change is messy. A  Gantt chart can not capture  the  hard side of  change management. Why? Because tasks are easy to list, but behaviour and long-held habits are not easy to change. Gather outside information, solicit perspectives, and adapt the approaches for your organisation and group.

The importance of communication within an organisation around the change cannot be underestimated.     Executives often fall short on communication in two main  areas, not communicating the right message and not communicating it frequently enough across an  organisation. It is often thought that everyone else in the organisation is on board and understands the change, however, the  reality for an executive  is not the reality for another worker who may have lost a job because of a well intended change initiative.  A senior advisor can apply consistent pressure to the leader of the change around the need for communication and its messaging.

Quantity Is Fine, but Quality and Consistency Are Crucial

4. Share  Relevant  Information Quickly

Most CEOs and managers are quoted as saying, “You can’t communicate too much,” Part of the communication will be the support the urgency in messaging.     “My way or the highway”  is often used, but is not an effective communication strategy.     Senior Advisors can work with executives to tailor their message to each area of the organisation in order to define content that is important to them.

A study by  Towers Watson  shows that “only two-thirds (68%) of senior managers say they are getting the message about the reasons behind major organisational decisions. Below the senior management level, the message dwindles further  to  (53%) of middle managers and 40% of first-line supervisors understanding  reasons behind major organisational  change.

The forwarding and cascading of information does not work as  consistent communication around the change will be necessary at all levels of the organisation using a variety of communication pathways and vehicles.  As a trusted advisor it is important to encourage executives to lead by example in both their messaging and communication of the change  agenda.

Only 25% of Change Management Initiatives Are Successful over the Long Term

Maintaining The Change

Many leaders and managers underestimate the length of time required by a change cycle. It is paramount  that as the  change effort reaches its completion that  leaders of the change recognise that the process does not end there.   The role of a Senior Advisor will be to guide them to the idea that work must be undertaken  to maintain the change over time. Maintaining change does not mean that an executive must own the initiative  forever, just that they take the necessary steps to ensure that change has a lasting impact by integrating the change into the corporate culture and measuring the benefits  and highlighting areas for future improvements.

The outside unbiased view is  that a Change Management Lead is crucial to the success of a change management program.

This article  provides food for thought rather than counsel specifically designed to meet the needs of your organisation or situation.  Please use it mindfully.

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29 Awesome Quotes on Risk Management

