how to suffocate a contractor

June 2011 Issue 31A WORLD WITHOUT FAILED PROJECTS

One could list thousands of items that would nega-tively affect the success of a construction contractor.

Nevertheless, no one can dispute that delayed approvals and de-layed payment of due invoices are the two most critical issues for a contractor to survive. The timely approvals of submittals and release of progress payments are the two lungs of a contractor on any project regardless of size, type or location. Delaying those approvals will put any contractor in a very critical position that would usually lead not only to project failure but also for the contractor to fail. In this first article of two, we will review the submittal approval process or the first lung of the Contractor.

In the engineering and construction industry, a Contractor must seek approval from the Client’s or the Client’s agent such as the Consultant on all of his subcontractors, suppliers, staff, insur-ance and guarantee documents, method statements, materials, shop drawings, site access and others before the Contractor can proceed with the procurement or carry out field work associated with those approvals. In other words, without those approvals, the Contractor will have very little work to be done on the proj-ect. The Contractor will not be able to start procurement and fabrication without having the Client’s approval on the project submittals.

Contractors have the responsibility to prepare submittals which might involve subcontractors, suppliers and the Con-tractor own resources. When the submittal preparation is com-pleted, the Contractor will formally submit it to be reviewed by the Project Owner. The submittal review process could involve different parties such as the Project Owner, Consultant, Proj-ect Management Consultant as well as government authorities where permits need to be issued. The review process could result in approving the submittal or approving it with minor comments which will enable the Contractor to proceed with the material procurement, fabrication or installation. Nevertheless, many times the submittals might be rejected where the Contractor will be required to resubmit and go through the review process again. Sometimes, submittals could go through four cycles of review until they are finally approved.

How to suffocate a contractor

By Bassam Samman CEO and Founder

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Continued on Page 2

TM

Aveva enables powerful information management ..............................Primavera Tip ........................................................................................CMCS News ........................................................................................CMCS introduces Project Risk Management Game ............................CMCS Course News ...........................................................................Client Feedback ...................................................................................How good is your project management knowledge?..........................Take a Break with CMCS .....................................................................CMCS Course List ..............................................................................

51213151620232426

Other content

It is fair to say that the role of the risk manager has changed radically in recent years. With a move away from a tick-list mentality to an awareness of true risk management, the perception of risk managers has altered.

3What makes a great risk manager?

Creating value means creating better products. Only best quality products will be able to result in financial success of a business. But what does this mean for a construction project?

Creating value in construction projects 6

Latest trends in High-Impact Interface Management Programs for Mega Projects 7

Owner/Operators involved in mega proj-ects continue to struggle in monitor-ing interface progress and risk. With a mega project typically managed in mul-tiple scope packages, awarded contrac-tors face interacting with one another throughout the project life cycle to es-tablish interface agreements, despite being spread across different geographi-cal locations and different cultures.

Organizations who invest in programs and projects to achieve their strategic projects cannot risk their failure. For years, those organizations have struggled to deliver proj-ects on time, within budget and achieving their set objectives. Nevertheless, in the ab-sence of effective ownership of those proj-ect investments the chances of failure will always be more.

9Why organizations must have a project management office (PMO)

2 Issue 31 June 2011

TM

How to suffocate a contractor

The reasons for the multi-review cycles could result from many reasons; some could be attributed to the Contractor himself while others to the Project Owner and his team. Some of the common Contractor related reasons include incomplete submission, de-viation or non compliance with what is speci-fied, wrong drawings among many others. On the other hand, one of the key reasons that are attributed to why Project Owners re-ject submittals is that to buy time when they are short on resources. In this case, the Proj-ect Owner and/or his team will delay provid-ing comments on submittals although they could have done it immediately after receiv-ing the submittal for review.

Many project owners, consultants, proj-ect management firms and contractors are becoming aware of the unrecoverable dam-ages that delay submittal approvals to the project success. Accordingly, they have start-ed introducing some good practices to ensure that the threat of delayed submittal approv-als is minimized. The first of those practices is to require the Engineering Consultant to come up with a detailed list of all material, sample and method statement submittals that the Contractor is required to prepare. The submittal log should provide reference to the Contract specification, conditions of con-tract, drawing, bill of quantity or any other contract document for which this submittal requirement was stated. Of course this does not eliminate the Contractor’s responsibility for developing a detailed submittal log that will also cover all shop drawings, permits and other submittals that are required by the con-tract.

A second good practice is to link the sub-mittal log with the project’s integrated master schedule (IMS) as this will provide the proj-ect participants with a logical approval need date for each submittal. By having this date, the project participants will be able to assign priorities for what submittals need to be re-viewed and approved before they delay the project’s milestone completion dates.

The third good practice is to specify the required submittal review periods in particu-

Continued from Page 1>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

‘The timely approvals of contractor’s submittals

and release of progress payments are the two lungs

of a contractor on any project regardless of size,

type or location

lar to those submittals that require extensive technical review by the project consultant. For example, the specifications can state that the submittal review for major mechani-cal equipments, which need to be itemized, will be 60 days rather than the standard 14 days required for other submittals. The same could be applied on government permits and approvals as well as submittals that have multiple parties to review and for which the standard 14 days review period will not be adequate. By making the Contractor aware of those periods during his bid submission, the contractor can allow for those extended re-view periods in his submittal schedule which is coordinated with the project’s integrated master schedule as per the second good prac-tice.

A fourth good practice is to use a com-puterized submittal management system that will capture all of the submittals identified in the first good practice and group them into interrelated submittal packages. For each submittal item, the Contractor will assign the duration required to prepare the submittal, reviewing the submittal taking into consid-eration the estimated review duration as per good practice three and the time required to

procure the submittal equipment and ma-terial when applicable. Each submittal will be linked to the project’s integrated master schedule as per good practice two to get the required approval date. This computerized submittal management system will enable the Contractor to monitor who is holding the submittal (ball in court) and how long the submittal has been with that party, the time elapsed since this submittal review pro-cess has started including all review cycles, how much time is still available for the sub-mittal before it delays the project’s schedule and details of each review cycle including comments, actions and dates. Using a com-puterized submittal management system will collaborate between the different parties of the contract as it can be web-enabled to allow access from different locations by the differ-ent parties. In addition, having such a system will allow linking the different submittals to their original documents such as drawings, method statements, catalogues among oth-ers. This will allow for review of those docu-ments and add comments on those submit-tals using redlining tools.

The fifth good practice is to require the Contractor to specify in his submittal any deviations from what was originally speci-fied. This will help the Consultant to expe-dite the review process instead of trying to locate those deviations. The Contractor will be required to formally state that those are the only deviations that are included in the submittal. As most specifications are avail->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Continued on Page 4

3Issue 31 June 2011

TM

Peter Robertshaw | SVP Global MarketingActive Risk (formerly Strategic Thought Group)

What makes a great risk manager?Characteristics and traits of successful risk managers

It is fair to say that the role of the risk manager has changed radically in recent years. With a move away from a tick-list

mentality to an awareness of true risk man-agement, the perception of risk managers has altered. In particular, enterprise risk manage-ment has developed from an academic con-cept into an important business framework with a requirement for risk managers to show leadership and advanced communication skills to achieve success both for the business and in their own careers.

It is no longer sufficient for risk managers to identify a set of risks and file them in a risk register or individual spreadsheets. The days of siloed risk management are passing and there is now a demand for the integra-tion of risk management across enterprises, operations and projects and the effective communication of risks and opportunities for informed strategic decision making. The need for skilled risk professionals is becoming increasingly important.

However, it is also fair to say that few children grow up with an idea that they want to become a risk manager. So why do people get involved in risk management as a profes-sion and what characteristics are required to become a successful risk manager?

What makes a great risk manager? Active Risk has launched a major new

survey of risk management professionals to discover the personality characteristics and traits of those involved in this changing role. This unique research is being undertaken in Europe, North America, Australia and the Middle East to provide a deep knowledge pool and to highlight regional differences.

Risk managers will be invited to take part in the research by completing an on-line confidential DISC psychometric sur-vey. DISC is one of the most widely used personality profiling methodologies and

What makes a great risk manager?

To complete the questionnaire, go to:

www.activerisk.com/survey


has been utilized for many decades to ana-lyze workplace job profiles and traits. Early survey responses from a small test group of Active Risk customers, has indentified two contrasting personality types enjoying suc-cess in the area of risk management. The full survey is expected to attract hundreds of responses from across the world. The full results and analysis of the research will be published in autumn 2011.

In addition to the survey Active Risk will be collaborating with leading risk prac-titioners from its customer base to publish a series of white papers throughout 2011 discussing key elements of the research findings.

The role vs. the goal of a risk manager

In discussions with the initial test group of survey respondents a topic for further de-

bate has already arisen. What is the differ-ence between the role and the goal of a risk manager? The role of a risk manager is about activity carried out on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis. While there are numerous differing opinions on the various aspects of the role of risk managers, there ap-pears to be a consensus emerging around the main goal of risk managers if they are to be successful in meeting emerging challenges.

