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(6172959d E088 4ab0 A767 Fb01c17c60ba) Project Information Management For Dummies Deltek Special Edition
(6172959d E088 4ab0 A767 Fb01c17c60ba) Project Information Management For Dummies Deltek Special Edition
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Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About This Book......................................................................... 1
Foolish Assumptions.................................................................. 2
Icons Used in This Book............................................................. 2
Where to Go From Here............................................................. 2
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iv Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
to do what. Read this book and youll come away with tech-
niques to help you to manage all of these kinds of information,
from the office as well as from the road.
Foolish Assumptions
You felt compelled to pick up this book and open it, and based on
that fact, were making a few assumptions about you, the reader:
A Project Is Unique
By definition, a project is a oneoff. Sure, it might be similar to
something that happened before, but its not the same thing
as, say, manufacturing a car or a microwave, where youd
insist on precise repetition. A project is a unique thing, and
your business processes are built around this fact.
The fact that each project is unique is one of the big reasons
your business needs information management. Uniqueness
requires your business to generate a great deal of information
about the project, and it also creates the need to share that
information. Being unique means that the project is not yet
understood. It needs to be conceived, it needs to be devel-
oped, it needs to be delivered, and it often needs to be very
welldocumented. You might need to answer a great number
of questions about the project. And as it progresses, there
could be mistakes and misunderstandings.
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4 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter2
Get a Handle on Your
Organizations Emails
In This Chapter
Going beyond the vault
Getting users to warm up to email management
Avoiding duplication of effort
Speeding up the process
Setting the ground rules
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6 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter2: Get a Handle on Your Organizations Emails 7
need to reinforce this message regularly, and senior project
managers must remain focused on this important aspect of
the projects quality procedures.
Speed Is Key
In an ideal world, the taxonomy applied to emails would have
the same rigor as that used with any other document created
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8 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter3
Managing Those
Documents
In This Chapter
Keeping all documents in one place
Doing the extra work
Understanding the importance of taxonomy
Spreading the taxonomy across the organization
Making sure your system is auditable
Omitting what isnt needed
Moving to the new system
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10 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter3: Managing Those Documents 11
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12 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
Auditability Is Vital
Its easy to overlook the importance of having an auditable
document management system. No one questions the need
for the companys accounting system to have rocksolid audit-
ability. Strange that some leaders dont expect the same rigor
when it comes to documents, many of which have serious
legal and contractual weight.
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Chapter3: Managing Those Documents 13
likely to notice a missing document until its too late and the
backups have been overwritten.
Migrating Documents to
Your New System
Its rarely practical to migrate all of your existing documents
into a new system. You must accept the fact that you just
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14 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter4
The Complexities of
DesignDeliverables
In This Chapter
Understanding design deliverables
Managing design deliverables
Creating the document register
Assigning content to the register
Reviewing the content
Tracking how content is transmitted
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16 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
Characteristics of Design
Deliverables
The documents that make up a set of design deliverables will
have certain characteristics:
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Chapter4: The Complexities of DesignDeliverables 17
Monitor production or delivery. This means keeping
track of the documents in the register, and reporting on
any missed deadlines.
Review the documents. This is where you ensure theyre
complete and correct. If there are errors or omissions,
request that revised versions be produced.
Transmit or issue documents to firms or people. This
creates the allimportant, accurate record of who was
sent what, and when.
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18 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter4: The Complexities of DesignDeliverables 19
Setting deadlines and assigning
responsibility
If you want your document register to be useful as a means of
monitoring production and delivery, youll want to be able to
set an expected date for receipt or transmittal of documents,
and assign responsibility either to an individual or firm. Once
you enter this information into the register, you can produce
reports on a regular basis and highlight any documents for
which delivery is overdue.
Assigning Content to
the Register
After youve created the register, youll use it to monitor the
production or receipt of documents. An automated system
will take care of this when files are uploaded. What normally
happens is that the files are automatically assigned to the
correct record in the register by matching the filename to the
document reference. This is when the document revision gets
entered, and if needed, the suitability code or status of the
document.
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20 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter4: The Complexities of DesignDeliverables 21
After comments have been received, the approval status
of the documents will be updated to reflect the comments.
Needless to say, its vital to keep track of this status accu
rately in the document register. Thats the key to ensuring
that documents are reviewed in a timely manner, and arent
used for construction or manufacture until theyre success
fully passed through the review process.
