The Project Chatter Podcast

In this episode, Val and Dale are joined by guest Georgia Stillwell to discuss anti-fragile projects and risk management in project management. Georgia shares her journey into project management, starting from her fascination with master planning in cities to her experience in risk management and construction technology. She explains the concept of anti-fragile projects, which are projects that thrive in uncertain and risky environments. The conversation delves into the challenges with traditional project planning methods and the need for more flexible and adaptable approaches. Georgia also discusses the role of technology in risk management and the importance of simplifying complex concepts for effective communication. In this conversation, Georgia Stillwell discusses the concept of anti-fragility in project management and how it can be achieved through the use of technology and human expertise. She emphasizes the importance of replicating the abilities of experienced planners and using AI to optimize project schedules. However, she also highlights the need for human validation and decision-making in complex construction projects. The conversation explores the role of contracts in project behavior and the challenges of harmonizing contracts with anti-fragility principles. The importance of leadership in creating a culture of anti-fragility and addressing human biases is also discussed.Takeaways

• Anti-fragile projects are projects that thrive in uncertain and risky environments, adapting and improving as challenges arise.
• Traditional project planning methods, such as critical path method, can be rigid and fail to account for the dynamic nature of projects.
• Technology, such as AI and software tools, can help optimize project planning and recovery by exploring different options and scenarios.
• Educating clients and stakeholders about different project planning methodologies is crucial for driving change and improving project outcomes.
• Simplifying risk management concepts and using analogies can help communicate complex ideas effectively. Anti-fragility in project management can be achieved through the use of technology and human expertise.
• AI can replicate the abilities of experienced planners and optimize project schedules, but human validation and decision-making are still necessary.
• Contracts play a significant role in project behavior and can sometimes conflict with anti-fragility principles.
• Leadership is crucial in creating a culture of anti-fragility and addressing human biases in decision-making.

In this episode of the Project Chatter podcast, Val and Dale interview Mike Paul, the Managing Director for InEight for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. They discuss the concepts of modularity, scalability, and interoperability in project management. Mike emphasises the importance of considering people and processes alongside technology in project implementation. They also explore the challenges of data ownership and integration in the project supply chain. The conversation highlights the need for transparency and collaboration among stakeholders to achieve successful project outcomes. In this conversation, Mike Paul discusses various topics related to data ownership, scalability, the future of construction, sustainability, the need for an ideas factory, the value of marginal gains, and the nature of leadership.

Takeaways

• Data ownership in construction projects can be complex, with different parties having different interpretations of who owns the data.
• Scalability in construction can be hindered by factors such as data laws, differences in work processes across regions, and the scalability of individual people, processes, and technology.
• The future of construction lies in innovative building materials, methods, and technologies that prioritize sustainability and environmental impact.
• An ideas factory or incubator could help foster innovation in the construction industry by providing funding and support for testing and scaling new ideas.
• Small, incremental improvements (marginal gains) can have a significant impact on project outcomes and profitability.
• Leadership is a combination of innate qualities and the opportunities and situations that allow those qualities to shine.

Mike Paul, Managing Director EMEA, InEight

As Managing Director of the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) business operations at InEight, Mike Paul leads marketing and sales efforts while defining and driving the growth of digital solutions that fuel customer success. Directly preceding his current role, Mike was Vice President of Industry Solutions, acting as the liaison between clients in the industry and InEight’s sales and development team in over 20 countries on five continents.

Mike has also served as Vice President of Solution Engineering, Director of Industry Solutions, Director of Global Channel, Sales Engineer and Sales Executive, all at InEight. Previous to his time at InEight, Mike held multiple leadership positions throughout the construction industry. These include managing all the infrastructure work on one of the nation’s first BRAC development projects at Fort Carson Army Base, negotiating large low-income housing projects in Africa, developing global supply chains for U.S. government contract needs and running his own construction company. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Arizona, and an MBA from Averett University in Virginia.

In this episode, Val and Dale interview Ali Maffey about project management and the importance of lean thinking. They discuss the challenges of project planning, the role of technology in project management, and the complexity of project management tools. They also delve into the difference between identifying threats and shortening programs, the flaws of long-term planning, and the benefits of small projects. The conversation concludes with final thoughts and anecdotes from Ali.Takeaways

• Lean thinking is crucial in project management as it focuses on eliminating waste and improving efficiency.
• Project planning can be challenging, especially when it comes to long-term planning and forecasting risks in novel projects.
• Technology plays a significant role in project management, but it can also add complexity and hinder progress if not used effectively.
• Identifying bottlenecks and addressing them is essential for successful project execution.
• Improving project management requires a collective effort from all project professionals, and a focus on collaboration and breaking down silos.

Ali started on-site as an engineer in Terminal 4 in 1980. I worked my way up to the project management role and, after two projects, decided how projects worked wasn't for me. Nothing seemed to work and I felt that it wasn’t intellectually engaging. It was all chasing sub-contractors and engaging in energy-sapping toxic behaviours such as blaming and defensive reasoning.

Ali left construction to do an MBA and then worked at a large automotive company looking at life cycle cost and productivity. It was during this period that I discovered an environment where things worked. The right colour door arrived at the right colour car every time.

Ali came back to construction and joined Balfour Beatty Civils and Rail major projects. Early on, I was asked, based on my automotive experience and MBA, to join the Business Improvement Team (BIT) which was probably the first of its kind in construction.

The BIT was made up of 5 of the smartest people I have met in construction. We then spent 6 years testing out everything and anything we read or heard about.

Ali started with implementing TQM before Lean Thinking. We helped Eli Goldratt with his first trial of Critical Chain. We met Gelen Ballard soon after his Last Planner paper was published. We tested out ideas from Semco and Riccardo Semler, setting up self-managing front-line teams on major projects.

