The Financial Management Business Transformation Service has harmonized the use of an integrated Agile and Waterfall projects controls system to maximize project efficiency, adaptability, and delivery excellence. Agile methodologies, renowned for their iterative and flexible approach, offer unparalleled responsiveness to changing requirements and customer needs. Conversely, Waterfall methodologies provide structured processes, ideal for projects with well-defined scopes and sequential phases. By integrating these seemingly divergent approaches within an Integrated Project Controls System, we have been able to capitalize on the strengths of each methodology while mitigating their inherent limitations. The key to successful integration lies in embracing a hybrid model that tailors project management practices to suit the project's unique requirements. Our Project Control System and Processes serve as the nexus, facilitating seamless coordination, communication, and collaboration across the program’s various projects. This integration enables stakeholders to gain a holistic visibility into project progress, resource allocation, and risk management, fostering informed decision-making and proactive course corrections. Additionally, by utilizing the needed features within Microsoft project, we are able to meet the government requirements of providing periodic updates in a manner consistent to the government accountability office best practices. We have found the integration of Agile and Waterfall projects fosters a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Teams can leverage Agile principles to experiment, adapt, and innovate within the framework of structured Waterfall processes. This hybrid approach promotes cross-functional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and alignment of project objectives, driving organizational agility and competitiveness. The use of both Agile and Waterfall process and controls across the projects has allowed us to transcend the confines of methodology wars, offering a pragmatic approach to project management excellence. By harnessing the complementary strengths of Agile and Waterfall methodologies within a unified control system, organizations can navigate the complexities of modern projects with confidence, agility, and resilience.

Blueprints to Bottom Lines: Real-Time Cost Management Strategies for Seamless Field-Office Collaboration Leveraging real-world examples and personal stories from the field, Ryan Posnikoff will speak about strategies to collaborate and communicate with field crews to enable technologies used today to get accurate reports on project. From the realities of the day-in-the-life of a supervisor to the needs for structured field reporting to create accurate and actionable insights into the health of your project.

This Safran hosted panel discussion we’re going to have “The Talk”. An open and honest comparison of emerging challenger methods that may address some of the weakness of traditional techniques. Exploring their respective advantages, disadvantages, and inherent trade-offs. The panel will place their efforts on drawing out the nuance and transparency between • Marketing Hype vs. Tried, Tested and Recommended Practice. • Potential evolution of practice and • Synergies in multiple practices. It is our aspiration to give attendees transparency and peace of mind in what your wider peer group is experiencing and some tangible next steps in your own professional enquiries.

Generative scheduling technology represents a significant advancement in the construction industry, which transforms how schedules are created and optimized. Traditional project management tools rely on static schedules and manual adjustments, which can be time-consuming (weeks-long process) and error-prone. Generative scheduling technology, developed by ALICE Technologies, significantly improves this process by converting imported P6 or MS Project schedules into parametric constraint models that generate hundreds of feasible schedules in minutes. By leveraging parametric and generative scheduling, ALICE optimizes resources and sequences based on real-time project constraints, providing a comprehensive view of possible outcomes and facilitating optimal decision-making.This presentation is tailored for project managers and schedulers seeking to enhance their efficiency and advance their project controls. Attendees will learn how to automate schedule optimization and scenario exploration, significantly improving resource allocation and overall project efficiency. Join us to learn how generative scheduling technology can transform your approach to project controls and delivery. We'll explain how the technology works along with some real-world applications of ALICE.

Join us at the Project Controllers Expo to hear about Spencer Group's approach to managing a challenging rail depot refurbishment. We will discuss how we used agile planning, effective communication, and technology to handle a fast-tracked schedule, manage less experienced planners, and adapt to ongoing design changes, all while addressing significant financial risks. This presentation offers practical insights into handling complex projects under tight constraints.

In today’s dynamic business landscape, organizations strive to optimize project management, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making. Karen Firmanuik, Karen Firmaniuk, Product Management Director, will guide you through McKinstry’s journey of implementing Planisware through refining and deploying value-add features and functions which aided them and continues to aid them through data-driven business decisions.

