May 2009

EMPOWERING PROJECT DRIVEN BUSINESSES

Issue 7

Dear Readers,

n many instances, I usually get asked if it is true that project management is only applicable to construction, oil and gas, IT and other mega projects. My answer is always no, because frankly, project management is no more than common sense being applied in a formal and rational way. Human beings have been doing projects as early as when they first go to school (if not earlier). Projects could vary from having a birthday party, taking a vacation, learning a new language, cooking a meal, having friends over for a movie and many others. Regretfully, the majority of these projects and many other mega projects are being managed by project managers who did not get formal project management training thus making them what is known as accidental project managers. These are project managers who have been given the responsibility to manage project investments and teams but do not have formal knowledge of what it takes to manage a project successfully. Of course many might argue and say that many of these who have been called accidental project managers have successfully delivered some of the most important projects of the world compared to those who have become formally certified project managers, and my response is, that is true. But is it not also true that this is the case with many common sense activities such as playing an instrument, learning a language, swimming and riding a bicycle, among many others? The importance of formal project management training is that we can ensure that project managers and team players have common understanding of project management terminologies and the particulars of this science. This will help project managers to better manage their projects and increase their chances of success. To help these organizations and individuals whose growth and success depends on delivering successful projects, CMCS will start offering new training programs that are designed to offer project managers the flexibility to choose the topics that they are interested in instead of having a single program that covers all. We at CMCS will continue to listen to what the market needs and respond positively to those needs. Keep tuned to our monthly newsletter. Best regards,

POINT OF VIEW
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES FOR PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES
(Part 1 of 2)
Bassam Samman, PMP, PSP, EVP | CEO & Founder

Bassam Samman
IN THIS ISSUE Message from CEO .................................................................................. 1 Primavera Success Story ......................................................................... 2 Project Management Professional Certification......................................... 4 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management ................................................. 5 Professionals Corner .............................................................................. 6 Service Review ........................................................................................ 7 CMCS News ........................................................................................... 8 Featured Employee ................................................................................ 10 CMCS Wins ........................................................................................... 11 CMCS Course News .............................................................................. 12 Tech Talk ............................................................................................... 14 CMCS Events ........................................................................................ 14 Q&A ...................................................................................................... 15 Course Calendar ................................................................................... 16

or organizations that their business be project driven, applying professional project management practices would enable them to proactively balance the business requirements for delivering a project and at the same time the expectations of stakeholders. Project management provides the tools and techniques that addresses the project triple constraints namely time, cost and scope. Project management processes aim to manage the life cycle of a project which details the phases that a project will go through to convert the needs and ideas that were the reason for creating a project into tangible products and services. These processes will also address how to identify, analyze and manage the dynamic stakeholder needs. Should these processes get implemented properly by experienced, skilled and qualified project team members, then there will be a greater chance that projects will be delivered on time, within budget and in accordance to the set scope of work. Achieving these objectives will enable business-driven organizations to meet their stakeholder expectations and increase confidence on

what they promise. Project management looks into every project in terms of five processes. The first process is known as the project initiation where its objective is to define the project and explain why it is needed. This requires studying the business case that identifies the need for the project as well as the project feasibility study report. This will enable the organization to clearly state the project objectives, scope, needs dates, budget, risks, assumptions and constraints. It will also enable them to identify what will make this project a success and how to measure this success. These findings will be documented in a report known as the project charter. When this charter is approved by senior management, it will become a formal document that will authorize the project manager to proceed with the project. The second group of processes is known as the planning processes. The objective of these processes is to delineate the road map that the project life cycle must go through to produce the deliverables that the project has

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ABOUT CMCS
Our Vision
Empowering project driven businesses to enable them to get rid of failed project investments

Our Mission

SUCCESS STORY: PARSONS AND PRIMAVERA: INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESSES FOR COMPETITIVE EDGE

To help organizations deliver a complete solution to propose, prioritize and select strategic project investments and then to plan, manage and control their entire portfolio through to its successful completion. Our solutions are custom tailored to each organizations needs. They include developing policies that are in line with internationally recognized standards and enabling the organization to deploy them by developing their resources skills to enable them to take ownership of the solution and providing state-of-the-art IT tools to support the solution operation.