In 1999, Ali was seconded to Egan’s M4I (backed by the cabinet office) as an innovation advisor. I helped develop the Construction National KPIs, promote offsite manufacturing, and encourage the use of partnering PPC2000 forms of contract.

Ali also set up and ran the first Lean Thinking training workshops in construction.

Ali was also responsible for validating the innovations claimed by the 68 Egan complaint demonstration projects and producing the ministerial report for the parliament.

In 2004 he helped set up Lean Thinking Ltd and became a member of Buildoffsite. At a later date, he supported the first BIM trial project.

Ali has been involved with more than 200 projects and have experimented with more ideas, tools, techniques, initiatives, etc, on more live projects for a longer period than probably anyone else in the industry globally.

Summary:

In this episode, the boys talk to Micah Piippo about the world of planning and scheduling, the importance and respect of planning, the need for more planners and schedulers, and the benefits and opportunities in planning and scheduling. They also talk about the skills required for planners and schedulers, the role of planners in the C-Suite, and the impact of planning on project success. The conversation covers the importance of proper planning and design, building teams and culture in planning, and the training and development options for planners and schedulers. They also discuss the challenges and benefits of switching sectors as a scheduler and the future of scheduling and AI. The conversation explores the current role of a planner and how it will change in the future. It emphasizes the importance of spending less time in planning and scheduling software and more time on value-added activities such as analysis and communication. The discussion highlights the potential for increased collaboration and human interaction in the future, facilitated by visual-based progressing and automated workflows. The conversation also touches on the need for a medium that everyone can understand to improve communication and understanding among project stakeholders. The future of project planning and scheduling is seen as a combination of technology and human expertise, with the potential for improved training programs and more efficient processes.Takeaways

• Planning and scheduling are crucial functions in project management and deserve more recognition and respect.
• There is a need for more planners and schedulers in the job market, and it is a profession that offers good career prospects and higher salaries.
• Planners and schedulers should have a balance of technical skills, soft skills, and a genuine interest in the job.
• Proper planning and scheduling can significantly impact project success, and organizations should prioritize these functions.
• Planners and schedulers should be involved in the early stages of a project to ensure better outcomes.
• Switching sectors as a scheduler can be challenging but offers opportunities for growth and higher salaries.
• Continuous learning and development are essential for planners and schedulers to stay updated with industry trends and advancements.
• The future of scheduling may involve the integration of AI and advanced analytics to improve efficiency and accuracy. Planners should focus on value-added activities such as analysis and communication, rather than spending excessive time in planning and scheduling software.
• The future of project planning and scheduling may involve increased collaboration and human interaction, facilitated by visual-based progressing and automated workflows.
• A medium that everyone can understand, such as visual-based progress tracking, can improve communication and understanding among project stakeholders.
• Technology has the potential to improve training programs and provide planners with more accurate and detailed data for analysis.

In this episode, the guest, James Garner, discusses the role of AI in project management and its future implications. He shares his origin story and how he got into the field of AI. The conversation covers the definition of AI in project management and the different levels of AI sophistication. The guest also talks about the pace of AI implementation and the factors that contribute to the fear and adoption of AI. The episode concludes with a discussion on the government's generative AI framework and the importance of making project data freely accessible. The conversation explores the changing landscape of construction, the benefits of AI in project functions, the evolution of associations with AI, governance and safeguarding AI, and various other topics related to AI and technology.Takeaways

• AI in project management is a broad term that encompasses various levels of AI sophistication, from simple automation to more advanced machine learning and neural networks.
• The future of project management with AI involves a gradual progression towards increased automation and predictability, allowing professionals to focus on value-added tasks.
• The pace of AI implementation in project management is expected to be gradual but exponential, with constant advancements and increasing adoption.
• The fear of AI in project management can stem from a lack of understanding, time constraints, and the rapid pace of technological change. Education and accessibility are key to overcoming these barriers.
• The government's generative AI framework and initiatives like data trusts are important steps towards making project data freely accessible and fostering collaboration in the industry. The construction industry is evolving with the adoption of AI, robotics, and 3D printing, leading to changes in site operations and improved safety.
• Consultancy services, such as engineering and architecture, can benefit from AI by streamlining workflows and providing innovative solutions.
• Associations like APM and RICS have a role in setting standards and guidelines for AI adoption in the construction industry.
• Governance and safeguarding of AI are crucial to protect data privacy and ensure responsible use of technology.
• Common misconceptions about AI include the belief that it is a recent development and the lack of understanding about its potential impact.
• Leadership is a combination of nature and nurture, with the potential for individuals to develop leadership skills through training and experience.
• Recommended book: 'The Singularity is Near' by Ray Kurzweil, which explores the future of AI and predicts the point at which machines surpass human intelligence.

James, an accomplished data leader in the construction industry, began his journey as a Quantity Surveyor in 2000. After earning a first-class honours degree, he wrote his university dissertation on data and digitalisation in the construction sector. James quickly built a strong portfolio, becoming a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2002. In 2012, he was elected as a Fellow of RICS for his significant writing contributions to the RICS Black Book technical standards.

Throughout his career, James has worked on prestigious projects, including buildings for Imperial College and various Oxford University Colleges. Whilst employed at Gleeds as a Quantity Surveyor, he became head of the Education sector for London. In 2020, James took on a new challenge as Head of Insights and Analytics at Gleeds. This opportunity allowed him to further his skillset and qualify as a data analyst in 2022, launching the company's data analytics and research capabilities.

UK Gov paper - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-ai-framework-for-hmg/generative-ai-framework-for-hmg-html#understanding-generative-ai James' newsletter - https://projectflux.beehiiv.com/subscribe

In this episode the lads talk to Charlotte Candy about gamification of Risk Management.