Owners and contractors struggle to deliver major and mega construction projects on time and on budget. Project managers, schedulers, planners and controllers are faced with ever-increasing complexity. Innovative, next generation AI-enabled construction project management platforms place the schedule at the heart of project execution. With the application of AI, machine learning and natural language processing to schedules these new tools empower unbiased, data-driven decisions with full transparency. By distinguishing the essential tasks from the noise, advanced AI scheduling tools encourage teams to concentrate on what truly moves the needle, making it easy to: - Identify Priorities and Set Action Plans - In the dynamic world of project management, identifying the right priorities is crucial. - Recognize Risks and Bottlenecks - Identifying potential risks and bottlenecks before they become issues is key to maintaining project momentum. - Collaborate with Diverse Stakeholders - Effective collaboration is the backbone of any successful project.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing project cost estimation. Join Galorath’s session to explore how AI algorithms, including machine learning and neural networks, enhance accuracy and efficiency in cost predictions. Discover how AI analyzes vast datasets and historical project information to optimize budget planning and resource allocation. This session highlights AI’s benefits, such as improved accuracy, reduced project overruns, and enhanced decision-making through real-time data analysis. Learn how early identification of cost-saving opportunities leads to overall project cost reductions and increased profitability. We will also address the challenges of AI adoption in cost estimation, including potential data biases, integration complexities, and the need for continuous algorithm updates. Strategies to mitigate risks and ensure data privacy and security will be discussed. Gain actionable insights into leveraging AI for reliable and efficient cost estimation and position your projects at the forefront of industry innovation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic vision but a present reality in the project controls industry. The well-known adage "measure twice, AI once" is about the importance of meticulous planning and execution. As the industry increasingly integrates AI into its processes, this wisdom becomes even more relevant. In this session, you will learn about the best practices of outcome-based AI strategies to achieve clear results, avoid pitfalls and ensure a more successful, impactful AI deployment.

Join Dexter Bachelder of Slate Technologies as he explores AI's groundbreaking impact on construction, efficiency and sustainability. In today's rapidly evolving construction landscape, swift and informed decision-making is crucial. Dexter will show how AI serves as a catalyst for change, offering an unbiased perspective beyond human biases. Through AI-driven tools, construction managers can make data-driven decisions, managing risks and optimizing outcomes. By drawing upon concrete examples and industry insights, Dexter will illustrate the benefits of AI integration, from cost estimation to design enhancement. Attendees will learn how AI empowers construction professionals, driving growth while addressing industry demands. This session will focus on harnessing AI's potential to revolutionize construction practices and optimize resource allocation and scheduling. By participating, attendees will gain insights into AI's transformative power in construction, navigating towards a more efficient and sustainable future.

Successfully delivering mega capital infrastructure projects is critical for economic growth and societal benefit, yet they often face challenges like cost overruns and delays. Overcoming these requires effective project controls in key areas.​ Firstly, challenging project uniqueness bias is crucial. While each project is unique, focusing on shared principles and lessons learned improves strategy and avoids past mistakes.​ Secondly, assessing and redesigning the operating model enhances efficiency and collaboration. Integrating project controls within a cohesive framework rather than as isolated components improves performance and reduces inefficiencies.​ Thirdly, establishing a robust Quality Management System (QMS) clarifies roles and responsibilities amidst complex stakeholder and project environments. This systematic approach ensures consistency and accountability, mitigating risks supporting evidence-based decision-making and ensures successful projects are delivered right the first time.​ Lastly, fostering a learning organizational culture promotes continual improvement and resilience. Embracing ongoing learning and adaptation empowers teams to address challenges proactively and refine processes based on collective experience.​ In conclusion, addressing these areas—dismissing project uniqueness bias, optimizing the operating model, implementing a robust QMS, and fostering a learning culture—strengthens the organizations effectiveness to manage and deliver successful mega projects the first time, effectively mitigating cost overruns and delays.​

Traditionally, it has been prohibitively expensive to analyze an organization's data in any deep way on a regular basis. There is too much information for the project team to process. It is common for issues and concerning patterns to escape the project team's attention for long enough that the project becomes unrecoverable, or for recovery to become expensive. Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques can be used to surface issues in projects before recovery becomes expensive or impossible. It can detect issues in projects early in the project's lifecycle and warn the project management team about them. It can also develop recovery plans for specific project and run what-if analyses based on conversations and project history. This paper / presentation will illustrate a pioneering AI engine that reads project history and can answer questions from the project team in a conversational manner. The engine is also able to recommend which project chart is more important to the user than others at every stage of the project. It can apply different filters to different charts to guarantee that the user gets information about problem areas.