The risk process – a telescope into the

future

The primary goal of a risk manager should be to be the person in the organiza-tion who always focuses on the future and uses this perspective to influence strate-gic decision making whether it is across a project, operation or enterprise. This in-volves the ability to instil into an organi-zation the need to think about the future while the organizational instinct will be to deal with the operating pressures of today. Only with this state of ‘perpetual sense of future’ can decisions be made to benefit

TM

.

Continued from Page 3 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>progress within the organization, opera-tion or project.

So how is the risk manager’s primary goal of looking to the future to improve decision making achieved? The answer lies in the implementation of a risk process to enable people to participate in informa-tion collection and sharing in a systematic way. The process becomes a lens through which today’s events and emerging trends are viewed to help see the different poten-tial futures. A robust risk process will al-low the identification; analysis and mitiga-tion of risk but more importantly it will enable conclusions to be arrived at based on analytical discussion about what might

happen in the future.Given the changing and diverse nature

of risk management it is hard to predict the likely outcomes of the forthcoming survey. However, with the first results in, the emerging characteristics of great risk managers include good communication skills, flexibility, persistence, the ability to influence at all levels, balance and, on occasion, the need to be brave and risk failure itself. There is no doubt the final results will be interesting and intriguing.

Emerging characteristics of great risk

managers

If you work in the risk management discipline and would like to participate in

the survey visit www.activerisk.com/survey. You will receive a personalized profile re-port and a copy of the full results later in the year. You can also sign up to receive our “What makes a great risk manager?” series of white papers.

Peter Robertshaw is VP Global Marketing at Stra-tegic Thought Group. Prior to joining STG he held a similar role at Swedish ERP player – IFS. Peter spent 12 years at software giant SAP in a number of roles including consulting, product management and marketing. Peter is also a Director of BASDA , the UK software trade body and chairs its Marketing special interest groups.

.

able in electronic format, the Contractor can copy and paste the originally specified speci-fication section and add the deviations in dif-ferent color.

The last recommended good practice is to adopt what is known as “Informal Submittal Review” where the Contractor will prepare

the required submittal but have it reviewed informally by the Consultant. This will allow the Consultant to provide his comments so the Contractor can modify his submittal and ensure that swift review and avoid wasting time and effort on multiple review cycles.

Of course, good submittal review practic-es are not limited to those six listed practices.

Organizations across the globe understand how critical this process is for their project’s successful delivery. All project stakeholders, without exception, must take a proactive role in planning, executing, monitoring and controlling the submittal review process. Un-like other project delays, delays in material procurement are very hard to recover delays and carries very high cost when one tries to accelerate. Unlike construction activities, de-layed procurement activities cannot just be recovered by working extended day hours and weekends or bringing additional re-sources. Accelerating procurement process, if possible, would require paying premiums for rescheduling other orders, extended work-ing hours, air freight instead of sea or land shipping among others. In addition, delay-ing placement of orders could result in delays that could far exceed the amount of delay in placing orders as plants could be subject to scheduled summer shutdown, or could be subject to weather conditions such as snow and ice which could hamper getting the raw material such as marble or sea shipping as wa-ter pathways could be frozen.

In conclusion, contractors, project own-ers, project managers and consultants need to manage the submittal in a comprehensive and proactive way to avoid harming the project that could very much result in its failure.

How to suffocate a contractorContinued from Page 2>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you want to know why CMCS is uniquely qualified to change your imaginations into reality, please contact CMCS at [email protected]

I M a g I n e ...Your project team understands the value of completing project plans on time

Your project team understands the value of finishing your project within budget

Your project team understands the value of properly documenting project events

90% of those working on projects do not receive professional

training in project management

Did you know that . . .


5Issue 31 June 2011

TM

aveva enables powerful information management

AVEVA, a leader in engineering de-sign and information management solutions for the process plant,

power and marine industries will be present-ing at CMCS on June 9th. Mohamed Awad, AVEVA’s Information Consultant, will pres-ent ‘The Effect of AVEVA NET Information Management Solution on Project Lifecycle and Data management’.

AVEVA NET is AVEVA’s flagship infor-mation management solution for visualizing, validating and linking all types of data and documents. AVEVA NET supports the ac-cess and management of information across an organisation and throughout the entire lifecycle of the asset. It provides a secure en-vironment for vendors, Owner Operators, Engineering Contractors, regulatory bod-ies and partners to share and collaborate on project information. AVEVA NET’s open interface meets the latest ISO standards and provides a vehicle to dynamically interact with design, operations and enterprise re-source applications for effective MRO.

AVEVA NET is the information man-agement infrastructure upon which AVEVA’s Digital Information Hub is built. The Digi-tal Information Hub is central to AVEVA’s

Enterprise Solutions. Whether in design and construction, or throughout operations, to-day’s increasingly complex engineering proj-ects involve staggering amounts of data and documents, complex schedules, and huge quantities of materials and resources.

Disconnected ‘silos’ of incompatible data in different formats hinder both the effectiveness of short-term project execu-tion and long-term asset management. The AVEVA Digital Information Hub’s powerful information-centric technology overcomes these constraints by putting information at the centre of business operations. Integrat-ing, controlling and exploiting all types of information - not only engineering data - throughout the entire asset lifecycle, the Hub unlocks the value of your digital assets. Whether you are an Engineering Contrac-tor (EPC) or an Owner Operator (OO), Engineering & Design with Management & Control is combined in a single, informa-

tion-centric strategy.With a focus on information integrity,

AVEVA provides software and service exper-tise to help take organizations take control of their vast digital assets, ensure the highest level of information quality, and synchro-nize it to the physical asset. In combination with AVEVA’s Enterprise Solutions, AVEVA TIM, AVEVA WorkMate, and AVEVA’s in-dustry leading design and engineering appli-cations, it creates a unique opportunity for AVEVA customers to improve information integrity, mitigate risk and maximize asset uptime.

To learn more please visit: http://www.aveva.com/avevanet or contact us: [email protected]

Can you afford not to manage your project’s contracts?

Having the latest status of every contract revised and projected cost at completion

Having the latest status of every single change order against every single contract

Having the supporting records for every contract issue, change order or claim

Having the status of every delayed submittal, request for information and others

I M a g I n eHaving objective indicators to show you how each contract is performingHaving automated alerts when things are not going as good as you wantHaving the last status of every single progress payments requisition issued or received Having project communication channeled to those who must take action


Mohamad Awad | Lead Information Management ConsultantAVEVA

Since joining AVEVA 6 years ago, Mohamad Awad has managed and consulted multiple complex client projects in the Oil & Gas, Refinery and Petrochemical Sectors. Mohamad is cur-rently the Lead Information Management Consultant for AVEVA in the Middle East region for all Business Development/Pre-Sales activities involved with AVEVA NET, AVEVA’s Information management Technology.

.


TM

.

Jochen Maurer | Managing Directorthink project! Middle East

Creating Value in Construction Projects

Creating value means creating better products. Only best quality prod-ucts will be able to result in finan-

cial success of a business. But what does this mean for a construction project?

First, let’s face it, the resulting product in construction business is a building. And this product has to be the best quality to be successful on the long term. One of the main differences in construction business compared to other businesses is the fact, that the end product is the result of many par-ticipants from different companies. So, if we talk about creating better products, we have to talk about getting more quality in the overall construction process and this means we have to focus on inter-company related processes.

Let me take an example from another business: Car manufacturer. Porsche, as one of the brands everybody in the world knows, is very successful to build a high quality prod-uct in putting together a couple of technolo-gies available on the market. The one added value of Porsche in the end product is very low, but they are best in class when it comes to putting together the different suppliers.

So, what can we learn for construction business?

We have to focus not only on our own company, creating an organization that is able to bring out the best part of a product, we have to focus also on the overall result-ing product and therefore we have to look into inter-company processes, information exchange between the different participants of a construction project.

When we talk about construction proj-ects, we have to keep in mind that of the chal-lenges are changes in the project. Around 5% of the overall construction value is related to changes while the project is already running. Keeping an accurate track of all changes and decisions is therefore one of the solutions.

But how are inter-company processes handled today? Although a single company

usually has good information systems to or-ganize themselves, when it comes to inter-company information exchange the answer on how this is done is very often “we are sending e-Mails”. And look at your e-Mail Inbox, how many project relevant informa-tion do you receive in a single day? And how many changes, decisions, questions are with-in this e-Mail-stack? Too much I guess.

Since e-Mails are so easy to send and receive, a lot of communication has moved to this medium, but there are better ways of handling such kind of information: a central platform for all participants, where every-body involved in the project can find the lat-est information, the latest decisions, the cur-rent status of a drawing approval cycle and so on.