Charlotte Candy leads a team of 20 risk managers within the UK at AECOM. She is a certified IRM Fellow with a construction and legal background. She has 17 years’ experience within the industry. Charlotte has led teams across Nuclear, Water, Rail and Infrastructure domains for both public and private sector clients. She has a passion for increasing knowledge and understanding of risk management by creating lasting legacies for her clients. Charlotte enjoys applying traditional risk theory in creative environments.

In this episode Dale and Val talk about the application and importance of risk in projects and more importantly the maturity, training and development of best risk practices and cultures.

Colin is a Risk Management professional with 25 years experience across many industry sectors and countries. He is the current and founding Chair of the Institute of Risk Management Regional Group Australia and the Trainer for the institute of Risk Management training course in Australia. Outside of the work environment Colin like to keep fit by boxing and cardio fitness. Family man, married with 3 children.

Jessie Schilling combines creative and Infrastructure intelligence, Jessie is a management consultant within HKA's Advisory team. At the core of her work are processes and people, where she seeks to implement agile strategies and solutions within complex project environments. Jessie is positioned in the Integrated Project Services stream with specialisation in risk management, change control and portfolio alignment and performance with a focus on process improvement. For over five years she has operated in the project controls environment on rail infrastructure projects and is a champion for leveraging cross-industry learnings.

Links:

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Eoin Condren to discuss "Building with Conscience: Cement's Eco Dilemma"!

Eoin is corporate development director at Ecocem, in charge of the strategic structuring of the business to allow it to take advantage of the many opportunities that it currently has in front of it. He’s been with the company 2.5 years. His background is in finance and he spent 15 years working in real estate, infrastructure and tech private equity, investing in the US, the UK and throughout Europe.

He’s a keen rugby fan and very average player who’s lowest moment has to be the time Dale, a prop, out-sprinted him, a fullback come winger on an attacking move about 10 years ago.

The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• 1,000 bathtubs worth of concrete are poured every second
• The majority of CO2 emissions are in clinker which is the key reactive material within cement
• Companies should focus on using timber where possible, however the
• If we replaced 25% of all the concrete consumed in any given year and replaced with more sustainable products such as timber, you would need to cut down a forest 1.5x the size of India
• Only 10% of concrete is cement, however it represents 94% of the carbon footprint
• When limestone is heated, it degrades into co2 and clinker
• Cement production process has not changed significantly in the last 200 year

Join us next time when we’re joined by Jessie Schilling to discuss Enhancing risk maturity in your operating environment.

Dale and Val meet in person for the first time (ever) on the show to get deep and dirty on how simplification can or will save projects from themselves. We've all been on complex and complicated projects, but some times simple efficiencies can be found in the most obvious of places.

Paul is part of the Jacobs Major Project and Programs Group with over 20 years’ experience in Controls; 15 of which have been spent leading Controls and PMO teams on various UK-based programmes. Having spent the first ten years of his career within London Underground’s capital programmes, he has since worked on the successful delivery of the Lee Tunnel, as well as helping to establish the organisations, and commencing delivery of both the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster and the installation of a 16-mile sewer tunnel system beneath the River Thames for Tideway. He has been married for 17 years, has two children in secondary school, and enjoys playing golf, following Arsenal, and exploring different whiskies.

In this episode the fellas talk about the role and future of the newPM and explore how Project Managers will move toward a data-centric project environment and just what does that men for project delivery? Donne and Jonathan are approaching this differently, they are focusing on the human centred approach, and in a world of tech, gadgets and information, perhaps this is what projects really need?

Donnie MacNicol is the founder of Team Animation which works across multiple sectors energising leaders and teams delivering complex change to maximise value and certainty of success through a focus on the human dimension. Donnie acts as a catalyst to support organisations to improve their collaboration and productivity – aspects that will be critical to tackling the many challenges we face today including climate change and in particular in meeting the NetZero target

In this episode Dale and Val talk with Rupert about the next generation of PMO, how important the facets of PMO are and why we need to continue to build out these particular skills on projects.

Rupert has over 35 years immersed in the leadership of change programmes and portfolios. Rupert founded Kivue Limited in 2013 responding to the need for a simple to use, outcome focussed PPM tool for optimising portfolios. Rupert specialises in working with executive teams to support more effective collective and individual leadership of transformation projects, programmes and portfolios and his mantra is to 'keep it simple' in order to increase chances of success.

Rupert lives in Oxford with his wife Susie, has 3 grown up (sometimes!) children and his 'a bit different' fact is that he took 2 years off in 2003, bought an olive farm and lived up a mountain in Andalusia, Spain with his family having an adventure with olives!

Special thanks to our sponsor:

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Richard Medcalf to discuss making time for strategy.
Richard Medcalf describes himself as "what you get if you were to put a McKinsey consultant, a slightly unorthodox pastor and an entrepreneur into a blender".
He is the founder of Xquadrant and a trusted advisor to exceptional CEOs and entrepreneurs, and their leadership teams.The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• Find your rocket fuel! Having a sense of purpose will help to drive you during your career
• Make investments to create a better future
• We live in a world of infinity – emails / books / communications. Try to beat with productivity
• Think about TIME:

• Tactics
• Influence
• Mindset
• Environment

• Check your personal values and mindset. What do you do that creates value for your stakeholders?
• Aim to create “strategic time”. Start with achievable and small blocks and see the benefit of the ability to focus on a particular project

In this episode Dale and Val talk to the infamous Greg Lawton about the impact of AI and how it may be used, abused and help enhance our cognitive abilities for real-world practical application. Greg does an incredible job of making us understand the simplicities and subtle notions that may provide the biggest increase in service support, innovation and climate. How might AI be the driver of the car or in Project Controls AI might be the interpreter looking for endless ways to improve the project to achieve the outcomes.

