At SmartPM, true innovation stems from the voices of those who use our product every day. That’s why, several times a year, we host our Customer Advisory Board. In our latest SmartPM CAB session, members explored strategies for today’s most pressing planning and scheduling challenges. As a company focused on automating project controls, the ultimate goal of these sessions is to listen, learn, and drive the future of smarter project management.
The Most Important Piece of the Equation
As we continue to improve our product, we are always looking for ways to improve the user experience, add valuable new features, and deliver actionable insights that support better business decisions. When planning our product roadmap, we rely on three key sources of insight:
- Feedback from Our Users: Direct input from those who use our product day-to-day is essential in shaping future updates.
- Our Long-Term Vision: We are guided by an internal strategy that ensures we stay ahead of industry trends and build lasting relationships.
- Industry Expertise: Our team’s hands-on experience with project controls ensures that our solutions are practical and aligned with best practices.
Key Themes and Discussion Points: SmartPM CAB 2024
During the CAB, there were several key themes brought up for discussion that highlight both challenges and opportunities for better project scheduling and controls:
1. Scheduling as a Management Tool vs. a “Box-Checking” Exercise
A key issue discussed was the varying attitudes toward scheduling. This is not an isolated incident; it’s part of a bigger problem. Across the industry, some teams treat the schedule as the center of their project universe, while others view it as a simple administrative task. The challenge for many is getting all teams to fully commit to the scheduling process.
“The teams that avoid the planning exercise are the ones that struggle the most,” one attendee noted. The conversation revealed that even simple projects can face significant challenges when best practices are neglected. In fact, simpler projects can sometimes create more headaches because they are perceived as “easy” when, in reality, they still require the use of best practices, just as in larger, more complex projects.
2. Breaking Down Silos and Encouraging Collaboration
Another important theme was the need to break down silos between stakeholders. Many attendees emphasized that project scheduling should be a collaborative effort between project managers, superintendents, and trade partners. Teams that are more engaged in planning early and more frequently are more successful in overall schedule management.
A key takeaway from this conversation was that frequent updates make a big difference. Updating schedules more regularly, such as on a weekly basis, reduces the risk of forgetting important details and improves collaboration with trade partners – plus, it takes less time overall than monthly updates.
3. Gaining Management Buy-In For the Value of Scheduling and Project Controls
While the value of planning and scheduling is well understood when analyzing schedule data in mass, there can be resistance when implementing best practices. As one CAB member noted, the value has to be shown.
Tracking performance over time and using KPIs to predict and prevent issues was cited as an effective way to demonstrate the importance of scheduling. As some teams saw improvements after adopting a more data-driven approach, others who didn’t invest the effort often underperformed.
Interested in Joining the SmartPM CAB?
We’re always looking for new perspectives to help us shape the future of project controls and scheduling. If you’d like to share your insights and be part of our next SmartPM CAB session, we’d love to hear from you.
Email me at rob.hall@smartpm.com to learn more about how you can get involved!