This presentation delves into methodologies and best practices for cost estimation and analysis in government and defense sectors, crucial amid the U.S. national debt crisis. It emphasizes effective spending and management, showcasing key guides from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), such as the Cost Estimating and Assessment, Schedule Assessment, Technology Readiness Assessment, and Agile Development Guides. These inform GAO audits, shaping congressional oversight and decision-making. Integration of cost estimating with Earned Value Management (EVM) underscores the need for reliable data. Real-world applications and challenges, like credible estimates, schedule management, technology readiness, and agile practices, are explored through case studies. The goal is to equip participants with practical insights and tools to improve cost estimates and schedules, enhancing fiscal management and accountability in government projects.​

The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruption across the construction industry, affecting stakeholders at every level. This paper examines the specific challenges faced by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in post-pandemic capital infrastructure projects and the role of project controls in mitigating these challenges. Emphasizing proactive measures, the MBTA's Project Controls group shifted focus to include planning and design stages, not just construction. By implementing best practices and tools during planning, such as baseline at 30% design, scope management processes, and regular forecasting, the MBTA aims to pre-emptively manage scope, cost, and schedule. This approach has shown promising results in navigating market volatility and resource constraints. The paper underscores the importance of adopting project controls practices during planning for successful project delivery amid post-pandemic challenges, highlighting real-life project examples and outcomes.​ ​

Client organizations now commonly have planning and scheduling functions, yet the complexities of mega projects demand a strategic approach to project scheduling. Scheduling involves creating a robust baseline schedule aligned with project scope and estimates, incorporating change control and risk management processes to drive and report performance accurately. Before committing to mega projects, clients must ascertain project duration, which necessitates developing their own comprehensive project schedule. This schedule should encompass all activities essential for project benefits realization, including those managed by the client organization and multiple contractors if applicable. The presentation emphasizes the following principles for an effective client-owned schedule: aligning the Work Breakdown Structure with project governance, defining project benefits clearly, reflecting all project scope activities, including document production timelines, consulting all internal client departments, identifying and monitoring key milestones, mapping interfaces, developing a schedule management plan, documenting schedule assumptions, and considering schedule contingency. A realistic schedule helps manage stakeholder expectations and ensures timely project delivery, enhancing client satisfaction.

"In an era where digital engineering is altering the landscape of project management, the need for robust and adaptable project controls has never been more critical. This panel discussion at the Project Controls Expo brings together academic professionals to explore best practices for implementing effective project controls in today's dynamic environment. Project controls is all about sharing the right information (Key Performance Indicators or KPIs) with the right stakeholders at the right time to ensure that timely decisions are made for successful project delivery. Attendees will gain insights into how AI-driven tools are revolutionizing predictive analytics and automated reporting, making project management more efficient and proactive. The panel will also discuss the impact of digital engineering, including the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and digital twins, and how these technologies are optimizing project outcomes. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of data-driven decision-making, showcasing how big data and analytics are becoming indispensable in the project controls toolkit. Finally, the panel will address risk management strategies for addressing new challenges and opportunities resulting from digital advancements. The discussion will cover the latest analysis techniques available that are improving stakeholder communication and coordination. Join us for this compelling discussion and be part of the conversation that is shaping the future of project management!"

The Agile Methodology emerged in 2001 when Information Technology developers, dissatisfied with traditional approaches, crafted the Agile Manifesto. Initially applied in IT, Agile later found its way into Construction Projects, offering a departure from traditional methods like Critical Path Method (CPM). While CPM with Earned Value Method (EVM) is prevalent in Construction Project Controls, the transition to Agile remains contentious. Some perceive Agile as unsuitable for Construction, while others claim successful implementation. This paper presents a real experiment in executing a mega Construction Project using Agile Project management. It analyses the methodology and Project Controls employed, comparing them with Agile principles. Key questions addressed include reasons for using Agile in Construction, suitable Agile methodologies, methods for Project Controls, and success factors. The paper concludes with insights into Agile Project management in Construction and its effective controls.​

Accurate forensic delay analysis can be the difference between settling claims smoothly and ending up in expensive lawsuits. Finding the true cause of delays gets further complicated as the larger the project, the more parties are invovled. Join Billy Upchurch, Product Specialist at SmartPM, and Chowdhary Gondy, Principal at CES Consulting, as they guide you through a live case study of a troubled rail project. This session will demonstrate how visualizing and automating schedule analysis reveals unbiased key delay metrics and enhances stakeholder communication with visual evidence of performance risks and impacts. Attendees will gain insights into using practical tools to conduct retrospective analysis, identify early warning signs, and bridge the gap between multiple parties.