Where is AI going to hit first (disruption has already begun)? Greg shares his views and the landscape of AI in project-related fields. For those that are looking at how AI may be taken advantage of in the workplace, Greg will have you thinking broadly and more specifically about where it can really make a positive difference. Greg has a vast knowledge of generative AI and project technology.

The biggest innovation was not a technological one it was a productive one with the advent of an accessible, easy-to-use human interface. The start of usability to much larger capability within the deeper AI capability.

Listen to various approaches and discussions around ChatGPT, Bard, CoPilot and others breaking into this era of AI-supported project transformation.

What you need to know is about AI and how Role, Job and Career - insightful stuff Greg!

A little bit about Greg...

Greg Lawton is the CEO and co-founder of Nodes & Links, a project intelligence and analysis platform that applies machine learning and automation to project data. The software outputs actionable insights to help teams tame project complexity. Prior to founding Nodes & Links, Greg was an astrophysicist working for BAE Systems, managing large defence programmes and advising the board of directors on international strategy. It was during his time at BAE that he realised there was a need for a tool that could simplify the lives of project control professionals by reducing manual tasks. Greg is focused on building a world-class product and ambitious team who are committed to driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with technology. He lives in Zurich with his wonderful wife, Anina, and his adorable puppy, Dippy.

Welcome to another exciting episode! In this edition, Dale engages in a captivating conversation with Michael Lepage & Chirag Shah, discussing the fascinating realm of planning, both in its current state and its future trajectory. While Val sadly couldn't be present, the discussion with Michael provides a wealth of insights on the disruptive nature of technology in the industry and the essential competencies required to thrive in this space.

The conversation is further enriched by Chirag Shah, although some technical difficulties impacted the clarity of his microphone. Nevertheless, valuable snippets of Chirag's thoughts on recruitment, necessary skills for the present and future, and more can still be gleaned.

As always, Michael shares his unique perspective on the current state of planning, particularly from his perspectives from North America to the UK. The profound impact of technology, particularly AI, on the planning profession is thoroughly explored. The privilege of meeting Michael face-to-face in person is gratefully acknowledged, and the absence of Val, as usual, is lamented.

In conclusion, listeners are encouraged to stay tuned for more engaging episodes, showing their support by continuing to listen, like, and share the podcast with others. Keep the momentum going and let's pay it forward!

Don't miss out on this enlightening episode filled with valuable insights into the world of planning and the transformative power of technology!

In this episode, Dale, Martin and Val explore the hype and ethics of such technology as Chat GPT. How can we use this for leveraging in projects, or are we all doomed? We explore the exciting times now and ahead related to AI and associated technologies. There has been a lot of signs and outreach by known people in the field that we should be careful and even slow down our race towards AI. is this justified? should we be more aware or what is happening or are we too far gone? All that and more on the podcast.

Thanks to our sponsor:

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Micah Piippo to discuss Planning Projects: Past, Present & Future.

Micah has spent the last 14 years in Project Controls. While he's performed a wide variety of roles, his passion and main focus is Planning and Scheduling. During his career he's tore down nuclear facilities, built large ferries, built data centers all over the world and more recently is helping Intel deliver state of the art fab capabilities.

In December 2022, Micah started writing his Zero Float newsletter. In the newsletter Micah explores his favorite topics that he doesn't see getting enough attention.

The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• Whilst there are certifications available for schedulers. There is no degree programme that would allow students to learn the fundamentals of construction management, people management, how to use data and learning the project ecosystem. Most planners simply fall into the role
• The consequence of the lack of certification is a lack of respect for the skills that a good planner can bring to the organization by utilizing their experience
• A top level planner should have a breadth of experience as well as strong communication skills when dealing upwards and sideways within an organization
• Technology can help planners and project managers by having finite and usable as-built data
• Automated capture has helped companies to better define progress and productivity on projects. This was previously a highly subjective area
• There is a danger that Machine Learning / AI does not capture some of the politics around project schedules. This may affect the quality of data in future
• There is no mandate for government funded projects to share data despite being funded by taxpayers. This hampers the level of data available to be harnessed by machine learning technology

Here are links to some of the topics we discussed:

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Shane Forth to discuss Navigating the Project Control Landscape: A Journey Through the Decades and Beyond.

Shane’s project controls career began on Phillips Petroleum Teesside Oil Terminal, a 1970s mega-project. Aged 20, he learnt the fundamentals of scheduling using manual techniques. Career progression followed with three further mega-projects worth tens of billions of pounds in today’s terms. This was interspersed with UK construction projects for leading mechanical contractors.

In 1992, as Planning Manager for a major EPC contractor, he quickly learned two important lessons. His enthusiasm to introduce effective project controls integrating cost and schedule was out of step with senior management and a discovery of a skills gap and shortage of project controls resource.

His industry leadership, uniting groups and individuals to create project controls standards, occupational certifications, career paths, competency frameworks, higher professional recognition, and especially apprenticeship programmes, may Shane’s my most enduring legacy.

The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• The main evolutions in Project Controls are a realization around the importance of data to major projects and having a dedicated resource pool
• Ask the right questions, get the right answers
• When delivering bad news as a Project Controller, always try to de-personalise the updates
• Project Controllers should aim to engage the experts if they are not sure on a subject
• New starters to the Project Controls function should try to work on their literacy and presentational skills as these are two key competencies that will be used throughout your career
• Project Controls is now seen as a core function and not just an optional extra on major projects

Here are links to some of the topics we discussed:

In this week’s pod, we were re-joined by Hezron Ricketts to discuss Box to Box: the 'Black' boxes of Controls and Systems.

Director of PMO Services at CPC Project Services, Hezron has 19 years working in Projects and Programmes as well as building a consultancy business and business units.

