INEIGHT PROJECT CONTROLS
MASTERING EFFICIENCY: EXPERT STRATEGIES FOR CENTRALIZED PROJECT CONTROLS
PROJECT MANAGE YOUR PROJECT CONTROLS
To effectively implement centralized project controls and standardization, you must first deeply understand business needs and objectives so you can mold the project management framework to serve the business most efficiently.
TAKE A PHASED APPROACH TO DEPLOYMENT
It’s crucial to understand that transformation doesn’t happen overnight. A phased approach allows the organization to gradually adapt and absorb the changes, preventing overwhelm or resistance to the new system.
Start by identifying high-priority areas where standardization will bring immediate value. Gradually roll out the tools and processes across the business at a manageable pace—this prevents disruption and ensures buy-in from the teams involved.
“Don’t try to do it all in one shot. We’ve taken a phased approach to deploying. If we tried to do it all at once, I think we’d have had a really tough time where we’ve had good success by taking it slow and deploying it at an appropriate pace that the organization can absorb.”
-Rod Wales, Vice President, Ledcor
DON’T SKIMP ON PRE-PLANNING
Establish universally applied guidelines. Rules of credit are a great example—these should be consistent across all industrial projects, regardless of the project type (construction, installation, engineering). For example, defining milestones and deliverables must be standardized, ensuring clarity and uniformity in progress tracking across all teams. Having rules aligned helps create consistency, reduces ambiguity, and enables smoother decision-making processes across teams.
Thinking through how people will use the data captured and reported by the system is also critical. “You’re going to have too much data, whether it comes from InEight or the other things that you collect data from,” Terminella said. “Understand that architecture and get a plan in place around it, and cut out the noise. Also, focus your time on the visualizations of how you’re looking at the data.”
EXPECT CHALLENGES
To overcome challenges to such a huge shift in how work gets done, ensure that the implementation strategy is well-thought-out and that key people are involved early in the process. Encourage feedback and ensure that the tool is designed to be intuitive and applicable to the roles involved so that all stakeholders believe they can contribute and benefit from the new system. Common challenges include:
- Resistance to change — A common issue is when standardization is pushed with the mindset that “everyone must do it my way.” While consistency is critical, imposing strict uniformity without considering team dynamics or differing needs can cause friction.
- Not having the right people in the right places — It’s vital to have key people to champion the new processes. For instance, you cannot expect a superintendent with a hands-on field background to instantly adapt to making decisions based on complex data visualizations. Ensure team members are equipped with the right training and give them time to adjust.
- Data overload — Centralized project controls can lead to an overwhelming amount of data, especially if the system aggregates information from various tools. The key is to understand the data’s architecture and ensure there’s a plan to filter out irrelevant information, keeping the data actionable rather than overwhelming.
Experts advise taking a deliberate approach at a sustainable pace. “We don’t have to boil the ocean in the first round of this,” Wales said. “We need to get everybody on it and utilizing it and learning as we go. Sharing that information amongst each other and developing our own best practices.”
Allow time for learning, too. “Not everybody can look at a table of data and draw a conclusion,” Terminella said. “But if you’ve got resources in place to help visualize that information, specifically around a manager or senior leader, it really brings to light some of the advantages of what we’re collecting and it enables people to make decisions quickly. So take the time and the effort to make sure you understand the data you’re getting, and that you’ve got people in place to do it.”