I have worked for several offices over the years and it seems like nobody plans ahead. Deadlines just crop up and happen. Work gets doubled up and somehow we get the work done…frazzled nerves and all.
Well I would like to avoid that. How do you guys schedule your specification work load? Does anyone use bar chart or CPM software?
The ‘specs department’ uses a simple excel spreadsheet projected forward. But it doesn’t work that well because project managers–and clients especially–frequently change deadlines for various reasons. On a corporate level, we have fairly sophisticated project planning software that is used, but it’s not yet drilling down to the level of individual specifiers.
Usually it’s the little stuff that gets wedged in between the big projects that have the least forwarning. Big project schedules seem to hold okay, but add in the little stuff and they get squeezed too.
I do pretty much the same thing as John and have the same problems.
Large projects are scheduled out and ususally hold the line, but it’s the smaller, what I now call “grenade projects” that always throw a wrench in the works.
The other thing that happens is that some of the projects tend to have “sliding” deadlines, and when they don’t follow the original schedule, they tend to slam into the projects with deadlines that didn’t move.
The senior manager (not a PM) told me to talk with them when this happens, unfortunately, by the time it’s realized, it’s usually too late.
I’m open to suggestions as well.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m getting slammed by my boss for lack of planning, and when I try to explain how things can get out of control, she doesn’t seem to understand (or doesn’t want to understand). She keeps using words like “anticipate workloads”, but how do you anticipate the PA who comes to you on a Monday with a “small” project that should go out on Friday? (and of course, it’s a more complicated project than anyone realized, even if it is “small”). Sorry about the anonymous, but I think you can understand why. I’ll be watching this discussion closely; perhaps I can learn something to help me!
I publish a Project Calendar every Monday morning and distribute, via e-mail, it to all our Project Managers and Sr. Project Architects. Its a simple 7-column table in Word (that makes it easily accessible by everyone) that goes out about three months and is intended to show every project and its various issue dates. I ask that everyone check this calendar every Monday and let me know if there are any changes. Of course I have varying degrees of success, But, it serves me well when someone brings that new job to me with I need it Friday. I can simply point to my calendar that already shows three project issues on Friday and say, Youve known for weeks what my schedule is like for Friday.
Of course that doesnt solve the immediate problem but it gets their attention and tends to minimize recurrence of similar problems, at least with that individual. The solution to the immediate problem is to tell the individual to go talk to the other Project Managers who already had an issue scheduled for Friday and see if one of them will give up their spot in the queue.
The same dynamic runs in my office. Large projects usually hold tight, but not always. Other projects move constantly and I end up with two or three due on the same day. I keep a calendar on my wall and send emails constantly reminding PM’s that it is filling up quick. First come first serve. Doesn’t always work because it’s the Principals that set the priorities. So sometimes “second come” gets preferential treatment.
Yesterday I went to the print room to pick up some drawings and saw a bound set of a project titled “95% Construction Documents”. I went to the PM and asked if he needed a spec. The answer was yes on Dec. 3. I asked “When were you going to tell me about it?” He said, “Uhhhhhhhh, right now?” And of course the job is for an important client. And of course, “I” should have been more proactive.
I keep trying to teach “size doesn’t matter”. Whether the job has 1 door or 1000 doors, the job still needs the door section. 250,000 SF office or 15,000 SF office, they both have virtually the same number of sections.
Hey, what do I know? I’m just the guy in the back in my H.H. Richardson cape and my crystal ball trying to rewrite the specs to turn projects already under construction into LEED projects.
Thanks for letting me vent.
My process is similar to Doug’s. Bar chart schedule done in Excel, and posted in the public directory on our server for all to access and view. I also keep an 11 x 17 hard copy posted in my office.
I usually poll our project managers to find out what spec submittals they need, and when they need them, and plot them on the schedule. They are required to inform me if anything changes. As can be expected, some are better at that than others.
In addition, due to so many projects, we need to prioritize. We have a written handbook that outlines the specifications process and the gathering and sharing of project information and design decisions the team needs to follow. All information is required a minimum of three weeks prior to the deadline. I let the PMs know up front that 1) that even though it may only take 40 hours to do their project, it may take me three weeks to get those 40 hours (with everything else going on), and 2) if they get me the information late, their spec will be late (or incomplete). I also tell them the more complete, coordinated, and organized their basis-of-design product data is, the less hours I will bill to their project.
In addition, I inform the teams when there are concurrent deadlines. If no one compromises, I make the decision: projects are prioritized based on the importance of the submittal, i.e. “Issue for Bid” takes priority over DD specs or 50% CD specs. As an alternative, the team is free to go to an outside specifications consultant.
Overall, the system works better for some than for others. Some are very good about following it, others - sometimes I think - could give a rip. In the end, when you get right down to it, - try as I might - it’s all pretty much like herding cats.