ecognizing the opportunity for seamless integration and standardization of both technology and business processes, Parsons pulled all programs together with Primavera software. Optimizing Project Management Processes For most engineering and construction companies, coordination is not an easy task. This was the case for Parsons Corporation. The organization is a full-service engineering, project management, and construction management company that is known for its ability to create innovative solutions and manage complex projects. The company employs 9,500 engineers, designers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel in more than 80 countries. At any given time, the internationally recognized company has more than 2,500 clients and 8,000 projects worldwide. The largest of the five operating business unitsthe Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group (I&T)oversees 4,000 of the organizations projects while managing 5,000 employees and approximately 1,000 subcontracted workers. At any given time, Parsons I&T works on approximately 1,000 projects simultaneously. The group also supplies project control support to other Parsons companies. The group wanted to consolidate its projects into programs for use in a multi-user environment where consistent access to project data is needed to maintain control of the projects and the 6,000-member team. The business unit was able to accomplish its objectives by integrating Primavera with all of its disparate software systems. Parsons Philosophy of Integration Parsons I&T realized that one application does not fit all projectssmall projects require different project controls systems than large ones. However, the company wanted integration between its tools regardless of the project mix. Vernon Stultz, the manager of cost and scheduling at Parsons I&T, explained, Our philosophy on integration is to create a complementary system of software applications that enables project managers to select the most appropriate solutions and have the tools integrate with one other. We like to use each software product at our discretion and ensure the applications seamlessly integrate. To control every project effectively, the business units next step was to integrate the variety of databases and software solutions needed to bring data from every project together into one place for analysis. Using Primavera, this information is automatically replicated into one report without having to manually input the information, eliminating data-entry errors. When we pull information from one

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source, you know that all of the numbers are correct and that everyone has the same information, from the project engineer to the project manager up through the corporation to the President of Parsons I&T and the CEO of Parsons, Inc. commented Stultz. We believe integration is where project control is headed, and where it has to be, Stultz added. We view this philosophy as a way to integrate business processes, not just software solutions. By enforcing an overall program control cycle, projects are unlikely to be over budget and/or experience delays, which leads to substantial savings in overall revenue. We are currently in the process of integrating Primavera with human resources and accounting systems, as well as our analytical tools and cost engines. This strategy has proved to be more cost effective in terms of time and money than developing our own inhouse system. It gives us an advantage over our competitors when we utilize more advanced applications, integrate them to provide progressive operations, and employ talented people to operate those systems, said Stultz. The Desire for Flexible Data Exchange One of the compelling reasons that led to the upgrade to the most recent technology was that the 32-byte application could accommodate Parsons advanced functionality requests. Parsons needed consistency and common resource bases across its projectssuch as standardized resource and activity-coding structuresto achieve its overall objectives. We have an ambitious desire to integrate project management, human resources, accounting software, and any in-house created systems, explained Stultz. This solution will also integrate with Timberline accounting software on the estimating side and PWORKS (a global project control system) to automatically bring financial data into the system. Furthermore, Parsons is excited that Primaveras advanced project plan template capabilities will enable the company to

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES FOR PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES

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PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS: 50% decrease in schedule creation time Immediate ROI Integration of accounting, HR, and Primavera software 6,000 team members and 4,000 projects managed in system capture best practices and reuse the most successful projects. Making Project Management Easier While improving overall collaboration, the business unit is beginning to utilize Primaveras methodology management functionality. Methodology management helps project managers author and store methodologies, or project plan templates, in a central location and allows those methodologies to be shared as a project standard throughout the group. The methodology function helps project managers to create custom project plans by selecting, combining, and tailoring a project, rather than creating a new plan for each new project. As a result, methodologies are improved and refined by continuously updating the methodology library across the whole unit. Parsons I&T realized immediate returns after implementing Primavera. After two months of evaluating our portfolio on a national, multi-year federal government program to define uncoordinated and disconnected efforts and streamlining the entire design process, Stultz explained, we noticed that our time and effort was repaid by the third time this module was used. The long-term benefit of using Primaveras methodology management functionality is the ability to construct templates using generic logic that outlines the different types of schedules. This enables schedulers to spend more time focusing on resources than on developing schedules. With standardization of resource and activity codes, it is easier to move resources between projects, identify commonalities, and create schedules, translating into revenue for Parsons and increased project delivery for