A reliable cost estimate provides the basis for informed program planning, budgeting, and management. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide (Cost Guide) to establish a consistent methodology that is based on best practices and that can be used across the federal government (and industry) for developing, managing, and evaluating capital project cost estimates. By developing reliable cost estimates through the use of best practices identified in the Cost Guide, federal agencies (and other owners) are better able to avoid cost overruns, missed deadlines, and performance shortfalls that often plague capital projects. The session will discuss (1) best practices defined in GAO’s Cost Guide for developing comprehensive, well-documented, accurate, and credible cost estimates and (2) the application of these best practices in evaluating the quality of cost estimates for major construction projects.

Goal and content: While there are numerous articles and publications extoling the techniques and importance of project controls and the value in the context of project environments; there is an opportunity to showcase how project AND program controls frameworks can be applied in practice on complex, transformational capital programs to drive strategic decision-making. Globally and in the US in particular, we are seeing a potentially transformational infrastructure and mega project initiatives largely driven by recent policy regulation such as the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, and various initiatives in private and public sector. The need to elevate the conversation around Project Controls and showcase how through integration with other risk management programs it can support effective decision-making and, in the end, better mitigation of risk exposure on large scale, mega programs and projects. Practical content delivery approach: Using the case-study of one of the US’s most ambitious and complex infrastructure programs, we aim to provide a practical and interactive 60-minute session with real examples on how project controls can be part of the holistic fabric of risk management and how companies and decision-makers can leverage to drive strategic program and portfolio

On this session, the speakers will share with the audience a methodology that they can follow to: 1. Identify the root cause of mismanagement of projects due to lack of appropriate technology (5-Why’s) 2. Observe areas of improvements and where waste is detected 3. Develop scoping requirements for developing or procuring innovative solutions that can enhance the way we manage and deliver projects The session will include 3 sections: A. Theory – showcasing our Digital Transformation Methodology B. Case Study – showcasing how we developed complete scoping requirements for procuring/developing a new PMIS system for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey C. Lessons Learned.

Project delays often lead to disputes over entitlements, exacerbated by inaccurate or missing schedule updates. Contractual requirements for regular updates are sometimes overlooked, resulting in challenges in determining responsibility for delays. A case study illustrates this, where a Request for Equitable Adjustment (REA) claimed nearly $50M and 785 days of compensable time extension due to alleged delays. However, one-third of the scheduled updates were missing over the 32-month period in question. Accurate as-built schedule updates are crucial for delay analysis and entitlement determination. In this case, missing updates prompted a thorough review of project documents and interviews with field staff to reconstruct the schedules. Ultimately, a recommendation of 202 calendar days of time extension was made, with 96 days attributed to owner-caused delays, totaling $6M in compensation. These recommendations were accepted by the client's counsel and formed the basis of their response to the REA.​

Introduction to EVMS laws, regulations and policies including Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense FAR supplement (DFARs) requirements and clauses, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circular, DoD policies and requirement guides and non-DoD EVMS requirements and guidebooks. Gain the ability to use and recall applicability of federal statutes and laws, recognize the use and applicability of the EVMS acquisition clauses, describe the use and applicability of DoD and non-DoD policy and guidance. Policy, roles, responsibilities and procedures for DCMA EVMS group to conduct EVM System Compliance Reviews (CR) and ongoing surveillance for Department of Defense Weapons Systems Acquisition Contractors. Provides overarching explanation on the DCMA Mission and traceability to the compliance review process as differentiated from the ongoing systems surveillance. Describes the stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities in evaluating contractor EVM System compliance with EVMSIG and EIA-748 Standard 32 EVMS guidelines.