29 Awesome Quotes on Risk Management
  1. If you treat risk management as a part-time job, you might soon find yourself looking for one ’- Deloitte white paper (Putting Risk in the Comfort Zone)
  2. I have learned that nothing is certain except for the need to have strong risk management, a lot of cash, the willingness to invest even when the future is unclear, and great people ’- Jeffrey R. Immelt
  3. Thoughtfully assessing and addressing enterprise risk and placing a high value on corporate transparency can protect the one thing we cannot afford to lose trust ’- Dale E. Jones, vice chairman and partner with Heidrick & Struggles
  4. We have no future because our present is to volatile. Will only have risk management ’- William Gibson
  5. Risk management is a culture, not a cult. It only works if everyone lives it, not if its practiced by a few high priests ’- Tom Wilson
  6. I think the rise of quantitative econometrics and a highly mathematical approach to risk management was the obverse of a decline in interest in financial history ’- Niall Ferguson
  7. There is no doubt that Formula 1 has the best risk management of any sport and any industry in the world ’- Jackie Stewart
  8. Stronger regulation and supervision aimed at problems with underwriting practices and lenders’ risk management would have been a more effective and surgical approach to constraining the housing bubble than a general increase in interest rates ’- Ben Bernanke
  9. If you don’t invest in risk management, it doesnt matter what business you’re in, it’s a risky business ’- Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn
  10. Adventure without risk is Disneyland ’- Douglas Coupland
  11. Risk and time are opposite sides of the same coin, for if there were no tomorrow there would be no risk. Time transforms risk, and the nature of risk is shaped by the time horizon: the future is the playing field ’- Peter Bernstein, Against the Gods
  12. As population susceptibilities are better understood, we will be in a better position than we are in today to make informed decisions about risk management ’- Samuel Wilson
  13. Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash ’- General George Patton
  14. All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger, but calculating risk and acting decisively ’- Niccolo Machiavelli
  15. Total enterprise risk management is critical, but implementing it is both expensive and easier said than done. Even the most sophisticated financial institutions are still basically silo risk managers ’- Danny Klinefelter, Professor and Extension Economist with Texas AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M University
  16. Playing it safe is the riskiest choice we can ever make ’- Sarah Ban
  17. The question of whether or to what extent human activities are causing global warming is not a matter of ideology, let alone of belief. The issue is simply one of risk management ’- Malcolm Turnbull
  18. Business people need to understand the psychology of risk more than the mathematics of risk  ’- Paul Gibbons,
  19. Risk comes from not knowing what your doing ’-Warren Buffett
  20. You have to take risks. You will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen ’- Paulo Coelho
  21. Risk is a function of how poorly a strategy will perform if the ‘wrong’ scenario occurs ’- Michael Porter, Competitive Advantage
  22. Risk management should be an enterprisewide exercise and engrained in the business culture of the organisation ’- OSFI Superintendent Julie Dickson, June 1, 2011 (courtesy Ethidex)
  23. Risk is our business ’- Oswald Grübel, CEO at UBS
  24. When our leaders accept the status quo, we run the risk of disaster ’- Max Bazerman from “Predictable Surprises”
  25. The concept of ‘inherent risk’ is impossible to measure or even define. The idea of looking at risk absent all hard controls, soft controls, or mitigations, provides little or no useful information in most cases ’- Todd Perkins (from Journal of Applied Corporate Finance – volume 19 number 4)
  26. It’s important to take risks but it’s idiotic to take them blindly ’- Terry Levine
  27. Fail to identify the strategic risks and you fail as a business, no matter how well you manage your operational and project risks ’- Keith Baxter
  28. Business as usual is business at risk ’- Deloitte white paper
  29. Risk management is the identification, assessment, and prioritisation of risks ’- Wikipedia
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Project Manager or Scapegoat?

You Need to Stop Pointing That Finger

Big Project Failures Claim Their Victims in Spectacular Fashion

You’ve just been assigned a high visibility failing project  and  you’re working round-the-clock to get the work to the client on time, despite the fact that the job bears barely any resemblance to the project  you initially discussed. The  scope keeps creeping, the risk  and issue alerts are coming in thick and fast, the project is already  two months  past the original deadline, the clients are getting antsy even though they’re yet to provide you with various key pieces of information in order to baseline the project.  Is this your chance to shine  and showcase your skills?

If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going, You Will Probably End up Somewhere Else – Laurence J. Peter

If you manage to turn the project around and the project is successful, you will attract many fathers. However, if the project fails, you will probibly be  offered up as the  sacrificial lamb (scapegoat),  there is absolutely no way around it.  A  high percentage of projects fail to deliver useful results, that’s a  fact.

Project managers are  regularly blamed for schedule delays and cost overruns for projects they inherit by no fault of there own, however, in most cases, the fault for such issues rarely lies with just one person.

Sufficient data has been gathered to indicate that blockers such as unsupportive  management, senior sponsorship or low  resource availability are as much to blame for project failure as ineffective stakeholder management or poor communication.

Capture  all decisions

The only way to protect yourself is to ensure that you capture all decisions made in the project. In most cases  many of these decisions  will have been made by people above you. While you can influence decisions made by people under you. Get into the  habit  of building a dashboard early in the project and updating it each week with actuals.  Also consider using a  standard repeatable technique to analyse the health of your project.

Constrained resources

If you are in a project where resources are constrained, clearly outline the resources that you require to deliver the project in terms of time, scope, budget, risk  and  quality. If resources are pulled from your project, clearly articulate the affect of that in delivery terms and measure that to time delayed or cost added.

Risk and issues register

Operate  a strong risk and issue register,  ensure  it is both visible  and assessable so  your team can  actively participate in updating it.

Stop  the project

Always remember, cancelling the project is not always a failure. There can be many reasons why the project may no longer be desirable now. If you have done your job well, you can be really successful by ensuring a project does not continue to meander along, wasting time and money when there is no possibility of completing the project.