Having a central system, where you can store all the information, all drawings, all forms, all documents and all communica-tion between the project participants makes it much more easier for everybody to have the latest information for their daily work. But a central storage of documents is only the first step, modern system supports all kinds of form-based communication, processes from easy ones to highest complexity. And further-more, with webservice based connectivity op-tions you can connect your own IT System to the central collaboration platform.

This form-based, process-oriented meth-

od of collaboration is widespread throughout the world.

Companies are increasingly faced with the question of which services and skills are available internally and which need to be procured externally. In construction depart-ments, it is common to outsource project control and planning work and other de-livery services to external companies. This means every project needs to consider by what means, and to what level of quality, this service should be obtained. This is where internet-based project platforms reveal their potential. They bring structure, and above all quality, to transactions between the client and general contractor, or designers and sub-contractors.

The information and documents are not just ‘submitted’; it is also possible to connect all the data relating to the service with the corresponding processes, such as release, ap-proval, shipping processes and so on, and to document and make this data available in a structured form for all participants. One ad-vantage for clients is that they do not have to prepare work that has been submitted, such as planning documents or notifications of supplements, before processing it further, because it is already delivered in the required format.

Also, there is no commonly used name for it, structured collaboration is the way to avoid misunderstanding in your project and finally to create a better quality product.

Jochen Maurer is responsible for marketing think project! solutions in the Middle East Region. He is also responsible for the smooth operation of think project! data centres, as well as all think project! deployments, including customer platforms. In short – he’s responsi-ble for the availability and security of think project! As well as numerous projects involving ERP, Lotus Notes and CRM, he has also been involved in all aspects of the development, operation and marketing of project platforms since the mid 1990s. Jochen Maurer has been with think project! since 2000, implementing a wide range of projects tailored to customers’ needs.

7Issue 31 June 2011

TM

Latest trends in High-Impact Interface Management Programs for Mega ProjectsPart 1 of 3: Importance of AlignmentKelly Maloney | Product ManagerCoreworx


Owner/Operators involved in mega projects continue to struggle in monitoring interface progress and

risk. With a mega project typically man-aged in multiple scope packages, awarded contractors face interacting with one another throughout the project life cycle to establish interface agreements, despite being spread across different geographical locations and different cultures. Traditional databases, spreadsheets and paper-based interface man-agement systems are severely limiting the ef-ficiency of the contractors, and the Owner/Operator’s visibility and oversight of interface issues.

Leaders in the practice of interface man-agement are seeing positive results by focus-ing on three key areas. First, they are rec-ognizing the importance of alignment of all project stakeholders on interface manage-ment goals. Secondly, they are applying a disciplined approach to managing the com-munication, coordination, and responsibility of the common boundaries between project parties, phases, or physical entities. Third, they are deploying the most advanced project management and collaboration tools to man-age with certainty.

This article will focus on the importance of alignment, and share insight into the chal-lenges related to alignment faced by project teams, and how Interface Managers are ad-dressing them.

Alignment & the Practice of Interface

Management

“Alignment is the condition where appro-priate project participants are working within acceptable tolerances to develop and meet a uniformly defined and understood set of project objectives. Aligning the project team involves developing clearly understood objec-

tives for all team members and gaining the commitment to work toward those goals.” Construction Industry Institute Best Practice Summary: 1.02 Alignment

Interface Management programs are cre-ated to reduce or eliminate disconnects dur-ing construction and commissioning – where most interfaces issues are identified and discovered. A critical element to achieving this goal is alignment of the project team on the importance of an Interface Management Program, and implementing it early in the project. Once the program is established, all interactions between contractors related to interfaces can then be managed and carefully coordinated to avoid incidents resulting from misunderstandings and lack of information. Decisions can be made quicker and with more clarity.

Cross-Organizational Alignment

Alignment of all contractors and proj-ect team members involved in an Interface Management Program is critical to ensuring

everyone is working towards the same goals, with clear methods to resolve potential con-flict. Factors that can affect alignment and the resulting success of an Interface Manage-ment program include:• Culture: the attitudes, values, behavior

and environment of the owner organi-zation, the contractor(s) and the overall front end planning team

• Execution Process: the project systems, processes and procedures that are used to define interface points and develop inter-face agreements

• Information shared: the data elements that are used to define interface points and agreements

• Barriers: obstacles such as unclear defini-tion of contractors’ roles and responsibili-ties in an Interface Management Program

In order to enhance alignment for your Interface Management program, ensure that:• Clear roles and responsibilities are estab-


TM

Continued from Page 7 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>lished early

• Communication within the team and with stakeholders is open and effective

• Team meetings are timely and productive• The team culture fosters trust, honesty,

and shared values• Interface Management tools are effective-

ly utilized

Defining the Interface Master Plan

Achieving a high impact Interface Man-agement program involves the development of an Interface Master Plan, which clearly de-scribes the roles, responsibilities and expecta-tions of both the owner and the contractors. This is critical to alignment, and ensures that the right people, processes and tools are in place when and where needed.

The Interface Master Plan generally en-sures:• All contractors clearly understand the

Interface management objectives for the project

• Roles and responsibilities are fully defined• Contractors understand how to resolve

conflicts and overcome barriers to the benefit of all

• Communication channels are described and understood by all

• The Interface Register and expected use of it is clearly described

• Appropriate representation (generally a designated Interface Manager) is estab-lished for each contractor

Promoting Open & Effective

Communication

Approximately 80% of all interfaces are identified during the front end planning stage of a project. It is significantly easier to influ-ence project outcome when interface issues are identified and addressed early in the proj-ect. Interfaces that are not properly man-aged can introduce safety, cost and schedule risk. The impact of unresolved interface is-sues is typically not discovered until construc-tion, or worse, during commissioning.

Owners today are providing tools to help promote early identification of interfaces and open and effective communication between contractors. This promotes collaboration be-tween contractors to thoroughly document interfaces agreement details, and allow for the proactive resolution of issues before they be-

And you thought you were risk free!

Having a detailed register of all risks that could affect your project

Having a detailed list of all possible risk response actions to treat your risks

Having the ability to simulate the effect of your project risks on your project objectives

I M a g I n e . . .Having the ability to determine the confidence level in meeting your project milestonesHaving the ability to determine the confidence level in meeting your project budgetHaving the ability to view risks across all of your projects, programs and other businesses


come major hurdles that impact the project. Open communication between contractors is important not only during the identification stage of an interface agreement during front end planning, but also in managing activities through to completion and commissioning.

Conclusion

Interface Management can improve over-all project performance, but success hinges on all parties being aligned with the projects’ interface master plan. Clear roles and respon-sibilities, along with a commitment to pro-moting open and effective communication in a team environment are essential. Inter-face Management is an ongoing process and should be considered dynamic throughout the life of the project, constantly working to maintain a balance between scope, time, cost, quality, and resources. The ability to manage with certainty, rather than manage blindly, is the real reward of a successfully implemented Interface Management program.

‘Owners today are providing tools to

help promote early identification of

interfaces and open and effective communication

between contractors

Kelly Maloney is a Product Manager with Coreworx for the Interface Management product line. She brings over 15 years of enterprise software experience to Coreworx in product management, business analysis, software training, implementation, technical support and quality assurance. Kelly works at Coreworx headquarters in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

9Issue 31 June 2011

TM

Why organizations must have a project management office (PMO)

Organizations who invest in programs and projects to achieve their strategic projects cannot risk their failure. For years, those organizations have struggled to deliver

projects on time, within budget and achieving their set objectives. Nevertheless, the absence of effective ownership of those project investments that will boost efficiency, cut costs, and improve on project delivery in terms of time and budget, the chances of failure will be always more.

The Project Management Office (PMO) is what many organi-zations across the globe have opted to develop to meet those chal-lenges. The PMO will provide those organizations with:

Visibility as all project investments will be captured regardless of their size, type, status, and location among others.

Governance as documented project life cycle and processes will help the organization in setting their stage gates and control points, while ownership and delegation is assigned and maintained.

Inclusivity to ensure that all stakeholders are involved in the enterprise project management environment and none is left out.

Optimization of resource usage, manpower, and financial ca-pacity is critical for any project delivery, especially when organiza-tions are striving to deliver same or more work for fewer resources.

Predictability as an organization that has clear project plans that cover all actions and assumptions will be able to deliver their projects in a faster way than others.

Issue Management to capture the details of all project records and use them to support the resolution of issues as soon as they arise.

Change Management to capture every change whether it is

Bassam Samman | CEO and FounderCMCS

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Continued on Page 10

approved, pending, or rejected to the original project scope, as well as decide whether to absorb the change internally or issue a varia-tion order.

Knowledge Management to capture all lessons learned and best practices for the benefit of improving current processes to capitalize on success and not repeat past mistakes.

Which PMO is best for you?