Working across the construction, rail, defence to name a few, he enjoys the challenge of delivery and the importance of setting up projects and organisations for success.
Hezron has a passion for bringing technological and cultural change in addition to improving diversity within the project profession.

The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• The annual timetabling of trains is more complex than people give it credit for due to the number of competing priorities to maintain and upgrade existing assets
• Railway systems need to be engaged up to 20 years before a new train system goes live
• The building and maintenance of a railway system forms part of an overall national strategy. The new High Speed Rail line in the UK is about freight and capacity as well as improving journey times.
• Railways are cheaper to maintain than roads although rail asset maintenance costs increase every year the asset diminishes
• In countries like Australia, it has become easier to create flight paths instead of high speed rail because of the geographical considerations of the country where the majority of people live near the coast
• The testing and commissioning phase of major rail projects can rarely be shortened. Projects often try to shorten this when the earlier stages start to become delayed.
• Major rail projects are often backwards looking in their management reporting. There needs to be a step change to use forward looking indicators

Join us next time when we’re joined by Shane Forth to discuss Navigating the Project Control Landscape: A Journey Through the Decades and Beyond.

In this week’s pod, we welcomed back Alan Mosca to discuss AI in Project Controls – Separating fact from fiction.

Alan is the co-founder and CTO of nPlan, where he leads technology, research, and product, whilst developing thought leadership about forecasting and risk. Before nPlan, Alan spent 7 years as a technologist in quantitative finance, on live trading systems, research, and front-office in both high-frequency trading and asset management.

Alan has extensive experience in algorithm design and software engineering and holds a BEng in Computer Engineering, MSc in Computer Science, and doctoral research in machine learning theory.

The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• There needs to be a lot of responsibility with using data from AI toolsets
• Toolsets are available that can auto-plan a successor activity in a schedule based on previous data
• Large language models only work based on language. Chat GPT took longer to reach the mainstream because of the data checks to ensure outputs were not inappropriate
• AI will not replace humans on projects. It will only evolve their current roles
• In the next 3-5 years we will see models that can internalize the meaning of a project
• AI could be used to measure schedule compliance with the contract
• Models can’t self-regulate which can lead to biases in data.
• We’re past the point of having a common data environment
• Create better things not faster things!
• Simulation is harder than AI because it requires a greater level of precision
• One person’s experience is another person’s bias
• One of the main fictions of AI is that everything will be possible. It will never predict the future, it will only forecast possible outcomes
• Be a critic! AI outputs are not infallible

Here are links to some of the topics we discussed:

Welcome to this week's episode of the Project Chatter Podcast! In this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Jeff Quantrill and Jordan Cannon to discuss how to maximise efficiency with NEC cross-functional processes.
Jeff brings 15 years of experience in enterprise IT services with IBM, and has recently delved into the AEC sector with PM Information Systems. He has a wealth of experience delivering systems for major projects, including a UK airport expansion and three giga-projects in Saudi Arabia. Most recently, he completed an implementation on the Amaala giga-project and joined InEight in February 2022.

Jordan, a graduate of Civil Engineering, has been working in the construction industry for over a decade. He began his career as a field engineer on power plants and has since evolved his role into the process improvement technology space. He currently works for InEight as the EMEA Presales Team Manager. His background in construction and passion for technology drive his success in this field.

During the podcast, we delved into several key topics, such as the amount of re-work on projects, the siloed nature of early warning notices, and the role of AI in construction projects. We discussed how AI can help with scope analysis, schedule management, and creating a Work Breakdown Structure. We also touched on the importance of collaborative toolsets and the evolving role of planners.

If you're interested in learning more about these topics, be sure to check out the links provided in the show notes. And don't forget to tune in next week when we'll be re-joined by Alan Mosca to discuss AI in Project Controls and separating fact from fiction.

In this episode Dale and Val talk with Susanne Madsen about the value of leadership, the skills and tactics for successful emotional intelligence, as well as how to navigate stress in the post COVID project environment.

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Paul Waskett to discuss Project Controls in design and engineering stages.

Paul is a Director of Adept Management where he takes responsibility for the development of their Project Controls tools and services, as well as supporting clients and projects across the construction industry. Since 2014, Paul has been supporting two major rail projects.

He is a Mechanical Engineer by background and has over 20 years’ experience in Design Management and Project Controls. In addition, Paul has spent time working in central government, where he managed a construction innovation budget, and as a researcher where he developed some of Adept Management's innovative approaches to design planning and management. 

The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• There is generally more scrutiny on the construction part of a design and build contract however both need equal attention in order to manage projects effectively
• Design planning is not as linear as other types of programmes. There are generally more interdependencies and iterations of designs
• Build a WBS and identify relevant activities and inputs before starting the planning process
• As the project is delivered, the Last Planner System can be used to monitor progress
• Using % complete to measure design progress can be difficult to implement consistently
• Working from home has made it more difficult to promote communication and problem solving in major projects as the relevant stakeholders are not collaborating as often as they would in an office based environment
• Earned Value Management only works when rules of credit are in place and all stakeholders are aware of the limitations of it being the sole measure of progress
• Digital twin can help engineers to assess the effect of what may seem like a small scale change on a design
• It is prudent to have a sole interface between engineering and project management in order to deliver a consistent message
• One of the key challenges for Engineering Managers is to get the “commitment” from the engineering team(s) to deliver to a specified date or budget

Here are links to some of the topics we discussed:

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Tony Welch to discuss the five levers for change.

Following a career in the Royal Navy, Tony has had a wide and varied career in industry, rooted in project controls, assurance and programme management. He has operated at the senior executive level and has a track record of business/programme turnarounds, transformational change and performance improvement. Military and civilian careers have provided business, profit and loss and programme management experience in defence and aerospace, information technology/systems and transportation.