Organisational change management

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said when there are organisation change management issues.   While there are a  few project managers who feel their jurisdiction ends at the triple constraint, most now  understand the need to achieve the expected benefits from their projects.

So when is it fair to blame a project manager for poor implementation of a  project’s deliverables,  this is assuming that they were employed at the beginning of the project?

  1. If they didn’t perform good  stakeholder analysis during the project initiation stage as well as at regular intervals.
  2. If they turned a blind eye and deaf ear to factors that could impact value achievement
  3. If they didn’t insist on a clear communication strategy and progressive information sharing with relevant  stakeholder groups.
  4. If they didn’t engage influencers from key stakeholder groups throughout the project lifecycle.
  5. If the organisation management deliverables were not built into the project’s scope definition and work breakdown structure.

Assuming the project manager was appointed at the start of the project and had undertaken  all of the above, what are invalid reasons to blame the project manager  if the project failed?

  1. A lack of timely resource availability or commitment by the organisation
  2. Directives to the project manager to not engage certain stakeholder communities
  3. Ignorance by senior sponsors to management risks raised by the project team
  4. A management decision  that is too bitter a pill to swallow in spite of how much it has been sugar coated

Have any comments or stories that could help to expand this article?

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4 Lies about Procurement You Probably Believe

The world of Procurement is seemingly full of impassioned people absolutely certain about what procurement is all about. Like other great lies, many of these half-truths and misleading ideas sound agreeable to the ears and come packaged as good advice from influential people.

How many of these popular lies have you fallen victim to?

1. Procurement should have a seat at the C-table

It’s not so much an outright lie as an irritating half-truth – but the damage comes with what Procurement people do with it. The thought behind this is well-intended: Procurement people should be able to speak the language of senior executives as easily as they can talk about FIDIC or demand forecasting. Terms such as EBITDA, ROIC, and economic profit should be part of their everyday parlance. Procurement issues are often the least understood by the board and the CEO and must be explained in their language.

What on earth could be wrong with that?   Nothing – if the Procurement people have full cognisance of their own tools and language – and can be persuasive to senior people of the value of Procurement.  

Now, that’s where we have, what is kindly referred to, as a skills gap.

In reality, for Procurement with no reputation (outside of that pesky metric of cost) and few business-aligned projects to call upon, it can be incredibly hard to try and catch senior people’s ear – never mind a C-seat (see what I did there?).

2. You must carry out a competitive tender to obtain value for money

I’m trying to distance myself from the public sector here (noting I did co-author the CIPS book on contracting in the public sector) but even in the private sector there’s a desperate need to get three quotes.  

Why three quotes?  

Not five, not 11?   ‘Cos the rules say three; that’s why.  

And the rules of Procurement policy and procedures, well, they can’t be broken because the CFO or the head of internal audit (all very commercial animals?) will be down on Procurement like a ton of bricks.  

When the three quotes are received the following conversation occurs – the highest price is rejected – ‘they’re ripping us off’ followed by – and I love this one about the lowest price quotation – ‘the price is too low, they must have got the specification wrong’ – and the contract is awarded to the middle-priced one”¦.surely there’s a better way to deliver value for money?  

Perhaps starting with actually defining it!

3. Procurement is the only source of governance for 3rd party spend

Being the only source would suggest a 100%, right?  

I’d be amazed – and delighted – if Procurement governed half of all the 3rd party spend.   Words such as ‘influencing’ are sometimes bandied about to shore up this lie. What a surprise that sales people are either trained, or very quickly learn ways, to actually bypass Procurement when selling.

And the reason?

Obviously marketing, IT, auditors fees, construction/property, recruitment (I could go on) is completely different, say the senior people in those departments – echoing the views of the oh so helpful sales people.   And Procurement just never gets near, as they can’t articulate (deliver?) the value they can add.  

I await the avalanche of people commenting on this telling me I’m wrong.   Please be assured you are exceptional in Procurement.    

4. Procurement welcome innovation and strategic relationships and anything other than lower price

Few businesses view Procurement as a strategic process. Most often, Procurement staff report to the CFO. This astonishing trend indicates that Procurement is still viewed as a financial / accounting activity and not an operational strategic activity that directly impacts the bottom line.