There is no single Project Management Office (PMO) that can meet the needs and requirements of all organizations. The PMO can be designed in different forms to best address the organization project management and control requirements. A PMO duties and responsibilities can grow to match the project management matu-rity growth within the organization.

Organization could start from the most basic PMO setup which is designed to full the project management requirements of a single project which usually known as Self Contained Project Office. This PMO could grow to become a Projects Support Office where it will provide project monitor and control services to the organization’s projects. With an organization’s project management maturity reaching high levels, the organization can opt to an Enter-prise Project Management Office which will take full responsibility to all project management tasks across the organization.

The CMCS PMO Solution

CMCS provides a complete PMO solution for organizations who are either interested in creating their PMO or to enhance the

Enterprise

PMO

Goal Goal

ProgramProgramProgram

ProjectProjectProject

ProjectProjectProject


TM

‘No PMO can function successfully without having a tool that will capture the project details through the different

life cycle stages of each project

performance of their exiting PMO. Our PMO solutions are com-plete as they start by assessing what your organization needs which will help CMCS in designing the PMO by developing the right processes, selecting and delivering the required project manage-ment training and implementing the right software tools to man-age the different programs and projects. Finally, we assist our cli-ents in recruiting the PMO team should there is a need for.Maturity AssessmentRegardless of what tasks your organization’s PMO will be respon-sible for, your organization should consider a formal PMO matu-rity assessment that will enable your organization to objectively decide on what project management performance improvements the PMO should be ready to address. Our Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) certified consultants will help your organization to make those decisions while conducting the OPM3 assessment workshops. You will decide then what will be the shape of the PMO that will best meet your organization’s needs today and in the future.

PMO Content Assets

Through CMCS strategic partnership with BOT MENA, the Middle East and North Af-rica practice arm of BOT In-ternational, a leader in PMO Setup and Management Consulting with more than 1000 PMO implementations worldwide, CMCS team can help your organization to rapidly set up project manage-ment processes, templates, best practices and policies. The BOT team helps in rapidly setup a business-driven PMO Content As-set Framework, with project management processes and templates that are aligned with the Project Management Institute (PMI).

The list of available PMO Framework content is exhaustive. For example, the project management processes and templates cover the areas of project selection, initiation, planning, execution, monitor and control, closeout and continuous improvement.

PMO Training

The objective of the PMO training is to provide your organiza-tion stakeholders with the knowledge that will enable them to be proactively involved in your project management office processes. CMCS role based training program is aligned with international professional accreditation programs from PMI, IIBA and PMOC. Our program provides a balanced mix between theories required from applying for the professional certifications offered by those organizations as well as hands-on workshops to build the skills re-quired for managing projects successfully.

Currently, CMCS provides training programs that are aligned with the following professional certifications; Project Manage-ment Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Manage-ment (CAPM), Program Management Professional (PgMP), Risk

Management Professional (PMI-RMP), Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP), Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP), Earned Value Professional (EVP), Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) and Project Management Office Certification (PMOC).

PMO Tools

No PMO can function successfully without having a tool that will capture the projects details through the different life cycle stag-es of each project. The PMO tools will be used to map the different PMO processes and forms. Workflow applications can be used to map the different PMO processes and project life cycle stage gates.

CMCS offers PMO tools that are based on either Oracle Pri-mavera or Microsoft Enterprise Project Management (EPM) so-lutions. Those solutions will provide your organization with the ability you to plan, monitor and control each project investment. It will provide your organization with the ability to manage project schedule, budget, risks, contracts, paperwork and requirements. The solution will allow your organization to aggregate projects in-formation across business unit, region, type or any other portfolio type.

In addition to supplying software licenses, CMCS team will provide complete implementation for the selected tool which will also include delivering certified software training as well as role-based training. The tool implementation will include customizing the database to meet the PMO requirements, develop forms, re-ports and layouts, running a prototype project, migrating existing projects data and finally rolling out the solution. CMCS scope of services will include developing executive, program and projects dashboards.

CMCS is an Oracle Platinum Partner and is one of the first organiza-tions who have received the Specialized Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Manage-ment (EPPM) certification by Oracle. With 50 performance and achievement awards by Primavera and more than 100 implementa-tions just in the last five years, no one can offer you the reliable and cost-effective implementation that CMCS can provide. CMCS has provided their services to more than 2,000 clients in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and South America.

PMO Staffing

One of the key challenges in rolling a PMO across an

Continued from Page 9>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Continued on Page 11

11Issue 31 June 2011

TM

organization is to have the resources that will deliver the different tasks that the PMO should deliver. CMCS provide their clients with a complete solution for recruiting the right team for operat-ing the PMO.

CMCS will identify the different positions required for success-ful PMO operation. For each PMO position, CMCS will develop the job duties, responsibilities, authorities, skills and qualifications. Then in association with CMCS strategic career partner Bayt, the number job site in the Middle East, CMCS will help the client in identifying the prospect candidates, verifying their credentials and interviewing them. CMCS will provide the Client with a short list of all recommended PMO staff that the Client should consider hiring.

PMO Training

The objective of the PMO train-ing is to provide your organization stakeholders with the knowledge that will enable them to be proactively in-volved in your project management office processes. CMCS role based training program is aligned with international professional accredi-

Continued from Page 10 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> tation programs from PMI, IIBA and PMOC. Our program provides a bal-anced mix between theories required from applying for the professional certifications offered by those organi-zations as well as hands-on workshops to build the skills required for managing projects successfully.

Currently, CMCS provides training programs that are aligned with the following professional certifications; Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Program Management Professional (PgMP), Risk Manage-ment Professional (PMI-RMP), Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP), Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP), Earned Value Profes-sional (EVP), Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) and Project Management Office Certification (PMOC).

Bassam Samman is the CEO and Founder of CMCS. He has a 26-year service record in providing project management consulting services for more than 60 organizations in different sectors. He is a Civil Engineer, Kuwait University with a Masters Degree in Engi-neering Administration from the George Washington University. He is a founding member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) Arabian Gulf Chapter and served on their board of directors for more than 6 years.

.

• AbuDhabiLand• AlHaraMainGateCo.• AlpineBauDeutschaland• BahrainBayDevelopment• CAPEmirates• CentreofDevelopmentalProjects• CloisallCo• CLOISALLCOLLC• ConceptsArchitectureandPlanning(CAP)

SARL• CowiGulfAS

• ADMA-OPCO• ADCO• AECOM• AlArrabContractingCo.• AlRajhiConstruction• AmericanUniversityofSharjah• Asghal-KBR• BaderAlMulla&BrothersCo• CATGroup• ChiyodaAlmana• ConsolidatedContractorsGroupS.A.L.• CostainAbuDhabicompany,WLL• DolphinEnergy• ECHarris• El-SeifEngineeringContractingCompany

FOR THIS MOnTH, CMCS WOULD LIKe TO THanK:

NEW CLIENTS:

RETURNING CLIENTS:• EquatePetrochemicalCo.• FibrexConstructionGroup• GalfarEngineering&ConstractingW.L.L.

Emirates• GhantootTransport&GenConst• Impregilo• LACASAArchitects&Consultants• MACEintlLtd• MetitoOverseasltd.• MurrayandRoberts• Nael&BinHarmalHydroexport(NBHH)• NassContractingWLL• Petrofac• PunjLloyd• QatarFertilizerCompany(QAFCO)

• GDMCostruzioni• IVRCLInternationalInfrastructures&Projects

LLC• JPKennyLimited• JubailUnitedPetrochemicalCompany• KingAbdullahMedicalCenter• KuwaitPetroleumCompany• Macair• MasdarSecuritySystem• MetropolicPaperIndustries• MiddleEastDredgingCompanyQSC

• MiddleEastEngineeringConsultants• OrbitalProjectsandServicesLLC• Quebeisi• Rizzani OHLTreviBoodaiJointVenture• Road&RoofConstructionCo• StellarGroup• TigerTMS• UnionPipesIndustry• ValentineMaritime(GULF)• WorldPlannersConsultantEngineers

• QatarKentzWLL• SAMREF• SaudiAramcoMobilRefineryLTD.(SAMREF)• SaudiBinladinGroup• SkyOryxJV• SpecialTechcnicalServices• SporleConsultancyServices• Tabreed• Takreer• TDIC• Technologists,Inc.• WorleyParsons• YokogawaMiddleEastBSC• ZADCO


TM

! PRIMAVERA TIP: Making Filters Exclusive to Users

In Oracle Primavera P6 filters and layouts are created and used by users.But can a user create an exclusive filter to him?Yes he can by: 1. Attaching filters to layouts 2. Saving the layout to be available to this user.

1- To attach filters to layouts, follow the actions below:•Withinaprojectandlayoutopenfiltersdictionary&selectthefilter to be attached to the layout.

•SelectCopyasLayouticonintheFilterwindow

•SelectthefilterintheUserDefinedfilterandselectDeleteandselect Ok

2- To save the layout to specific user:

•SelectLayoutthenSaveaschangethename,andputitavailableto Current User

Now this layout will be exclusive to this User which contains the selected filter

Areyouabackofficeadministrator,personalassistantorofficemanager?