The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• Five Levers for change
  1. Lever 1: Anticipation and continuity
  2. Lever 2: Empowering to deliver
  3. Lever 3: Supporting teams
  4. Lever 4: Transversal learning
  5. Lever 5: Attracting and recognising
• Businesses are more open to changing their ways of working following the pandemic. People are also working more flexibly which is enabling internal mobility within organisations
• Anticipating learning and development needs is difficult when trying to implement training across a multi-national organization. It is important to work with Project Management associations and assess competencies across an industry benchmark
• Peer reviews of projects from a technical and project management perspective should take place throughout the project life-cycle as opposed to only being performed when a project is in difficulty
• Operational leadership is about creating an environment that is challenging but supportive
• Task, team, organization – people work for people not organisations

In this week’s pod, we welcomed Dr Alan Barnard to discuss the theory of constraints & decision-making. Dr. Alan Barnard is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, strategy advisor, research scientist, app developer, author, coach, lecturer, podcaster, and lifelong learner. Alan is considered one of the world’s leading Decision Scientists and Theory of Constraints experts. Alan is the CEO of Goldratt Research Labs, which he co-founded in 2009 with Dr. Eli Goldratt, author of THE GOAL, creator of Theory of Constraints and Critical Chain Project Management. Dr. Alan's research focuses on understanding why good people make, and often repeat bad decisions, and how best to avoid these. From this research, Alan and his team at Goldratt Research Labs have developed a range of award-winning Decision Support Apps that help organizations and individuals make better faster decisions when it really matters. Their clients include Fortune 500 companies, Government Agencies, and people from over 70 countries that are using their apps to make difficult life and business decisions. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: There is a massive amount of invisible simplicity on major projects How do you decide on a goal if you do not know what resources will limit you reaching that goal? Many people become successful due to factors outside their control such as luck and good genes, however almost all successful people make good decision and are hard working, which is in their control To create a stable system, have a single constraint that doesn’t move Projects are always looking for the inherent but invisible simplicity. Critical path methodology enabled projects to simplify how they represent project delivery, however this usually ignores resource and capacity constraints Many people are better at estimating work durations in big chunks rather than at a lower level / individual task based detail Hard to quantify capacity, availability and capability of resources in a project plan. The easiest thing to track is whether a project is waiting for resource The main planning mistake is to ignore capacity when making commitments and launch too many projects at the same time AI is better suited to production environments where there is repetitive information A key skill of a manager is the ability to keep the team “in flow” Here are links to some of the topics we discussed: Flow Theory: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/flow-theory Impossible Unless: https://www.impossibleunless.com/special-copy-registration Project Portfolio Digital Twin: https://www.projectdigitaltwin.com/sale1648625245366 Goldratt Research Labs: www.goldrattresearchlabs.com Harmony Apps: https://harmonyapps.com/ Dr Alan Barnard Website: www.dralanbarnard.com Critical Chain - Eliyahu Goldratt: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Critical-Chain-Business-Eliyahu-Goldratt/dp/0566080389 How to Improve Work Flow in any Environment - keynote by Dr. Alan Barnard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AkrjO55VBQ&feature=youtu.be Join us next week when we speak to Paul Waskett to discuss Project Controls in design and engineering stages For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com 

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In this week’s pod, we welcomed Rita Arrigo to discuss AI in Infrastructure and how it is going to change our cities.As a natural storyteller excited by the opportunities the tech world brings, Rita can translate complex technical ideas across the ‘IT divide’ to those less tech-minded, an enthusiastic advocate and sought-after speaker for many years on all thing's innovation and digital.The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• AI, Machine Learning and Spatial Computing are moving at a fast pace
• Most construction projects are using paper based documents on site despite the prevalence of digital technology
• There is not enough diversity in engineering which has led to a lack of challenging the status quo which is stifling disruption
• Digital Twin seeks to connect the past and predict the future
• AI can be used by governments to help them monitor and achieve COP 26/27 commitments
• Maturing of toolsets will give us higher capability and reduce the workload
• CEO’s now need to understand the digital technology their company provides rather than simply relying on the technical experts
• AI will never replace human interactions
• Blockchain help accelerate investment cycles for companies
• People always need visualizations – AI will support and enable this
• Technology will change the way we collect and store information on projects which will make the traditional “filing” system redundant
• We don’t perceive the world, we only see what we perceive

Here are links to some of the topics we discussed:

In this episode Val and special co-host Joseph Ballouz talk about connecting and shaping cities with bike and placemaking enthusiast Chris Bruntlett.

Chris Bruntlett is Marketing and Communication Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, a public-private partnership that represents the best knowledge, experience, and experts from the Netherlands. As a long-time campaigner in Vancouver, he fell in love with Dutch bike culture in 2016, inspiring him to co-author the book, “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality”. Chris uses his knowledge and passion to share practical lessons for global cities wishing to follow their footsteps, and become better places to live, work, and—of course—cycle. His latest book is “Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in our Lives”.

You can reach out to Chris and the Dutch Cycling Embassy below;