Suppliers; if you have an innovative product or service, recognise that Procurement’s ‘raison d’être’ is to deliver cost savings.   That’s what they are measured on, that’s what the research with CPOs and the C-suite say is the #1 priority.   There’s oodles of other priorities such as local sourcing, sustainability, innovation, partnering, risk management – I could go on and on and on.   But that’s the one they get measured on. Think that through, next time you’re pitching.    

The take-away

Perspectives on Procurement need to change, mature and grow up.  Lies like these need to be re-evaluated and abandoned. Procurement needs to change the way they engage and manage suppliers and their internal stakeholders; ‘adding value’ (a dreadful phrase!) means so much more than asking for a discount.

Stephen Ashcroft BEng MSc MCIPS (speaking here, very much in a personal capacity!) is Associate Director, Procurement and Commercial Advisory at AECOM, a Fortune 500 company. He’s a procurement learner stuck in the body of a procurement veteran, and with over 20 years’ experience still sees the glass as half full. Working with leading organisations across diverse industry sectors, Steve helps clients reimagine procurement to drive improved performance. A recognised advisor, speaker, lecturer, and author; the ever-hopeful Kopite shares his bright-eyed/world-weary views on Twitter @ThinkProcure, LinkedIn and his blog.

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How Prince2 Is the Ticket for Success for German Manufacturing Company Scheidt & Bachmann Gmbh

Image 3.1 PRINCE2 Best practice award for the best German PRINCE2 project 2014 - presented by BPUG.

AXELOS, the owner of the Global Best Practice Portfolio, has profiled an award-winning PRINCE2 ® project in its latest case study.   Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH, the global solutions provider, describe how PRINCE2 – the world’s most popular project management methodology – helped them design and develop the hardware and software required for a new type of ticket machine for the German rail company Bayerische Oberlandbahn – and manufacture and install 64 of the new machines to a challenging deadline.  

Originally a mechanical engineering company, Scheidt & Bachmann was established in 1872 and remains a family owned company. With 24 subsidiaries and more than 2,600 employees worldwide, Scheidt & Bachmann now provides technology solutions across a number of sectors. The fare collection systems division was created in 1978 and is a global leader in fare collection technology.

The award-winning project was centred around a new German rail infrastructure – the Meridian Line – that would open in December 2013 and be operated by Bayerische Oberlandbahn. Scheidt & Bachmann received an order in March 2013 to supply and install new ticket machines for the Meridian Line by 14 December 2013, the non-negotiable date for new stations to be operational. This posed a challenge to deliver a new customer-specific model of ticket machine in time. The project required new hardware design and the production of a prototype device for customer approval, as well as significant software development.

Mike Acaster, PPM portfolio manager for AXELOS said: “This is a fantastic example of PRINCE2 being used to ensure that a complex and demanding project is delivered as effectively as possible. Among the benefits of using PRINCE2, Scheidt & Bachmann found that applying PRINCE2 principles and processes increased common understanding and simplified decision making where differing priorities were involved.

“The use of PRINCE2 improved delivery and customer satisfaction in a project that, from the start, had challenging and immoveable deadline dates while introducing technical innovation.”

Figure-3-1-Meridian-project-stages

Daniel Weber, head of technical project management at Scheidt & Bachmann said: “PRINCE2 provided the perfect management approach for a project of this sort. Without an effective project management approach in place this delivery would have been extremely challenging. There were many complex requirements that needed to be successfully met in a very short timeframe, without any room for error. In the end, we delivered an excellent result for Bayerische Oberlandbahn – and have produced a new product which we are already marketing to other customers.”

Jürgen Kindler, project manager for Bayerische Oberlandbahn said: “Due to Scheidt & Bachmann’s effort and determination we were able to complete the project successfully within the time frame. Problems were communicated openly and solved quickly, which has greatly contributed to its success.  

The full case study can be found on the AXELOS website: https://www.axelos.com/case-studies-and-white-papers/use-of-prince2-by-scheidt-bachmann-gmbh

Project Journal  staff were  not involved in the creation of this content.

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Playing God: Swedish Train operator uses Big Data to ‘avoid train delays that haven’t happened yet’

In a sign of things to come, a Swedish train operator is using new technology that employs big data to predict the entire commuter train system two hours into the future.