Project changes continually mess up our planning.
Dept.Mgr issues weekly excel sheet on projects, dates and priorities, but…
Every Friday get “What’s Up” report listing deadlines for following week-- rarely accurate.
Projects sneak[???] in. How and why; who knows.
Have had some success is getting Leads to use Checklist early-on, so we can begin to create project spec folders.
Also making some headway with philosohy statement-- “It is neither criminal nor sinful to finish the specs early!!”
“Cime and sin” still plentiful!!
It is human nature to try to make order out of chaos. People set deadlines so that they can get things off their plate before going on holiday, hoping to enjoy their leisure time without concern for all the work awaiting their return. The inevitable result is a perfect storm of epic proportion hitting all of the folks who have to get things out at the end of the process, such the repro printers, office support staff, and of course the spec writer.
One of the advantages of working for an enormous organization (over 55,000 worldwide) is all of the required project procedures that tend to smooth out the work flow and put the onus for meeting project schedules back on the PM where it belongs.
First, draft specs have to be reviewed by the PA/PE and answers or resolutions to lingering questions need to be addressed before they are considered complete. I tag all of the places where their input is needed and they have to address all my questions and get the markup back by a given date. Where I can document a lapse in giving me required information in a timely manner I can deflect the blame for not completing the specs. Deadlines suddenly become more realistic when the spec writer is not available to serve as the scapegoat for poor planning.
Next, we have a couple of technical quality reviews by senior personnel not on the project team that must be completed before anything can leave the office, and these require scheduling time of the department managers. The reviews are not optional; documentation must be filed and available for audit.
When your organization is modeled after the military, you have the paradigm of responsibility flowing up and authority flowing down. Most organizations tend to get that relationship backwards, placing the blame on those at the bottom and reserving all the credit and glory for those at the top.
My process is very similar to David’s. I have found that getting a comprehensive master schedule from PMs is very difficult, as is getting various project teams to stagger their delivery due-dates.
One thing I try to bring to the design and documentation process is some focus on those aspect in which both draw-ers and specify-ers interface, such as quality assurance/control, product and technical research, drawing notations, and sustainable design. Typically, the only things a schedule can tell me are the due-dates, and whether we are on schedule or not on schedule.
Years ago this was a problem that I saw over and over. So back in 1983 when I came to the firm I am with now, part of my initial proposal was that there had to be a way to prioritize schedules. Of course schedules come along on top of each other, but the office needs to have a way to deal with that. Just someone saying, “I want it” is, well, stupid is the kindest work that comes to mind. You actually CAN beat a dead horse, its just that it does no good, and its certainly no value to beat me until I am dead, they don’t get their project manual that way either.
So, we began by establishing a simple calendar. It showed project due dates - not the date of delivery, but the date I need to go out the door to the printer (or whatever) to make the delivery schedule. And grayed out in front of that were a few days where nothing could be placed or it would put the project schedule at risk.
PMs and PAs were to have those ‘restricted dates’ in mind when they were working their schedules. That worked, and when circumstances conspired to create conflicts, the process was that the responsibility lies at the top - 2 principals might have to work out which had priority. There was some original resistance at the middle level, they just wanted me to work it out, but the response of, “I don’t have the authority to risk a project, so the first on the calendar has the date, yours is last unless you work it out” usually brought results.
You want to be the maintainer of the schedule, only you know what the work effort is going to be. But you can’t in any way be in charge of prioritization. You can give guidance on what work effort something may take so they can work out the problem, but its others that have to work it out.
Over the years, this has served well. Now its current evolution is quite evolved.
1 - Calendar. There is now a calendar that is maintained by Specification that is published to a private web site. It has all the due dates (for sending to the printer) for all projects. We produce a Draft review at about 75% and a Final/bid set. PAs and PMs can get to this web site at any time from anywhere in the world. Each entry has the official project name, indicates who is PM, PA, contains notes on status and what is needed at this step for Specs to proceed.
2 - Scheduling has been elevated to a major requirement by PAs and PMs. One of the first things they do is create a project management schedule that shows all the due dates, manpower requirements, etc. for the complete project start to finish. I am not sure what tool is currently used for this, but its a very easy to read cpm type chart. They make this schedule in conjunction with the web calendar above.
3 - Milestones Calendar: As soon as a PA/PM is assigned a project and has their schedule prepared, they tell me, I verify that it works with the overall calendar, and if there is a potential or real problem, I tell them. If it still needs to be posted, it gets flagged with an alert note that says it is in conflict and must move. The milestones also include - 5 weeks before a draft an alert that says certain items should be done. 3 weeks before the draft, the checklist interview. And the draft itself. There are similar alerts leading up to production of the final. These are published out to a calendar that they can see, as well as all calendar events is mailed to both PM and PA.