Attend our Non-Technical Project Management course led by our own Certified Instructors!

For more details, email [email protected] or call +971 4 365 4850


TM

CMCS NEWS

Strategic Thought Group has announced it is rebranding the company with immedi-ate effect and will now be known as Active Risk. The new branding more accurately re-flects its focus on delivering world-class risk management and enterprise governance, risk and compliance (GRC) software and related services to customers which include some of the world’s most re-spected organizations.

Strategic Thought was founded almost 25 years ago as a specialist technology con-sulting firm. In 2001 it launched Active Risk Manager (ARM) software when it identified the need for an easy to implement and de-ploy solution to record and assess risk and opportunity information in major projects and across organizations. In the past decade

Strategic Thought group becomes active Risk and renews its commitment to provide great risk

management and enterprise gRC software to customers

ARM has become a leader in its field.“We have decided to rebrand the or-

ganization to more accurately reflect and communicate our focus on providing great software and related services around risk management and enterprise governance, risk

and compliance. We see a rapidly increasing demand for software which will give man-agement teams the true picture of risk and op-

portunity across their business and supply chain,” commented Peter Robertshaw, SVP, Global Marketing at Active Risk.

The new name and branding was official-ly unveiled to over 100 attendees at Active Risk’s EMEA Customer Conference which was held in Central London recently. To find out more please visit www.activerisk.com.

We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the following for attaining their certification:

Congratulations!

afif Tabish, PMPPresident, Community Development

aie Serve ngO

abdullah al Sakran, PMPProgram Manager

aeC

Rashed ahmed, PMPRMEA EP OSS/BSS Program Manager

ericsson aB

Walid Wardeh, PMPCFO

gRe group

nicolas Schaker, PMPManagement Consultant

Debbas Holding

Coreworx Inc., the leading provider of proj-ect information and cost control software used globally to manage major capital project execution, today announced an agreement with Collaboration, Management and Con-trol Solutions (CMCS) to sell, implement and sup-port the Coreworx solu-tion for mega projects in the Middle East.

The partnership immediately bolsters Coreworx solution delivery to oil & gas companies and large EPCM contractors in the Middle East. The two companies are cur-rently deploying Coreworx Interface Man-agement software for a major international oil & gas company.

Coreworx and CMCS, who share a strong commitment to interface management best practices in the oil & gas industry, are work-ing together to offer an enterprise solution with deep project management expertise and

Coreworx partners with CMCS to deliver interface management solutions to mega projects

in the Middle east

support services to the most complex proj-ect initiatives. CMCS value-added services include planning, implementation, support, training, operation and provision of subject matter expertise.

“Interface Manage-ment is a critical project management practice to

address the increasing complexity in today’s capital projects,” said Ray Simonson, CEO of Coreworx. “This is evident by the strengthen-ing demand for project management software applications such as Interface Management. The Coreworx relationship with CMCS brings expertise and support services to help project teams in the Middle East maximize the value of Coreworx software.”

Coreworx CEO Ray Simonson will pres-ent at the CMCS Program and Project Man-agement Conference, June 8-9, 2011 in Abu Dhabi.


TM

CMCS Qatar, in collaboration with its local partner in Doha, Nasser Bin Nawaf & Partners Holdings (the private Holdings Company of H.E. Sheikh Nawaf Bin Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani, CEO of the NBK Group) exhibited at Project Qatar 2011 for the third year consecu-tively located at Hall 4, stand W2.

In its 8th consecutive year, Project Qatar 2011 is one of the region’s leading events in international exhibitor participation, local, regional and international visitors, and ex-tensive media coverage. This highly antici-pated show has become an annual network-ing event for organizations and traders. With more than 1,000 leading exhibitors from all around the world, Project Qatar provides a unique opportunity to conduct business and gain access to a competitive market with the industry’s top companies and professional visitors in one convenient location.

This year the show is even more antici-pated as Qatar’s economy has recently been one of the world’s fastest growing, despite difficult economic conditions globally. The strength of the economy is derived in large part from its massive oil and gas reserves, but

economic diversification remains a top con-cern.

Collaboration, Management and Con-trol Solutions, an Oracle Platinum Partner, has been connected with Oracle Primavera for more than 25 years and achieved the only ever offered performance award of the Four Million Dollar Club in 2008. CMCS has received 49 Performance Awards and Rec-ognitions from Oracle Primavera and is rec-ognized as the Middle East’s leading project portfolio management service provider. The company maintains partnerships with more than 1,400 clients representing various in-dustries ranging from Oil & Gas, Engineer-ing and Construction to education and In-formation and Communications Technology.

CMCS participates in Project Qatar

CMCS would like to congratulate the ORAT Project Team for receiving the Distinguished Government Joint Project Award given by Dubai Government Excellence Program.

Cooperation and coordination towards approaching the desired goals was the most prominent achievements of the ORAT Project Team. It is the first and the only of its kind in the area of cooperation and op-erational coordination for most departments and agencies in Dubai.

The great coordination among the ORAT team members and proper goal setting team over the past years has enabled the team to successfully operate the most l Maktoum In-ternational Airport in June of last year.

ORAT Team most recognizable achieve-ments:1. Operational readiness of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport.2. Operational readiness of Al Maktoum Air-port and Cargo Terminal3. Overtake the barriers among the govern-ment departments.4. Create a spirit of challenge and determina-tion among government departments.

This customized PCM training was designed to suit IRD internal needs and requirements. The training followed two paths. The first focused on provid-ing the entire IRD Infrastructure Team with a general overview of PCM and the second was primarily focused on role-based training. The General training aimed at introducing IRD Infrastructure Team to PCM and means for utilizing this tool effectively to meet program objectives. The customized Role Base training sessions for IRD team targeted different level of users; each depending on their role in the company. This type of training saves the Company both money and time and helps each team member to focus on the tasks required from him/her. The CMCS team was impressed with the level of efficiency, motivation, dedication and cooperation IRD team exhib-ited during the implementation.

CMCS customized a training program in PCM for the International Relief and Development (IRD) Infrastructure Team

ORaT Project Team awarded


TM

BOT MENA, a boutique PMO Consulting firm, an-nounced partnering with ES Consulting, a leading strat-egy and business process management consulting firm in the Kingdom of Saudi, Arabia, and CMCS, a Platinum Oracle Primavera partner and a leading project management services organization in the MENA region.

“We see great value to our clients in keeping our boutique PMO consulting approach, where we focus only on Project/Program/Portfolio Management Office (PMO) consulting and services. Partnering with CMCS in the MENA region and ES Consulting in Saudi Arabia gives our clients wider services and turnkey solutions, while keeping our focus on PMO consulting and services,” says Rakan Saraiji, Managing Di-rector of BOT MENA. “Through our boutique business-driven PMO services approach, we give our clients faster implementation, higher quality, and better value compared with other PMO implementation or consulting options. Partnering with ES Consulting gives our clients in Saudi Arabia local presence and access to top level strategy and busi-ness process consulting. Partnering with CMCS gives our clients local

BOT Mena expands partners network in Mena - partners with CMCS for a complete project management turnkey solution

presence in many MENA countries and access to turnkey project management solutions.”

“We are keen in growing our business-driven PMO services in the MENA region as we see an increased de-

mand for PMO and processes in the region. We established our pres-ence in the region through BOT MENA in 2009, and now we see great strategy and value in their expanding partners’ network,” says Bernie Keh, President & CEO of BOT International.

“We are so excited to work closely with BOT to provide unique PMO consulting services to the Saudi market. We believe that BOT will complement our portfolio of services to make an effective business transformation to our clients” says Bassam Al Kharashi, CEO of ES Consulting.

“We are thrilled for this partnership as it will help CMCS to grow their PMO consulting services by having our consultants do more PMO implementations by using BOT PMO best practices as well as winning new clients in industries that CMCS has not dealt with from before” says Bassam Samman, CEO and Founder of CMCS.

CMCS will start introducing an interactive Project Risk Management game in to their courses very soon. The game is developed by CMCS partner, Successful Projects. What makes Project Risk a successful project man-agement training game is the many features that it has which include:• It is intriguing and engaging. The game

board, risk cards, parts and pieces grab learners’ attention. This helps put learn-ers in the right mindset to interact and learn. Even the most experienced project managers are disarmed and charmed. It strikes a balance between educating and entertaining the learner.

• Thinking about their project different-ly. Brain churning equals learning. The game activities prompt learners to think, act, analyze, and question how the risks are being handled on their own projects. Repeated plays can actually train a learn-er’s brain to scan through the risk strat-egy options almost automatically when they occur in real projects.

• Discovering and concluding occurs or-ganically. Participants are able to draw their own conclusions. The simulation helps bridge game outcomes with their selected strategies. Learners tend to get many insights from the simulation rather than taking away only one or two lessons.

