A Program Management Approach: Document & Project Procedure Control

“When we ask bureaucrats to identify who is responsible for fixing anything, they reassure us that there are ‘procedures in place.’ - Michael Faber

Given the quantity of stakeholders in nearly any super tall building project, the amount of documents transmitted between the various parties is immense.??Accordingly, it is critical to implement a rigorous system of procedures and document flow to ensure the complicated web of communication is properly managed and functions as efficiently as possible.?This will not only assist the owner in managing risk, it will serve as the backbone upon which the entire project is administered.??

While often taken for granted when compared to the complex design and engineering efforts inherent in super tall projects, these more technical activities would all be for naught if there were no system to execute them.???

Case Study : Taipei 101 Document Exchange

As an example, the following table contains various document control and transmission statistics for Taipei 101, including everything required to manage this project from start to finish:

Taking the specific example from Taipei 101, a majority of the correspondence on super tall projects takes place between the main contractor(s) and the owner, and these documents were always routed through the project manager. At Taipei 101, approximately sixty (60) individual pieces of correspondence were exchanged per day.?Put more dramatically, this would be nearly seven (7) pieces of correspondence being sent back and forth every hour, or one (1) nearly every ten (10) minutes of the workday.?For six (6) years!?In the management of super-tall projects, it becomes clear how critical this process can be to ensure information exchange and good communication between project participants.??

Project Management Control System (PMCS).? Issuing, sharing, tracking, and storing this vast amount of information among dozens of stakeholders requires a collaborative Project Management Control System (PMCS), which typically includes the following functions:

• Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS is where software is centrally hosted and licensed on a subscription basis.?Users log into the software through a web browser or mobile device to manage information and processes hosted by the SaaS provider on a central platform (often called the “cloud”).?This will ensure that all the information is centrally managed and up to date.
• Project Collaboration: Project collaboration using SaaS platforms provides information and process management tools for multiple project parties.?The system is able to deliver projects and manage assets throughout the complete project lifecycle.
• Information Management: Control and management of project information for both pre-construction and the construction stages including but not limited to the following modules: feasibility study, consultant selection, design, budget/cost, procurement / tendering, contract, and contract administration, engineering, construction, handover, and close-out.
• Process Management: Management of processes, approvals, and workflow is critical, particularly on super tall projects when there are likely to be several layers of required review and approval before work can proceed.?Online drawing review and coordination (2D / 3D / BIM) should also occur.
• Documentation and Filing: All project documentation must be stored and actively managed under a uniform filing structure.?A team of document controllers is solely responsible for ensuring the filing structure is rigorously maintained, and the filing cloud server should be fully integrated with the PMCS. With this, it should be relatively easy to build and expand the project database as needed.

Available PMCS Software Systems.?There is no shortage of available software products related to workflow, document control, project procedure, etc.?From a project management perspective on super-tall projects, it is best for the owner and project manager to determine in advance what their mutual priorities are in terms of managing workflow.

Some products are more widespread than others and this may play a role in the decision of which PMCS to use, particularly if the majority of stakeholders will need to be taught how to use an entirely new system (a task that can often be met with prevailing disinterest and resistance, given that it is human nature to prefer to use what one already knows works for them).??

Changing this mindset away from personal preferences and tendencies towards what works best for a specific project will go a long way towards ensuring the right system is utilized, and it is the project manager’s responsibility to recommend suitable options.??