Welcome to the world of “Big Data.” We have more information at our fingertips than any generation in history. We live in the world of “Big Data.” That is the new way people are trying to describe this sea of digital facts, figures, products, books, music, video, and much more. Twitter, apps, Facebook–they’re each giving science new ways to look at what people do and why.

“Hopes, fears, and ethical concerns relating to technology are as old as technology itself.”

We actually welcome some aspect of Big Data. These mysterious data successes (or accidental successes) are easy to see as a kind of Big Brother future, where technology can track your every move and report back to ”¦ someone. However, StockholmstÃ¥g, the train operator is using new technology that employs big data to predict train delays before they happen.

“The Commuter Prognosis –  A Social Scientist’s Dream Come True.”

The mathematic algorithm, called “The commuter prognosis” was  developed in Stockholm, Sweden.

When a train is not on time the algorithm forecasts disruptions in the entire network by using historic big data  to  prevent the ripple effects that actually causes most delays.
Wilhelm Landerholm the mathematician who has developed the algorithm said:

“We have built a prediction model, using big data, that lets us visualize the entire commuter train system two hours into the future. We can now forecast disruptions in our service and our traffic control center can prevent the ripple effects that actually cause most delays.”

The algorithm has been tested but is not currently being  used by traffic controllers.

How  does it work?

The key to the model is a large  amount of historical data. The model works similar to a seismograph, an instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, such as force and duration, but instead identifies late train arrivals. When this happens, the system  uses historical data from previous occurrences to forecast the likely  impact on the entire train network.

Real-time public transportation information is already used around the globe, however, traffic control centers still typically assess  delays manually to try and prevent further problems in a network. The commuter prognosis system, on the other hand, will forecast these delay effects instantaneously  and provide a prediction of how a single or multiple  disturbance might  affect  the whole  train network. The  commuter prognosis system could change how traffic control centers operate all over the world.

“The Effects of One Delayed Train Can Quickly Multiply Within a Train Network”

Imagine that “The commuter prognosis” forecasts that a train will be 10 minutes late to station C in two hours. To deal with this the traffic control center issues a new train from station A that will arrive on time at station C. As soon as the new train has been put in motion the algorithm re-calculates and gives the traffic control center a new forecast for the entire train network within minutes.”

The most important benefit of “The commuter prognosis” is that it  provides for a more punctual public transportation.

“The commuter prognosis” will be available in a smartphone app based on the original model. The app will integrate with other transportation big data to make commuting easier and  will indicate which coaches are more or less crowded.

Big Data, Ethics, and Religion

These stories remind us that even though companies and governments are doing amazing things with data, it’s at best imperfect. The algorithms and programs they use to filter and respond to data are at least as fallible as the human beings who designed them.  We can also see its complexity and failures as evidence of the amazing omnipotence of our God – who doesn’t make errors and who knows right where to find us, even inside a great fish or the depths of hell.

The arrival of big data has already brought with it numerous questions that have yet to be properly addressed. These questions are methodological, epistemological, and ethical, and they concern (inter alia) the ways in which data is collected, stored, interpreted, represented, and traded.  A further complication is a speed with which data science is advancing, which means that (for example) the application of legal and ethical restrictions to the practice of that science will always risk being several steps behind the point that it has currently reached. There are indications that we are currently sleepwalking towards a situation in which the commercial exploitation of big data routinely increases social division, and renders privacy a thing of the past.

Ket factors

  • A mathematical model interprets big data to forecasts for each train in the train network.
  • The commuter prognosis can warn about delays two hours before the departure or arrival actually takes place.
  • The commuter prognosis calculates how the delay affects other trains in the system.
  • The purpose of “the commuter prognosis” is to make life easier for traffic control centers and to give passengers  a better service.
  • In the future, the algorithm will be potentially adaptable for more types of public transportations and cities.
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43 Great Quotes To Inspire You To Be a Better Christian Leader

Anyone who has responsibility for the work of others understands the unique challenges that come with managing people.

Over the years, various thought leaders have come up with pearls of wisdom in the form of quotations that when given some thought, have a lot to teach us.  Sometimes a simple quote is just the thing to lift our spirits, to make us smile or to give us the energy to keep going when we’re feeling low.