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22 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter5
Whats All This about BIM?
In This Chapter
Defining the acronym
Realizing the benefits of BIM
Dealing with BIMs challenges
Benefiting from real collaboration
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24 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter5: Whats All This about BIM? 25
Move from left to right and the first thing you see is the
replacement of 2D CAD with 3D modeling. Then comes the
inclusion of additional information into the model, such as
time-based programming information (also known as 4D), as
well as cost/quantity surveying information (also known as
5D). The idea is that this information will remain accessible
through the full lifecycle of the building, from inception to
demolition.
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26 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
If you take all this into account, a good way of thinking about
what BIM is that it is the process of creating a digital repre-
sentation of the physical, functional, and other data required
to build and operate a building or other asset. This represen-
tation will be accessible to, and developed by, all the stake-
holders, through collaborative processes, during the lifecycle
of the asset from inception through to demolition.
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Chapter5: Whats All This about BIM? 27
Benefits for clients and end users:
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28 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter6
Contracts Need to Be
Managed, Too
In This Chapter
Understanding contract management
Managing contracts for professional services
Tracking contracts for contractors
Listing contract management items
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30 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter6: Contracts Need to Be Managed, Too 31
Practical completion certificate: This is issued to sig-
nify that the contractor has completed the works to an
acceptable standard. This, in turn, often triggers the
release of retained amounts.
Types of Contract
Management Items
Truth be told, there are too many different types of contract
management items to list them all, but its worth considering
a few of them here. Many firms will have their own processes,
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32 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
Variation instruction
One hopes that its possible to enter the construction phase
of a project with information thats complete and correct.
Unfortunately, this isnt always the case, and there may be
changes or clarifications throughout the construction pro-
cess. Its very important that these changes be fully docu-
mented, and the cost and schedule implications recorded. In
the best cases, the client and contractor are in agreement on
these details.
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Chapter6: Contracts Need to Be Managed, Too 33
Other instructions
When a main contractor gives information to subcontractors,
that information is usually accompanied by an instruction.
This is a formal record of the fact that information has been
passed, and it lets the subcontractor know what to do with
the information.
Compensation events
Most forms of contract also allow the contractor to notify
the client, or the clients project manager, of events that may
have an impact on the contract value or the schedule. The
cause might be anything from unusually inclement weather to
the discovery of expected things in the ground!
Valuation certificate
Heres an important one. Most contracts require a process to
carry out the official valuation of work. Quantity surveyors
representing both the contractor and the client conduct this
valuation, which will generally include the value of work car-
ried out as well as the value of materials onsite (and some-
times offsite materials, too).
After a value has been agreed upon, the project manager will
issue an interim valuation certificate. If all of the work is com-
plete, itll be a final valuation certificate.
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34 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
Completion certificate
Most contracts require a formal signoff signifying that the
work has been completed, either in its entirety or in sections.
The official record of this signoff is the issuance of a full or
partial completion certificate, delivered from the project man-
ager to the contractor.
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Chapter7
Mobile Working
In This Chapter
Taking project information management on the road
Understanding the power of mobile work
Firing up your team
Enabling the technology
Putting forms online
Supporting mobile devices
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36 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter7: Mobile Working 37
information. That potential disconnect affects those at the site
as well as those in the office trying to monitor site progress.
In this new way, onsite workers can again access vital project
information. The office worker, meanwhile, can monitor site
progress while avoiding the historical administrative burdens
of paperwork and phone chasing.
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38 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter7: Mobile Working 39
them into a more effective, easytouse mobilebased process
that can then be published into your PIM document store.
It allows your documents to be stored in one place, easily
located with comprehensive search tools.
You can build forms that are sent directly to the database,
and you can have the resulting published document emailed
to a specific user role, providing instant notification that a
form has been submitted. You can also require that a form be
marked for approval before it can be published into the main
system.
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40 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter8
Ten Thoughts on
Technology
In This Chapter
Embracing the promise of technology
Clearing your plate of unnecessary effort
Deciding on your new systems vital features
Choosing the right partner for your solution
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42 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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Chapter8: Ten Thoughts on Technology 43
require. But make sure the features are integrated so that you
dont need to duplicate data entry, and so that learning one
part gives you skills to help you with other parts.
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44 Project Information Management For Dummies, Deltek Special Edition
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