• Jump-Starting. Participants are able to start playing the game after a very short introduction. The games complexities do not all need to be understood in order to start playing, but they help keep it inter-esting further into the simulation.

• Repeatability. Learners can and do enjoy replaying Project Risk. It can be played once or repeatedly. There are no tricks or secrets that are revealed. Also players may change the risk cards to change the simulation project. See more on alterna-tive risk card sets if you want to explore these options.

• Experiential. Learners encounter the project risks, including budget and team issues, in terms of meaningful observa-tions, feelings, and reactions. Experien-tial learning is proven to be the most ef-

CMCS to introduce an interactive project risk management game into their courses

fective approach to long term learning.• PMP preparation. The risk strategies

used in Project Risk are the same strate-gies that are taught in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowl-edge and tested for in the Project Man-agement Professional (PMP) certifica-tion exam.

• Practice the lingo. Learners use the vo-cabulary that we are trying to reinforce regarding project management and risk, including positive and negative risk strategies, triggers, issues, impact scores, project processes, and probabilities.

• Game theory. Game theory states that the success of strategic decisions depends upon the choices and actions of others. Game theory plays a role in real project management, especially if you are oper-ating in a competitive business environ-ment. Practicing with the Project Risk game helps you observe how competitors and collaborators both respond to your strategies and influence your outcomes.

• Accompanying resources. An optional project planning workbook is available to explain all of the project management steps touched on in the game. Partici-pants can use the game as a launching pad to in-depth project management training.


TM

CMCS COURSE NEWS

P102 PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN PRIMAvERA P6

The course was attended by Muhammad Khuram Afridi, Dimitri-os Tselios, Benedicte Harang, Dalal Fuad Al-Foraih, Rawan Najeeb Al-Shatti, Atifa Sulaimani, Borislav Avramovic, Michael Danish, Kristopher Grigg, Kristen Vickers, Dana Lynn Stewart and Yousef Abu-Ghazaleh. The course was conducted by Ali Hammad.

The course was attended by Celine Bernadette George, Wael Kassem Hamad, Mahmoud Ziad AKL, Mohammed Samir Ali, Zulaihatu Abubakar Usman, Iman Ibrahim Ustadi, Mohamed Yousif Al Sharhan, Hisham Walid El Chanati, Khaled Jamal Zaatarah and Jihad Youssef Matar. The course was conducted by Ali Ammar.

The course was attended by Abdulkhalig M. Al-Shehri, Ashoor Mohammed Ashoor, Mohammed S. Al-Omari, Marwan Hasan Bogari, Unnikrishnan V.B, Hazem Sado Alayan and Mohammed N. Al Nimer. The course was conducted by Wael Ammar.

The course was attended by Ahmad Nasser Virk, Nasir Mah-mood, Maroof Khatib, Subhash Chandra, Shaik Abdul Ahmed Nawaz, Ahmed Mohamed Ali salem Aljoohi, Lekshmanan E., Merza Rawther Ellias Rawther, Eduardo Trugillo and Thabit Rashid Al-Wahaibi. The course was conducted by Ali Ammar.

The course was attended by Sandro Bordonaro, Roberto Cristuta and Diego Robuschi. The course was conducted by Ali Hammad.

The course was attended by Husein Fakha, Melhem el zoghzoghi, Pierre Chalfoun, Ali Hussein Abbani, Rony Maalouf, Jhonny Nassar and Maha Katergi. The course was conducted by Oussama Ajouz.


TM

P106P AdvANCEd PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN PRIMAvERA P6

The course was attended by Majid Al-Malki and Hasan Ramahy. The course was conducted by Ali Ammar.

The course was attended by Abdulkhalig M. Al-Shehri, Ashoor Mohammed Ashoor, Mohammed S. Al-Omari, Marwan Hasan Bogari, Unnikrishnan V.B, Hazem Sado Alayan and Mohammed N. Al Nimer. The course was conducted by Wael Ammar.

The course was attended by Berrekia Mohamed Nacer, Allouache Raouf, Daroga Singh, Shibu Joseph, Sandip Pravinbhai Parmar, G.R. Lakshmy Narayanan, Nestor S. Gabilan, Karl Gebrael, Nasser Halabi, Sudhir M. Nirale, Alok Malaviya, Rafik Bedri, Afif Kanj and Monico Santos. The course was conducted by Ahmed Ghazy.

P106R Resource Management in P6 Web Access. The course was attended by Satish Meka, Majid Al-Malki, Hasan Ramahy and Bassam Nimer Mohamad Shakarnah. The course was conducted by Ali Ammar.

P810 Professional Project Management

in Web. The course was attended by Nabil Mahmoud Farrag, Aman Ullah Khan, Jamil Mansour and Nahida Houssein Soboh. The course was conducted by Ali Ammar.


TM

P201A Contracts Management tools training

for IT Administrators. The course was attended by Motaz Magdy Youssef, Emad Nassif, Haider Mohamad Saleem, Bassima Abdulrazzak Bekdash and Jeffrey McCammon. The course was conduct-ed by Rizwan Hyder.

P201C Contract Management tools training for Project Controls. The course was attended by Mohammad Mahrous Abdelmaaboud, Munir Abed Elateef Nimer, Jeff McCammon, Bassima Abdulrazzak Bekdash, Nasser T. Anabtawi, Panos Constantinibcs, Usamah Habib Shalan, Wisam P. Raies, Motaz Magdy Youssef, Ala Amidi and Liyanage Lionel Premaratne, Rengith Kuruvilia and Emad Khazal. The course was conducted by Rizwan Hyder.

P201D Project Administration tools training for Document controllers. The course was attended by Mohamed A. Abdulkader, Manoj Joseph, Mohamed Fadhel Mohammad Alzaabi, Basel Mustafa Alminawi, Sajid Mehmood, Wajid Ali, Bill Nisbet, Huzefa Kut-buddin Chharchhodawala, Kagan Aykas, Mansoor Ahmed Shariff, Alfred Lotfy Gerges, Udaya Bhanu Bhanu, Quteba Abdul Rahman Noman Aldoory, Ali Abdulla Moussa El Shentenawi and Mina Labib Mekaeel. The course was conducted by Rizwan Hyder.

P201D Project Administration tools training for Document controllers. The course was attended by Walid Atef Mohamed Osman, Nader Sabry Mohamed, Hani Khalil Naser EL Dien, Marwa Serhal, Tamer Moheb Eddin Ibrahim, Asif Khan Mohamamad Shafi, Mohamed Abd Alla Badawy Taha, Mohamed Abdelhamid Abdelfatah Mohamed, Wilson P. Philip, Azmi Zeaul Islam, Erlinda Caberie Vasquez, Ahmed Maarouf, Eissa Mowaz and James Eapen Roy. The course was conducted by Rizwan Hyder.


TM

E202 Primavera Contract Manager. The course was attended by Aqil Mahamood, Jogi Ambookkan, Sajeevan Thenguvilayil Kunjukunju, Avinash Padhtare, Rajagopal Kasiveerappan, Neil Harvey, Marlo Sanchez, Norben Medrano, Dennis Maks, Guia Medrano, Eleonore Sanchez and Danilo Hapa. The course was conducted by Mohammed Ali.

P501 Managing Risk in Primavera Risk Analysis. The course was attended by Berrekia Mohamed Nacer, Allouache Raouf, Daroga Singh, Shibu Joseph, Sandip Pravinbhai Parmar, G.R. Lakshmy Narayanan, Nestor S. Gabilan, Karl Gebrael, Nasser Halabi, Sud-hir M. Nirale, Alok Malaviya, Rafik Bedri, Afif Kanj and Monico Santos. The course was conducted by Ahmed Ghazy.

P811 Planning and Scheduling Course. The course was attended by Gheith Abweh, Marwan Alhmoud, Ziad Hamati, Faris Dwiekat, Heba Salem and Ala’ Hamaydeh. The course was conducted by Rania Khawaja.

Customized P6 Administrator’s Training. The course was attended by Mohamed Saleh, Alex Hsu and Karen Koo. The course was con-ducted by Ali Ammar.

Customized IT

Administrator’s

Training. The course was attended by Bakr Ghanem Mus-tafa and Alex Hsu and conducted by Madhu Krishnan.

The course was attended by Jamal Abdul Malik and Felix Reinberg and conducted by Gagan Preet Kaur.

P905 PMP Exam Preparation Course. The course was attended by Alona Camagong, Abdul Ghafar Mahmoodi, Ahmed Taha Ibrahim and Basil Moh’d Musleh Tabangeh. The course was conducted by Samah Kamel.

P905 PMP ExAM PREPARATION COuRsE


Client Feedback_

Canugiveusaclearpictureofyourroleinyourorganization?As the head of Contracts Department, I am responsible for

reviewing all contracts before signature and managing them af-terword. This includes managing variations and costs, preparing invoices, tracking issues and preparing claims, and defending my company’s rights under the contracts.

