Your path to Project Controls: Hear from Lisa Silander her success story in Project Controls

At?Project Controls Institute, we know multiple routes into the Project Controls profession. On this?International Women’s Day, we have prepared a series of short stories to showcase the successful women in project controls and their stories to encourage young professionals into this profession.

???It is the full integration of the time, cost, and scope of a project, ensuring alignment in all to provide full visibility of a projects health.”?Lisa Silander

What industry are you working in and how did you start your career in Project Controls?

I work as a consultant mainly in the Infrastructure sector. I gained a BA in Construction Management at University and for my final year project, I had to theoretically Design and build a School for Performing Arts. To establish project duration and key milestones I drew (the software was not readily available in those days) a logic-linked schedule. I loved it, it was like a very big complex jigsaw puzzle. Once I graduated I secured myself a role as a Cost and Planning Graduate Engineer with Foster Wheeler (now Wood).The natural progression from this role was to Project Controls. I?Moved to Faithful + Gould in 2000 and have been with them ever since, implementing Project Controls on some amazing and interesting projects and programme, including; Intel clean rooms, Terminal 5, Nuclear ECDP, water Amp programmes, and Carbon Capture projects to name but a few!

What is Project Controls to you?

It is the full integration of the time, cost and scope of a project, ensuring alignment in all to provide full visibility of a projects health. Enabling early decision-making to effect the completion of the project. To me it?is?essential for all major projects and programmes to apply project controls to ensure project cost and time are managed effectively.

How has your contribution help with the delivery of projects?

My contribution has varied over the years, from being the person on the tools managing the schedule and cost alignment and providing reports, to the development and implementation of the processes and procedures for Project Controls. Managing Stakeholders, Engineers and contractors to drive the project completion and benefits delivered. More recently I have been part of a team looking for a digital tool to enable a quick set up and deployment of a PMO. Its really exciting to see how we move this profession into the digital age.

What would your advice be for a young professional who is considering a career in Project Controls?

If you know that Project Controls is the route for you, get yourself onto a Project Controls apprenticeship (like the one we have in Faithful + Gould) or course. This will provide you with the theory (through structured courses), practical knowledge and experience you will need to become an effective Project Controls practitioner. This of course is not the only route to becoming a PC, we take graduates, school leavers, people looking for a different route in their profession from all backgrounds! Do some research around the profession, there is plenty out there on the web these days, or reach out to people like myself who are always happy to share our thoughts and aspirations for PC!

Reach out to?Lisa Silander

Feel free to share, like, or comment and more importantly, to share your success story with us to help grow the Project Controls community.