Here are 43 such quotes to make us better Christian leaders.

  1. “The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self.” –  Unknown
  2. “In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.” –  Unknown
  3. “The good news is, God has provided us with a LifeBook to help us – the Bible.” –  Unknown
  4. “Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul.” –  John Maxwell
  5. “There’s only two things you can start without a plan: a riot and a family, for everything else you need a plan.” –  Unknown
  6. “Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.” –  Unknown
  7. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” –  John Maxwell
  8. “Leadership is getting people to work for you when they are not obligated.” –  Fred Price
  9. “Running a project without a work breakdown structure is like going to a strange land without a roadmap” – J Phillips
  10. “You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.” –  Henry Ford”
  11. “Have a good plan, Execute it violently, Do it today” – General Douglas McArthur
  12. “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that is has taken place.” –  Unknown
  13. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”  –  Winston Churchill
  14. “A project without a critical path is like a ship without a rudder.” – D. Meyer
  15. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
  16. “What’s measured improves.” –  Unknown
  17. “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” –  Antoine de Saint Exupry 1900-1944, French writer and aviator
  18. “If it is not documented, it doesn’t exist. As long as information is retained in someone’s head, it is vulnerable to loss.” –  Unknown
  19. “It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things.”  –  Machiavelli 1446-1507, Italian statesman and philosopher
  20.  “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra.” –  Unknown
  21. “Luck is for the ill-prepared.” –  Unknown
  22. “Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.”  –  Chinese Proverb
  23. “Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is  coordinating the talents  of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal.” –Unknown
  24. “PMs are the most creative pros in the world; we have to figure out everything that could go wrong before it does.” – Fredrik Haren
  25. “Why do so many professionals say they are project managing when what they are actually doing is firefighting?” –Unknown
  26. “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.”  –Unknown
  27. “Ensure your documentation is short and sharp and make much more use of people-to-people communication.” –Unknown
  28. “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” –  Henry Ford
  29. “Leadership offers an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, no matter what the project.” –  Bill Owens
  30. “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” –  John C. Maxwell
  31. “Leaders have two characteristics: first they are going somewhere, and second they are able to persuade other people to go with them.” –  John Maxwell
  32. “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Kenneth Blanchard
  33. “The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.” – Warren Bennis
  34. “The best example of leadership is leadership by example.” –  Jerry McClain
  35. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” –  John Quincy Adams
  36. “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” –  John Stott
  37. “We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.” –  Charles F. Stanley
  38. “Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” –  Mark 10:45
  39. “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” –Unknown
  40. “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” –  Mother Teresa
  41. “The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.” –  Matt Chandler
  42. “Continuous effort  – not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential” –  Winston Churchill
  43. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” –  John Piper

If you know a great quote or scripture that will inspire others to lead their churches better, please feel free to share it in the comments below.

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7 Signs that Suggest You Should Step Away from Managing the Church Project

Signs That You Aren't Cut-Out To Be A Project Manager

The lack of project management training or experience of many Christian leaders can be an enormous stress factor for them. Whilst natural organizational ability is enormously helpful, in itself it is no guarantee of any project being both successful and low stress.

As a Project Manager, you will need to manage every aspect of the project from start to finish, working on a series of pre-determined goals and objectives.  Not everyone is cut out to be a Project Manager.  It’s not even necessarily a highly desirable job.   You get a lot of visibility, but not necessarily a lot of recognition, unless the project is very successful and highly visible. As such project management is  not  for the faint-hearted.

Although specific responsibilities vary from industry to industry, the role of a Project Manager will generally include the following:

  • Defining the project
  • Scheduling
  • Budgeting
  • Risk assessing
  • Project control
  • Providing direction and support to the team
  • Quality checking
  • Reporting progress, problems, and solutions
  • Assessing results of the project
  • Closing down the project
  • Managing and working with multiple stakeholders

When it comes to project managing, it is important to have certain skills to be the most effective Project Manager you can be. Some people have these skills and others do not. Here’s our list of indicators that you may not be well suited to be a Project Manager in no particular order:

1. You’re a poor communicator

More than 50% of a Project Managers time is spent on some aspect of communication.  The majority of conflicts in a team involve problems in communication, either as a cause or an effect. A lack of understanding can result from ineffective communication and can then lead to further communication issues. Communication skills are ranked first among a job candidate’s ‘must have’ skills and qualities according to a 2010 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Poor communicators will often believe that giving people facts about a situation will be sufficient to influence them into following a particular course of action. However as Richard Nixon said,

“People Are Persuaded by Reason, but Moved by Emotion; The Leader Must Both Persuade Them and Move Them.”