In this week’s pod, we welcomed Will Woodhead to discuss unlocking productivity from the hardhat movement. Will is an engineer by trade who has spent nearly his entire career to date working overseas. At age 21 he was sent to Dalian in northern China for a year by his employer to work on a floating production platform. We Will then move to a further 7 different countries in Asia and West Africa working on the design, construction and offshore installation of oil & gas facilities. During this time Will went back to University in Shanghai, and learnt to speak, read and write Mandarin.
Nearly 20 years later he started Mafic, a construction tech company that has created an alternative payment mechanism that allows tradespeople to get paid a bonus if they graft.It works by recognising the activity someone is doingfrom the movement of their head alone. The system can detect very subtle changes in productivity and schedule and hence in aggregation can be used to understand exactly how a construction site is performing and where the biggest opportunities in productivity and health and safety lie. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• Productivity is simply the cost per unit of work done. This allows companies to look at the bottom line and allows meaningful comparisons between methods of working
• Efficiency doesn’t focus on individual outputs but is more linked to wastage
• Effectiveness is based on the objective you are trying to achieve e.g. profit or net zero targets
• Productivity means looking at problems with fresh eyes and trying a different approach
• There are many ways in which projects should look to define success outside of the traditional iron triangle (time, cost, quality). This could be in the form of environmental benefits, upskilling local economies, social responsibility
• There is a huge value in having a diversity of thought and experience in project teams to drive productivity
• People generally work at the same rate but the more productive people have less “wastage” when working
• The data from the Mafic hardhat technology shows workers are primarily motivated by money
• If you measure the productivity of a team of workers, there will always be a hierarchy of performance. Getting rid of the lowest performer(s) doesn’t correlate to greater efficiency whereas motivational techniques will have a direct influence
• Companies should not seek to offer overtime during the week as a productivity initiative as the productivity level will be around 60%, companies should aim for weekends.

In this episode, we welcome Colin D Ellis in a special episode titled Culture, Whisky and Whine!  

Colin D Ellis is an award-winning international speaker, four-time best-selling author and much sought after workplace culture and project management expert who works with organisations around the world to help them transform the way they get things done. He is originally from Liverpool in the UK, but now lives with his family in Melbourne, Australia. You can find out more about Colin at www.colindellis.com  

Colin shares his thoughts on where organisations get it wrong (& right) when it comes to setting culture and also what individuals can do. He talks about how to be courageous and how we need more "windfarms" instead of "oil tankers".  

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In this episode Dale and Val discuss with Ian Heptinstall the Alliance contract model and or why it can be used more successfully with a provision of openness, collaboration and behaviours across all sides. In addition we discussed the value of the Critical Chain Method and how Theory of Constraints among other methods enable a more successful project plan. 

Ian Heptinstall is Associate Professor of Project Management at the University of Birmingham in the UK, and lead tutor on the MSc in Industrial Project Management, whose students are working project managers studying part-time by distance learning.

Before moving to academia in 2019, he spent 35-years in project management, procurement, and supply chain management roles.

He has managed projects in the process industry as both project owner and a supplier. He was Supply Chain Director for a construction company in the UK, and after that he spent seven years working all over the world as a supply chain & procurement coach and trainer.

Ian's interest is in capital and construction projects, with a particular passion for systems thinking and collaborative procurement.

Podcasts aren't cheap and take a lot of effort, time and money.

Thankfully, we are supported by some great companies 

In this episode, Val caught up with a passionate and dedicated storyteller. The value of stories on projects is immense. As data and technology service the digital position, we still require the breadth, depth and understanding of storytellers, managers and people on the ground to explain and narrate the changes and forces that deliver projects that matter. 

Susan is a documentary filmmaker and a creative qualitative data specialist. Her inquisitive and intuitive nature is central to her ability to capture meaningful stories for a greater purpose.

Susan is the founder of The Story Catchers - Stories for Purpose.

Together with Nerissa Walton Story Cathers Evaluation Specialist, we co-created a methodology that uses film and community participatory approaches in monitoring, evaluation, and social impact measurement.

Film presents evidence in a way that a written story cannot do. Our methodology supports communities to tell and share their stories. This helps to eliminate situations where project staff tell their versions on behalf of communities. Numbers aren’t enough to fully understand community conditions of well-being, or quantitatively assess certain aspects of well-being. For example, in measuring human emotion and perception; we need stories to do this!

Our methodology enhances the individual and collective voice, including the silent and unheard voices that are often sidelined. The methodology empowers communities to actively co-create and evaluate their own projects and programs. We have been using our methodology for close to a decade and we have refined our processes. We know it is an effective tool in the evaluation and reporting process.

Using our methodology for evaluation and impact measurement can help create positive systemic, sustainable change in the organisation and communities that we work with.

In this episode, Dale is joined by Marco Frisenda and Jo Lucas as guest hosts to speak with Steve Wake and some of the presenters from EVA27 about Project Performance in Turbulent Times!

You'll hear from..

• Steve Elliot, Experienced consultant and expert adviser in the field of project controls within complex infrastructure programmes and projects;
• Tony Welch, VP Bids And Programmes Thales;
• Mark Wild, former CEO Crossrail;
• Georgie Alderson-Slater, Director GeoVic Ltd;
• Ajay Patel, Head of Risk TfL;
• Charlotte Candy, Director of Risk AECOM;

...who provide a wide-ranging collection of thought-leadership in everything from leadership, lessons learned, gamification of risk, training project controls professionals, the future of projects and much much more!

EVA is an intimate conference which takes place at the Armourers Hall in London. Nestled in the heart of London the Armourers' Hall is the home of The Armourers & Brasiers' Company. The Company was founded in 1322 as the guild overseeing the production of armour. It now exists primarily for charitable purposes.

