Manufacturing Case Study
Challenge
- A rapidly growing company across North America with difficulty supporting construction and start-up functions in new facilities
- Construction, start-up schedules, and predictability for ongoing progress lacked systems and control to properly manage and provide visibility
- New plant commissioning process had unclear timing and specific measures of completeness
- Project management roles and responsibilities were vague and led to difficulty communicating across multiple disciplines throughout the company
- Unpredictable project activities, delays, and overruns throughout the construction process were common
- Plant operation difficulties occurring when commissioning activities were not completed
Solutions
- Operational Readiness Governance Structure
- T-minus Scheduling
- Phase Gate Management Process
- Certificate of Completion Reporting
- Escalation and Risk Management Systems
- Management Operating Systems
- PMO Visual Management and Daily Controls
Approach
- Develop an operational readiness Governance Structure to clearly define roles and responsibilities and provide clear communications between the project team and operations
- Design a T-minus Schedule that outlines all activity required to start up a new facility across multiple disciplines and departments
- Phase Gate Management Process to provide a clear, structured process to manage multiple activities occurring simultaneously across multiple departments
- Design and develop a Certificate of Completion process that provides agreements between all parties during commissioning stage to validates the operating structure
Result
- Developed an on-going operational readiness process to guide new plant construction and start-up
- Created a T-minus schedule to increases awareness throughout the construction and start-up to significantly reduce delays
- Clearly defined phase gates and measures to manage levels of completeness
- Installed certificate of completion sign-offs to provide agreement between commissioning parties
- Designed an escalation process that provides clear, objective criteria for progressive notification to higher levels of management about project delay issues
- Implemented project management office visual management tools to focus the project team on weekly/daily planned activities and impacting obstacles
”“Operational Readiness initiative has developed clarity of activity, roles & responsibilities, and a process to establish standardization.”
- VP, Operations