Avoiding communication is a common occurrence when a difficult conversation is anticipated. Project Managers  with low confidence will tend to ignore opportunities to pass on difficult messages with the result that the communication vacuum only serves to increase the size of the problem in the team. The old adage that “no news is good news” doesn’t usually apply in such circumstances as the  team  on the receiving end of the silence will fill the void with their own perceptions, doubts, and fears.

Poor Project Managers  also  tend to react emotionally and erratically when communicating with the team which can make it difficult for the team  on the receiving end to anticipate how the communication will progress. Lack of honesty and not sharing how you really feel can also lead to a lack of trust in the  team.

2. You don’t work well with people

Good Project Managers make an effort to spend a lot of time with clients, stakeholders, and team members.  If you don’t like working within a team and prefer to stay in one location and focus on your own work, you probably don’t have the collaborative ability to be a good Project Manager.  While one person working alone can have an impact, your role as a leader is to guide your team to accomplish bigger goals than they could achieve on their own.

A Great Person Attracts Great People and Knows How to Hold Them Together — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

3. You don’t like to manage people

You don’t have much of a project if you’re the only resource. If you want to be a good project manager, you need to be able to manage people well. You will probably never have a  100% responsibility for people, but you will need to show leadership, hold them accountable, manage conflict, etc. Some project managers say they could do a much better job if they did not have to deal with people. If that’s how you feel, project management is probably not for you.

Earn Your Leadership Every Day – Michael Jordan

4. You don’t like to document things or follow processes

Many aspects of project management requires documenting things, including status reporting, communication plans, scope changes, and project plans.  A Lack of process  increases the risk that tasks related to the project will fall through the cracks, that projects will have to be re-worked, and ultimately that a project won’t be completed on time or on budget. A good project manager needs to be effective at process and information management.

The Art of Leadership Is Saying No, Not Saying Yes. It Is Very Easy to Say Yes —  Tony Blair

5. You cannot tell the client “no”

Clients aren’t the same as customers. Sometimes they need to be guided in the right direction. This is your job.  Clients who change project requirements all the time or who demand unreasonable working hours need to be managed.

A Leader is One who Knows the Way, Goes the way, and Shows the way — John Maxwell

6. You don’t like to  plan and  are not organised

The project managers job is to organise everyone in the team. If you cannot plan, you can hardly be an effective leader.  When a client gives you a project, if your first inclination  is start working, you probably don’t have a project management mindset.  The Project Managers overall task is to keep the project on budget and on target. Sticking to deadlines is very important.

The Key to Successful Leadership Today is Influence, Not Authority — Kenneth Blanchard

7. You Micromanage the team

Babysitting the team.  It’s very common for poor Project Managers to treat their job like an enforcer, policing the project team for progress and updates.

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Millions of It and Project Management Professionals to Benefit from the New Axelos Professional Development Programme

For the first time, millions of professionals across the globe qualified in ITIL ®, PRINCE2 ® and PRINCE2 Agile┞¢ will be able to track and record their professional development through a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme as part of the new AXELOS Professional Development Programme, which launches today.

The AXELOS Professional Development Programme is an online membership programme aligned to the global best practice frameworks of ITIL, PRINCE2 and PRINCE2 Agile, that provides members with a range of specialised tools. Members will be able to assess their ability against industry benchmarks and gain access to exclusive content and activities designed to develop their skills and knowledge.

The programme will give practitioners the confidence and tools to keep up-to-date and relevant in their field while supporting them in their professional development. By completing the required CPD points, members will earn a digital badge that can be shared via online platforms to demonstrate their relevance and commitment to professional development.