Howisthecoursebeneficialandrelatedtoyourscopeofwork?

Primavera is extremely useful for my organization and for my department in particular. From conveniently using a global database for vendors and suppliers, to efficiently tracking varia-tions and preparing payment requisitions, our job becomes much easier and more fun with Primavera.

HowdidyoufindtheInstructorintermsofpresentationandknowledgeofthesubjectmatter?

I have found the instructor very knowledgeable and smart. He went through the course material thoroughly with the right speed and gave adequate time for questions and discussions.

HowdidyoufindtheoverallqualityofCMCSservices?The overall quality of CMCS services was excellent. From

the online registration process and course material download to the 3-day course and presentation, everything was done profes-sionally and met my expectations.

WouldyouattendanothertrainingorrecommendCMCStoyourothercontacts?

Yes I would attend other trainings with CMCS especially the ones focused on my department’s scope and I highly recom-mend CMCS to my other contacts.

dany sebaalyContracts ManagerOrascom Contrack

AsaPMCoordinator,canugiveusaclearpictureofyourroleinyourorganization?

As a PM Coordinator, I am leading the “Projects’ Planning & Monitoring Unit” of the Building Design Division at K&A’s Beirut.


EVP course would enhance my ability to evaluate, forecast and report on the project progress (internally and externally); it pro-vides for me training on EV concepts, techniques and required skills.


Mr. Samman is a professional, well knowledgeable of Earned Value Performance. His presentation and communication skills kept me interested from start to end, especially with his interac-tive approach to training.

HowdidyoufindtheoverallqualityofCMCSservices?

CMCS services (training and software provider) have always been conducted in a very professional way; I’ve experienced good cooperation with the teams in Beirut and Dubai as well as their good care of customers.


Actually, this is the 5th course I attended over the last 3 years. CMCS should be on top of the list for anyone who considers professional and formal training in the project management field.

Toni Elias FarahPM Coordinator

Khatib and Alami


TM

Client Feedback_

Canugiveusaclearpictureofyourroleinyourorganization?

As Manager of the Projects Controls Department, I have a team of Planning and Cost Control Engineers who work on the Project Planning and Cost Control of differ-ent Projects. We have program for training the newly joined staff. We have developed and are continually refining the Project Planning Program in our company. We use our historical data from previous projects to better plan the new projects.


Our organization uses Primavera as the software for the Project Planning. At the tender stage we prepare our schedules in Primavera, and built on it after award of the projects. We use Primavera for Planning and Controlling of our projects. We conduct training programs to keep our Planning Engineers abreast with the latest upgrades in the software. We are using Primavera Contract Manager for all correspondence, draw-ings, submittals, logs and other projects related issues.


SBG has arraigned different courses for its staff through CMCS and found that all the CMCS instructors are competent and their conduct during the courses and respond to the queries’ shows their grasps on the software. The course materials are presented in a reasonable pace. CMCS training provided us not only with answers to the question but also with new ideas how to use the software in out of the box situations.

HowdidyoufindtheoverallqualityofCMCSservices?

The overall quality of the CMCS services both before and after the training sessions and software sales has been beyond our expectation.


SBG has been coming back to CMCS for the courses and other software related is-sues, which shows SBG confidence in CMCS, and will definitely come back to CMCS for its future software trainings and will recommend to our other contacts.

SBG has been coming back to CMCS for the courses and other software related issues, which shows SBG’s confidence in CMCS. We will definitely come back to CMCS for its future software trainings and will recommend to our other contacts.

-Nafis Ahmed Khan

Nafis Ahmed KhanProject Controls ManagersBG

‘


TM

•Selling, Supporting, Implementing and providing Training for Primavera Solutions since 1985

•49 Primavera Awards for Excellent Performance and Achievements including the one and only Four Million Dollar Club Award

•Oracle Primavera Platinum Partner

•Oracle University education Provider

•Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Management Certified Implementer

•More than 100 Successful Oracle Primavera Enterprise Portfolio Project Management, Primavera Contract Manager and Primavera Risk Analysis Implementations in the last 5 Years

•6 ISO Certifications

•14 Offices in 12 Countries with 100+ Team Members

•Project Management Institute (PMI)® Registered education Provider

•AACE International approved education Provider

•Member of Construction Specifications Institute-Construction education network (CSI-CEN)

•AllPMO authorized educational network member

•IIBA endorsed education Provider

•Member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) Registered Consultant Program

•Delivering more than 6,000 hours per annum of Oracle Primavera Public and Corporate Training

•Delivering more than 5,000 hours per annum of Project Management Public and Corporate Training

•Delivered Oracle Primavera Services to more than 2,000 clients in 28 countries in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa and South America.

CMCS and Oracle Primavera: A Success Story that is Hard to Repeat

Collaboration,ManagementandControlSolutionsP.O.Box23033Dubai,UnitedArabEmiratesT+97143654850|F+97143697518www.cmcs-mena.com

UAE | Qatar | Oman | Lebanon | Jordan | KuwaitBahrain | Saudi Arabia | Egypt | Italy | India | Yemen


e

t

v

e

e

F

v

o

HOW GOOD IS yOuR PROJECT MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE?

PM EXAM WORD SCRAMBLE

Test your Project Management Knowledge is published with permission from www.pmexam.com.

Q:For a project with origi-nal assumptions that are no longer relevant to a change in conditions, estimated at Completion is most likely determined by which technique?

Quick uiz1. AVEICT EGINSTLNI

Helps facilitate the development of mutual trust, respect, and good working relationships thus improving the overall performance of the team.

2. RGSPREOS OTNRREIPG Describing what the project team has accomplished—for example, percent complete to schedule, or what is completed versus what is in process

3. ERVCEIER The person for whom the message is intended.

4. AECHLNN The medium by which information is transmitted.

5. EMEGASS Sensory data that is encoded by the commu-nicator (sender) and decoded by the receiver (recipient).

6. EBCDEFAK Information on how well the message was received.

7. EEFTECIFV TGELSIINIs the ability to recognize the importance of verbal and nonverbal listening behaviors including body language.

8. MCANOOUITNIMC RRSABREIObstacles that impede communications. For example: limited communication channels, distance, noise, cultural differences, organi-zational climate, perceptions, limited informa-tion, withholding of information, terminology, number of communication links, manipulation (hidden agenda), etc.

A. ETC + ACB. AC + BAC - EV

Q:The amount of money or time needed above the estimate to reduce the risk of overruns of project objectives to a level acceptable to the

organization is normally referred to as the:

Q:Organizations that desire very much to avoid high-impact risks may use which of the following techniques during qualitative risk analysis?

A. AvoidanceB. Data precision ranking with low precisionC. A probability-impact risk rating matrix using

nonlinear scalesD. The organization would not use any

techniques

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

PM EXAM WORD SCRAMBLE

1. A c t i v e L i s t e n i n g

2. P r o g r e s s R e p o r t i n g

3. R e c e i v e r

4. C h a n n e l

5. M e s s a g e

6. F e e d b a c k

7. E f f e c t i v e L i s t e n i n g

8. C o m m u n i c a t i o n B a r r i e r s A:a. eTC + aCExplanation: The expected total cost of a schedule activity, a work breakdown structure component, or project when the defined scope of work will be completed. EAC is equal to the actual cost (AC) plus the estimate to complete (ETC) for all of the remaining work. EAC = AC plus ETC. The EAC may be calculated based on performance to date or estimated by the project team based on other factors, in which case it is often referred to as the latest revised estimate.

Quick uiz

C. a probability-impact risk rating matrix using nonlinear scalesExplanation: A nonlinear scale can provide a greater risk score for risks with high impacts and probabilities. This allows the organization with high-impact risk aversion to better rank and focus on these risks. The use of data with low precision as suggested in Option B may lead to qualitative risk analysis of little use to the project manager. Option A is a type of risk response

C. Contingency reserveExplanation: The amount of money or time needed above the estimate to reduce the risk of overruns of project objectives to a level acceptable to the organization.