I could use an Outlook server side calendar, but I prefer a web calendar. Outlook Exchange on the server has crashed more than once taking down calendars. Fortunately, for my own purposes I was backing up to a web calendar system anyway. So, I have stayed with that. The system is simple, easy to maintain to the point that it is updated in real time. Give me a changed schedule and the web calendar site is updated a few minutes later. The system is, hit the update command, its updated, done.
Then I just drop the calendar events onto an email that I send out to the PMs/PAs. They have the choice of using the web calendar for everything or dropping the events into their own calendar.
This has worked well for many years now, its always an evolving process. I am in charge of the calendar, but I am not in charge of scheduling or resolving conflicts. That is, and can only be, the PA/PM and the principals.
William
Bottom line is, even for those that are proactive, if you don’t meet ALL deadlines (in upper mgmnt’s view), then you’re labeled as “not a team player”; late or incomplete is just not acceptable…under any circumstances. PM’s don’t give a “care” about other PM’s projects…just theirs. You’re expected to giveup your late-night hours, personal time with family, and weekends; besides you’re salaried and thus expected to “put-in” whatever hours it takes to get the ALL jobs done…otherwise, when it comes time for staff reductions and performance reviews (i.e., raises), you are looked upon negatively. Oh, BTW, you can only “charge” whatever/limited spec hours to the project as some PM has budgeted (remember, you’re salaried so whatever time it takes, you’re expected to “donate”); that way, historical project records show that all work was done within project budget (makes mgmnt look good)…you don’t count those “extra” hours that were really needed to complete the tasks.
I commend William that he is in a postion to be able to institute his process. Too often the specifier is low in the hierarchy, and is powerless to be anything more than just reactive.
Anon’s comment above is correct in many instances - as also commented on in some other response.
My current position is as an Associate Principal, which benefits being able to enforce some requirements.
But it was not always this way. I actually came into this company in 1983 as someone with a lot of background in high quality technical specifications, but with only 7 years of overall experience (all in specification which was my career choice from the beginning).
I never did have any problems because right from the initial interviews, I talked about repositioning their specs program and how it needed to be handled. It was really required that the principals ‘buy into’ the concept including scheduling. I was on the bottom of the all the heaps, so to speak.
They were willing to do that.
Currently of our principals from that time all except 1 has retired, a whole new generation of principals have come up from the PMs/PAs of that time. They all ‘grew up’ under the concept and have seen how it functions over time.
Did I ever have special problems. Of course. We had one principal who would come around and ask to get ‘fitted in’ when he had a conflict. I always told him I would do the best I could, and sometimes due to the fluidity of schedules (yes, they all change all the time regardless of size) I could actually say ‘yes’. But the process narrowed it down to a very very few exceptions like that. One or two, you can deal with, but not everyone.
And, to emphasize, schedules move all the time. When CDs are starting and the schedule is made up, we have always looked down the line at general manpower requirements. Often we see ‘bid set’ conflicts, and often the response is to ignore them because with 90%+ probability, after the 75%/permit set is published the project schedule will slide. In fact, the ‘final’ date is always prefaced with a note that says, “Final date is not real until the schedule has been confirmed after 75%”.
We just ignore the conflict and it goes away. That may not be wise planning - except that historically its super accurate.
William
We have a 6 month staff projection calendar and lately we have been focused on having PMs make sure that specifications is scheduled because we can run a report that just picks up the specification staff designations for snap shot.
It is hard…for a firm that will do over 100M in billings this year last month it said there was only 60 hours of specs for the whole firm. I think the next time it happens, I think all the spec writers, who probably have months of vacation saved up, should just announce that they are all heading out on a cruise and will not be back until summer.
On partner is taking a stand that if is not on the workplan you do not get the staff. Period. It is starting to work.
Good firms recognize there is an inverse relationship between amount of construction claims/liability exposure and number of experienced specifiers employed. If a few of us vote with our feet (don’t try this w/o Plan B already in place), we might be surprised to find we were more valued than we thought. If not, well, Plan B might become Plan A.
If the specifier does have at least some clout, giving them less coordinated specs a few times (after ample warnings to teams and management of collision concerns) might be the only other alternative as opposed to working until the wee hours to spin straw into gold. Been there. Occassionally still am there.
This has been a great discussion. I’ve spent several years in a firm and know the complexities and frustrations of concurrent deadlines.
However, nothing has been mentioned about how independents manage their workloads. As I near the end of my first year as an independent, I’ve noticed a pro and con about project schedules.
Pro: You can always decline a potential client or job if it conflicts with your current workload. This is easier to do with a first-time client, but a little difficult with repeat clients. However, I’ve been moderately successful in modifying the schedule for repeat clients when some of their projects overlap.
Con: When schedules slip (like so many of you mentioned above) you can’t approach client A and whine that their deadline now is on the same day that Client B’s project is due.