Peter Hepworth, AXELOS Chief Executive, said: “There are millions of practitioners with either ITIL or PRINCE2 qualifications, and we want to champion these professionals by giving them a means to develop their knowledge and skills. This new programme is all about offering additional value for IT service management and project management professionals which goes beyond passing an exam and gaining a qualification.

“Ongoing investment in professional development also benefits organizations as well as individuals. Employers can ensure that their employees are continually developing their skills and the new digital badges will also help employers source the right talent by using them to differentiate against individuals who haven’t kept their skills up to date.

“The scheme will enable ITIL and PRINCE2 practitioners to achieve industry recognition and enhance their own personal brand. In addition, employers who invest time and money in CPD can develop their teams and drive up standards while improving staff loyalty and morale.”

Those wishing to join the scheme must hold an ITIL or PRINCE2 qualification. AXELOS are running a promotion so anyone joining in 2015 can save £100 on annual membership costs, and just pay the initial £25 registration fee.

The Professional Development Programme is the latest addition to the best practice portfolio owned by AXELOS – a joint venture between the UK Government and Capita plc. More information can be found on the AXELOS website: https://www.axelos.com/professional-development

Project Journal  staff were  not involved in the creation of this content.

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From Outreach Ideas to Action in Three Easy Steps

From Outreach Ideas to Action in Three Easy Steps

A good idea is great. A good idea that’s executed perfectly can change the world. But a simple idea alone is useless.

A Good Idea That’s Executed Perfectly Can Change the World

There’s an idea that flops and an idea that becomes the next biggest thing. It’s all about how it’s executed. If it doesn’t come with a plan, or if it appears too difficult to introduce, someone else will do it, leaving you with a has-been idea that can no longer be implemented. This is why every ‘brainwave’ ‘eureka’ moment idea needs to be teamed together with a worthy execution”¦if not, don’t expect much.

Pushing an innovative idea forward into something else remains one of our biggest challenges. Admittedly, it can be a super exhausting process, which is why it’s always a great idea to invite the crowd to not only come up with the wonderful ideas, but to also help develop them as well.

There are a few key stages that need to be followed when it comes to getting your crowd in on the idea decision-making and development game.

1. Create a Unique Team

Almost anyone can research and refine new innovative ideas. However, you can take it a step further and invite the crowd to join in the fun and be a part of your team. This will give your idea more validation. It will also decrease any potential risk, and at the same time it could be a huge timesaver when it comes to marketing and finances.

In short, each and every idea should be unique enough to sway people to join a team that supports the idea.

2. Fine Tune that Idea

They say that behind every great idea catapulted onto the market, there was an equally great plan. Every idea requires some sort of plan. It could be just a basic one that briefly outlines the various possibilities connected to it, or it could be a more complex plan that delves into the intricacies of it.

A good plan should include a business plan. This might seem like a given, but you’d be surprised as to how many people don’t have a good business plan to back up their ideas. Plans should also include target audiences, marketing ideas and much more.

You need to approach every idea in a methodical way. You’ll need a unique set of criteria that pertains to one idea – it’s not a case of one-size fits all. You’ll need to answer any question that arises, and until this is done, you can’t move forward and successfully turn your idea into reality.

Use and involve your crowd. Ask them to research various aspects of the idea, and then have them report back and share their ideas and findings with the rest of the group.

3. Don’t Stand for Mediocre

There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of okay ideas. There are even hundreds of great ideas. But, an average or good idea is not enough, which is why it’s absolutely essential to select only the best of the best ideas. It doesn’t matter if it’s only one mind-blowing idea because as the old adage goes, quality is better than quantity.

Quality Is Better than Quantity

The good and even the great ideas might struggle. Such ideas are difficult to get funding for, and it’s more challenging to prototype and deliver them. If you want to make your idea come alive, you need to have defined criteria, which allows for choosing the best idea to follow up on. After the criteria has been established, it’s time to use the crowd again aka Christian community. Ask them to respond accordingly and honestly – does the idea meet all the listed criteria?

If yes, that’s great, you’re moving towards success. If not, it’s back to the drawing board to get it right.

You need to act now and remember this: it’s okay to simply start by putting just one outreach idea into action.

What kinds of challenges do you and your team face when trying to develop your ideas further?

 

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