C. AC + (BAC - EV)/CPID. ETC + EV

A. Executive reserveB. Project manager slush fundC. Contingency reserveD. Mitigation buffer


Take a Break withTM

TM

TM


Take a Break withTM

TM


COURSe ID COURSe TITLe PDUsOracle Primavera P101*P102P106A*P106PP106RP107*P108P109*P401*P501E202

Project Management in Primavera P6 Web AccessProject Management in Primavera P6 Administration in Primavera P6 and P6 Web AccessAdvanced Project Management in Primavera P6 Resource Management in Primavera P6 Resource Management in P6 Web AccessMigrating from P3 to Primavera P6Portfolio Management in Primavera P6 Web AccessIntroduction to Primavera Sure Trak Project ManagerManaging Risk in Primavera Risk Analysis 8.6Primavera Contract Management Rel.13

19.519.56.5

13.013.06.5

13.06.5

13.019.519.5

Project Management E101E201P065**P203P850P880P901P905P907P916P917P918P921P927P928P929*P930P933*P941*P942P948P949*P950P959P972

Essentials of Estimating and Budgeting Advanced Project Estimating and Budgeting Project Management Office Certification CourseInfomaker CourseExtension of Time RequestProgram Management Professional (PgMP) Certification Exam PreparationAchieving Risk Management Professional Certification-Project Risk Management PMP Exam Preparation Course Project Management Leadership SkillsThe Certified Associate in Project Management Course (CAPM)Portfolio ManagementIT Project ManagementAchieving EVP Certification – Project Performance Using Earned ValueProject Management for Everyone – A Non-Technical ApproachProject Risk Assessment & Management CourseQuantitative Risk Analysis ConceptsProject Management FundamentalsProject Program Management for NGOs/NPOsConstruction Documents Technology CoursePlanning and Scheduling Maintenance Shutdown and OutageImplementing Business Strategies Through ProjectsPlanning and Scheduling Maintenance Shutdown and OutageProject Finance and PPP Modeling Master classAchieving PSP and PMI-SP Certifications – Project Planning & SchedulingIntegration Management

0.00.0

30.00.0

21.035.035.035.021.024.012.021.014.010.014.021.014.015.00.0

30.014.018.00.0

14.04.0

Oracle Primavera P6 R8

Governance.Workflowadded,majorenhancementsintemplatesandenterprisereporting

Predictability. Majorenhancementsinriskregister,analysisandmonitoring

Inclusivity. 100%Web,majorenhancementstowhatcanbedoneandviewedoverthewebPlusmanyothernewfeaturesandenhancements.

OUT NOW. CALL CMCS FOR DETAILS.

CMCS Courses List. email [email protected] for the latest schedule of courses.

TM


P973P974P975P976P977P978P979P981P990

Scope ManagementTime ManagementCost ManagementQuality ManagementHuman Resources ManagementCommunication ManagementRisk ManagementProcurement ManagementOrganizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3)

4.04.04.04.04.04.04.04.0

11.0

(*) Course currently offered as Corporate/In-house training(**) Online classes available

For schedule and price of courses, please email [email protected] or call +971 4 3654850.

COURSe ID COURSe TITLe PDUs

aDePT A101A201

ADePT Awareness Workshop - Creating an Integrated Design PlanDesign Planning, Management and Control in ADePT Design Software Suite

0.00.0

agile G100G101

Fundamentals of AgileFundamentals of Agile Project Management for Software Development

0.00.0

asta Powerproject AP101AP102AP103AP104AP105

Introduction to Asta PowerprojectCreate and Manage Projects with Asta PowerprojectReporting, Monitoring and Controlling Projects with Asta PowerprojectResource and Cost Management with Asta PowerprojectManaging Progress and S-Curve Reporting with Asta Powerproject

0.00.00.00.00.0

aRM TR101TR201TR301TR501TR910

ARM User Fundamentals TrainingARM User Advanced TrainingARM System Administration TrainingARM reporting development with Microsoft Reporting ServicesIntroduction to Enterprise Risk Management

0.00.00.00.00.0

Tilos T100 Tilos Training 0.0

Synchro S101 Synchro Training 0.0

I am glad to inform you that after I had the Saturday 14th of May 2011 PMP Review Session, I passed my PM exam which was scheduled on May 19th and I became PMP Certified. This session was very good regarding the tips and some details that helped very much and which no body can discover it if he was studying it alone. - Walid Wardeh, CFO, GRE Group

***The course is interesting as it will help us track issues and develop claims eas-ily. - Dany Sebaaly, Contracts Manager, Orascom Contrack

***Instructor, Mr. Kaveh Boromand is helpful and knowledgeable. Course was enlighten-ing. It will help me in contracting projects and understanding all about schedules, progress and delays. - Antonios El Had-

What Clients have said about CMCS

dad, Mechanical Engineer, Petrofac ***

The course was very helpful and the tech-niques learned could be easily applied to my work. - Jamal Abdul Malik, Senior Engineer - Maintenance Support, ADCO

***The objective for me was to understand what program management is and how to prepare for the exam. The course did help me in both. - Raghib Rashid, Project Man-ager, ADCO

***The course has opened new gates and would help me to manage my work more effi-ciently. - Basil Moh’d Musleh Tabangeh, Technical Consultant, Tiger TMS

***Instructor’s (Ali Ammar) performance was very good and explained all in detailed

and neatly. The course is very good and gain knowledge in project management. - Lekshmanan E., Maintenance Planner, Takreer

ABOUT CMCS

Collaborate is the monthly publication of Collaboration, Management & Control Solutions (CMCS) and is being distributed to more than 30,000 readers across the Gulf Corporate Council Countries, Middle East, North Africa, Africa, Asia and Europe.

REACHING CMCS

CMCS and the CMCS logo are trademarks of Collaboration, Management and Control Solutions (CMCS) FZ-LLC. The PMI Registered education Provider logo is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

TM

Lebanon

OFC: (+9611) 345-111 FAX: (+9611) 346-111 [email protected]

TM

Qatar


TM

Jordan


TM

Oman

OFC: (+968) 24-705-840 x230 FAX: (+968) 24-705-831 [email protected]

TM

Kuwait

OFC: (+965) 2249-8357/8/9 FAX: (+965) 2249-8356 [email protected]

TM

CairoOFC: (+202) 2272-7237 FAX: (+202) 2272-7237

AlexandriaOFC: (+203) 429-4151FAX: (+203) 429-4151 [email protected]

egypt

TM

Bahrain

OFC: (+973) 17574333 FAX: (+973) [email protected]

TM

OFC: (+966) 3 8811531/2 FAX: (+966) 3 8811533 [email protected]

TM

India

OFC: (+9144) 4300 0526/27 (+9144) 4291 1901 FAX: (+9144) 2821 [email protected]

TM

OFC: (+39) 065906000FAX: (+39) [email protected] Italy

TM

Yemen

OFC: (+967) 1-401-671 FAX: (+967) [email protected]

TM

Our accreditation Partners

Our Training Partners

PlatinumPartner

Our Technology Partners

Our Strategic Partners

Our PassionTohelptheworldtogetridoffailedprojectsandachievewhatwestrivefor“AWorldwithoutFailedProjects”.

Why It should Matter To YouFailedprojectsarefailedinvestmentsforwhichyourorganizationnotonlydidnotgetthedesiredreturnoninvestmentbuthavedeprivedothermuchneededprojectsfromsuchfunds.Fundsspentonprojectsaresunkcoststhatcannotberecoveredoncespent.

Our MissionDesign,developandimplementvalueformoneyenterpriseportfolioprojectandriskmanagementsolutionsthatwillenableprojectcentricorganizationstobuildtheirownenterpriseprojectandriskmanagementcapacity,knowledgeandcapability.

Industries We serveProjectandriskmanagementisgenerictoallorganizationsregardlesstowhatindustrytheybelongto,whatisthenatureoftheirprojectandwhattangibleorintangibletheirprojectdeliverablesare.CMCShaveservedmorethan2,000clientsrepresentingindustryleadersinEngineeringandConstruction,OilandGas,PowerandUtility,GovernmentandNonGovernmentOrganizations,ITandTelecommunication,FinancialServices,EducationandMedia.

Projects We supportCMCSprojectandriskmanagementsolutionsareapplicabletoallcapitalassetprojectssuchasinfrastructure,buildings,plants,refineries,downstreamandupstreamfacilities;informationtechnologyandtelecommunication;eventsandexhibitions;organizationalchangeandprofessionaldevelopment;restructuring,mergersandacquisitions,andIPOoffering;newproductorservicedevelopment;mediaincludingmoviesandshows;crisesandreliefaid;lobbyingandpoliticalcampaigns;logistics;newregulationsandcompliances;professionalservices;corporatesocialresponsibility.

Regions We CoverCMCShas14officesin12countriesthathavehelpedustoofferourservicesinmorethan25countriesovertheGCC,MiddleEast,Asia,Africa,EuropeandSouthAmerica.Asoftoday,CMCShasofficesintheUAE,SaudiArabia,Qatar,Kuwait,Bahrain,Oman,Yemen,Lebanon,Jordan,IndiaandItaly.

Our Relation with Oracle PrimaveraCMCS’relationwithOraclePrimaveraisunmatched.Since1984,CMCShasreceived49awardsfortheirperformanceincludingthefirstandonlyPrimaveraFourMillionDollarClubaward.

DubaiOFC: (+9714) 365 4850 FAX: (+9714) 369-7518

Abu DhabiOFC: (+9712) 643-2286FAX: (+9712) 643-2186 [email protected]

*The PMI Registered Education Provider and PMI Consultant Registry logos are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.