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In this week’s pod, we welcomed Chirag Shah to discuss the post-pandemic Project Controls job market.Chirag is a passionate Project Controls Recruitment Expert. His mission is to deliver clients the best quality Project Controls and PMO professionals, who are trusted to bring projects in on time and within budget.Chirag does this by digging that little bit deeper, to understand the client's story and what they are trying to achieve. He has more than 17 year's recruitment experience, having built an extensive network and is a trusted advisor.Most recently, Chirag has been moving the project community forward through LinkedIn and by bringing people together through networking events. He is the London Ambassador for the Project Connect Group and is promoting other leading industry events such as Project Controls Expo
and Project Controls Summit.Outside of work, Chirag is a dedicated father to an 8-year-old and 1 year old. The pandemic helped Chirag focus on changing from a fixed to a growth mindset or so he likes to think.The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• Many youngsters are choosing to move abroad to take advantage of major infrastructure investment in Australia and the Middle East
• The shift towards hybrid working has made it harder for early careers staff to gain softer skills such as resilience, influencing and networking
• The UK Project Controls job market is buoyant. People should not worry about whether they can leave a “safe job”
• There has been a greater diversity of experience in the project controls market
• Don’t be a “quiet quitter” – be passionate about what you’re doing!
• Recruiters try to look for examples of resilience in candidates based on the type of experience during their career
• Many recruiters advocate references and testimonials into CV’s to stand out from the crowd
• UK Project Controls salaries have increased by c.10-15% since the start of the pandemic
• Join us next week when we speak to Susan Rooney-Harding to discuss the inability to evaluate complex and multiple truths as one of the greatest threats

In this episode Dale and Val speak to Dr Yakubu about his research and book on the subject of inhibitors and enablers. This is a thought-provoking show, breaking down the various elements and factors that contribute to project failure and success. This episode is not one to be missed.

Dr Yakubu Olawale is an Associate Director at KPMG UK Major Projects Advisory, where he consults, advises clients, provides assurance for boards, government, and leaders of organizations in relation to their capital projects, programmes, and infrastructure investments.

He is also involved with due diligence reviews for organisations pursuing acquisition of project centric organisations as well as for lenders and banks in relation to their exposure to the capital projects of their corporate debtors.

He is also a board member at Pioneer Group and possesses more than 20 years of experience across many sectors including involvement with many strategically important projects in the UK. He has held senior positions at FTSE 100 and 250 companies in the UK and was also a lecturer in project and commercial management at Aston university, UK. He is multi-qualified as a Project Manager, Chartered Accountant, Chartered Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Chartered Construction Manager, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

He is passionate about project control and his research works have also been published in leading academic journals including International Journal of Project Management, Journal of Management in Engineering and international Journal of Project Organisation and Management.

He is the author of Project Control Methods and Best Practices: Achieving Project Success.

In this week’s pod, we welcomed Brendan Robinson to discuss whether Quantity Surveying is a dying profession. We also discussed Alliance Contracts.Brendan is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and Experienced Commercial Construction Professional. Brendan has worked for both Client and Main Contractor organisations for around 20 years. He recently joined a Construction Consultancy and specialises in Post Contract but has also had some experience in the Pre-Contract Stages of Construction Contracts. He has generally focused on Infrastructure Projects and specifically rail related projects over the last 15 years.He studied in and is originally from Cape Town, South Africa. He is a graduate of the Construction Law and Dispute Resolution Masters Programme at Kings College and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.He supports and works with tertiary education providers, most recently Universities, mentoring across Quantity Surveying and Contract Law courses and apprenticeships. He is passionate about Quantity Surveying and feels privileged to have supported and sponsored the Quantity Surveying Apprenticeship at Transport for London for around 5 years - 5 Cohorts and around 72 Apprentices on the programme. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• Quantity Surveyors are primarily focused on the cost and contractual side of contracts projects
• NEC has the most well known form of Alliance Contract. It is a relatively modern concept where all parties have a shared goal. It seeks to align goals between partners
• An Alliance contract generally sets out how to behave with other parties during the set-up phase
• The main changes over the last 20 years are around technological improvements in communication between clients / contractors
• The level of record keeping has also improved in the last decade due to technology. Turnstiles and gates allow projects the monitor the volume of staff on site. This has led to it being a more paperwork heavy role
• Microsoft Excel is a helpful tool for QS’ but it is not essential. You cannot negotiate a variation on Excel!
• Delay damages are rarely successful on construction projects despite the effort in pursuing them

In this week’s pod, we welcomed Georgie Alderson-Slater and Vikki Rooney to discuss why Project Controllers struggle to lead. Georgie is a Director for GeoVic Limited, a project controls training and development company that centers on PMO Transformation. She has 20 years of experience in Project Controls, Contract Management, Relationship Building & Management, and Effecting Change. Her background is in Oil and Gas, Defence & Nuclear. Vikki is a Project Controls professional with more than 15 years of experience in Planning and Project Controls. Vikki is passionate about Project Controls as a profession and firmly advocates professionalism and a pride in the work that we do to support successful project delivery.The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• The definition of project controls ultimately depends on the organization in which it is being used
• Integrity is the most important skill set for someone working in project controls
• Aim to challenge your stakeholders but in a personable manner – even in job interviews
• When looking for leaders, try to identify if people are “paying it forward” and sharing knowledge with team members
• You will gain followers over time as a leader, however, you should always start by being empathetic
• Do we focus more on leadership than “followership”?
• Early careers staff should try to focus on the detail and take advantage of their role by asking lots of questions
• Take charge of your personal development – apply the learning
• On-the-job learning is the best way to enhance both soft and technical teams
• Organisational culture comes from the top of the business. You can’t expect it to change from the middle downwards

In this episode, Dale speaks with Jason Lancini about why construction software sucks!

Jason chooses a very provocative title to make his case for user-centric software development in construction project management.

Jason is COO and leads the product team and operations at Aphex. As a former construction project manager and engineer, and a former, former construction labourer he is passionate about building construction software that is actually great to use for the end user.

The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows:

• Software should be able to help us churn information faster, pull information together quicker and turning data into meaningful information that can be used to make decisions
• Software is usually procured top down which means it is mandated on end users rather than being tailored to their needs
• The best time to try new software is at the start of a project when the procedural documents are being written
• Planning software may have the official project plan but it may not have all the unofficial plans e.g. the engineering lookahead. Consider if you are seeing the full picture
• Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality is more likely to be adopted on consumer products before it is used on construction products

Tune in next time when we’re joined by Alan Mosca to discuss whether AI & Machine Learning really makes a difference?