How do other independents handle scheduling?
My experience has been pretty much like yours, Ron, after almost 19 years an an independent consultant.
The most important thing I’ve found is to be pro-active with the project managers for each of my projects. Since we are not in-house, we are easy to fall out of the scheduling loop unless we make an effort. This is less an issue with really large or complex projects where there are many consultants.
Having two or even three projects due at about the same time is not unusual. If things look like they will be a crunch, I’ll call up the managers and be honest with them, and see what flexibility there is in their schedules. If there is none, then I just have to deal with it (my wife is used to this).
And yes, the hardest thing I’ve had to learn is to say no. But clients will remember for much longer if you do a halfway job for them, than they will with your saying “sorry, I just can’t fit the project into my schedule and give you the kind of specification you expect.” Clients respect that honesty, and I have not had a problem with this approach.
Manage my workload??? I will let you know when I figure it out! Seriously though…
It is a challenge for independents as Ron mentioned, since you can’t go to client A and tell them client B’s deadline is the same day. As relationships get stronger over the years, it is easier to explain that the schedule is getting crowded on certain dates etc. I am also very pro-active in calling and emailing clients to keep up on deadlines. If I am in a real crunch, sometimes I call and ask how serious they are about their deadline and if there is any flexibility and I will learn that, “The civil engineer is behind” or “we just found out from the Owner that there is a delay” and I will get saved at the last minute.
I keep all my proposals on a giant excel spreadsheet with the due dates - I keep them in blue until I get the job for sure, then change them to black. This gives me a “big picture” view of all the actual and potential deadlines, so, when a new client calls, I can see I have a potential/actual deadline conflict.
I also keep a “close up” schedule of this week and the next 2 weeks, which includes more of the minor projects - such as revisions, a new section etc.
Sometimes I get to the point where I honestly tell my clients that, “I have no idea when I can get your job done”. For instance, I had a repeat client call with a “crisis” job and I am booked solid for the next 4 months, but I told them I would keep it at the top of the “to do” list and work on it when another job slides. They understood and are ok with it.
My advice for independants: Jump through the hoops for your clients and provide excellent services as much as possible, and they will be much more understanding when you tell them you can’t meet a deadline.
The kicker for the specifier is that in a small to medium firm (say 20 to 50 people, sometimes up to 80 to 100 people), there is usually only one specifier. If that person is 90 percent committed for the next 4 weeks, there are only 12 “standard” hours to fit in additional work. With a larger staff, a 90 percent load means more hours available. With 3 staff people, you would have 36 “standard” hours available which, depending on how you work, should be enough to fit most of one job in, maybe two. The lesson is that larger staffs mean for flexibility but they also mean more cost.
William’s long-term strategy is definitely a good model, and not necessarily an ideal (or unrealistic) model. It does take a long term view to change an organization. No matter what anyone says, an organization (even a relatively small one) cannot change course instantly.
I like to talk about managing expectations. Sometimes there will be conflicts, and one has to make decisions amidst conflicting expectations. Everyone can’t be pleased all the time, but most scedules can be met most of the time.
What I continue to find is that in being proactive, it is almost as important to find out about project delays as it is to find out about project deadlines. The project you find out about at 10:30 Wednesday morning that has to go out at the end of the day next Tuesday; the one you threw a screaming fit about because no one thought to tell you about it? It might be OK since you will be finding out when you get your late morning coffee at 11:00 that the project you are working feverishly to push out the door before noon next Monday will be delayed for 3 weeks. As Rosanne Rosandana use to say, “Never mind.”
Even when you finally get PMs/PAs trained to give you project schedules with realistic deadlines, they don’t seem to understand that a schedule change has a similar impact on the overall effort.
Yes, and when I came to the office, there were fewer than 30 people, total, including the receptionist. Now we are somewhere near 150 with offices in DC and Dallas. It was great that it all grew out of that early process that everyone was on board with - and has continued. I now have a full time specifier with me here in DC, we write both offices projects.
Your comment “I like to talk about managing expectations.” made me think of a specifier working for one of our new clients in their architectural review group when he stopped by for a visit. I have a chart of milestones and information exchanges for projects that takes it from the day the PA gets the project to the issuing of final CDs. It shows time intervals, how dates are verified, and what kind of information is needed at each exchange. Its a huge floor to ceiling chart, in color.
He looked at it for a few minutes and then said, this is really great. A pause, then, “have you ever had a project where this really happened?”
His expectation was that here was something that was really good, but never used. It actually happens 100% of the time, sometimes better than others.
Actually, this chart is not just hanging on the wall. We have an employee manual given out to staff - technical manual about our production standards, drawing standards, etc. This chart is in there as 2 separate fold out pages. And about every other year I give a presentation on it. Everyone in the office gets this and is well acquainted with it by the time they themselves have to use it.
William