our clients, noted Stultz. We have decreased the time it takes to create design schedules by 50 percent, from six to three weeks. The main benefits are the ability to optimize our processes, maintain project consistency, and repeat past project successes. The Primavera Difference Project managers like using Primavera because accessing data is very easy due to its advanced collaboration technology. We have five prime contractors that we use on a consistent basis, and we are now able to easily merge their project information into one system, commented Stultz. We can view the entire project as well as analyze and report their individual information in real time over the internet. As technology evolved at Parsons I&T, the company has maintained a strong working relationship with Primavera. Primavera was the first PC-based product with complex schedule analysis functionality in the market, and it was a giant step forward, said Stultz. Parsons has implemented Primavera on many projects ranging from research studies to large design-build projects during our 19-year relationship. As state-of-the-art systems have advanced, Parsons I&T has kept up with the technology. For example, when Parsons I&T was bidding on the $7.4 billion Everglades Project in Jacksonville, Florida, the Jacksonville Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District mandated the use of Primavera software. This project has 125 programs scheduled during its 15-year lifespan. The leadingedge technology of Primavera gives us the ability to handle a project of this scale. Weve remained with Primavera because its solutions are unmatched and the company provides us with outstanding service, concluded Stultz. It gives us a strategic advantage to say that we use Primavera software, because our clients trust the Primavera name. Its a tangible benefit to us and to our clients. Equally important is that Primavera listens to their customers. Source: www.primavera.com

promised. This requires having a full understanding of what the project scope includes and excludes. Decomposing the project scope using the work breakdown structure technique will translate the project scope into well defined work packages. These work packages can be further detailed into specific activities that will show the sequence of actions that must be done to execute each one of them. These activities will be presented in what is known as the project schedule. Resources including manpower, material, equipment and others required for accomplishing each activity will be estimated. This will enable the project team to estimate the cost of those resources as well as other expenses needed to accomplish the project schedule activities. This information will be used to produce two important documents for the project known as the resource plan and financial plan. The project quality plan will detail the project quality standards and the project communication plan will be prepared during the planning process. The project communication plan details the different forms of communication that will take place during the project duration. The plan details the requirements of the different project stakeholders in terms of what information they need to receive. The planning process will identify the project management team and their responsibilities for delivering the project. It will identify the authorities and responsibilities of each team member to ensure that there is accountability for performed work. Of course, since planning by definition is based on many assumptions that only time might prove their validity, risk planning is another process that is performed during the planning. This process will aim to identify, assess and select risk treatment actions. Risk treatment actions include transferring some risks to third parties. Thus, this requires identifying the process that will be followed in procuring goods and services from those parties. A procurement plan will detail the scope of work to be procured and the method to be followed in procuring the same. To conclude the planning processes, a single document will be produced known as the project management plan wherein the outputs of the different processes will be coordinated, integrated and balanced. Approval of this document by senior management will permit the implementation of the project.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION ADDRESSING COMPLEXITY OF ARAB PROJECT SECTOR

Ed Shehab, PMP, CBAP, CSSGB | Professional Services Manager

s the number of projects in the Middle East, and especially in the Gulf region, swells up year after year and as more money is invested into the area, many of todays engineers are being placed in very stressful and challenging roles to manage projects of seismic proportions. Most of these professionals are typically engineers from varied disciplines such as civil, mechanical and IT who have no previous or formal project management training. Misconception The perception is that highly-skilled engineers should be able to easily manage a project in their respective field. This is a huge and dangerous misconception, and miscalculations about an engineers abilities could have detrimental and costly consequences. The project management world refers to this scenario as the halo effect. Just because an engineer is technically capable does not automatically mean that he or she is capable of managing projects as well. Conversely, just because an engineer is not technically capable does not mean that the person is incapable of efficiently managing projects. What it takes Project management is a discipline on its own and involves quite a good deal of training and practice to develop. There are far too many components to managing projects beyond knowing the technical aspects of the field in which the project operates. As a matter of fact, technical subject expertise hardly plays any role in the success of project delivery. Based on a survey done in 2001 by KPMG: Of 256 companies, only 14 percent of all failures can be chalked up to a companys inability to cope with technology. The other 86 percent owe to some common management woes: improperly defined objectives (17 percent), unfamiliar scope (17 percent), lack of effective communication (20 percent) and poor project management skills (32 percent). http://www.billingworld.com/articles/ archives/Project-Failures-Spur-Management-Back-to.html This survey speaks volumes in favor of developing a proper project management culture within every organization seeking to minimize failure. Here is where PMI comes in; PMI is a not-for-profit

professional association whose primary goal is to advance the practice, science and profession of project management throughout the world in a conscientious and proactive manner so that organizations everywhere will embrace, value and utilize project management, and then attribute their successes to it. http://www.pmi.org/ AboutUs/Pages/FactSheet.aspx PMI was founded in 1969 by working project managers. It currently comprises 400,000 members and credential holders, with a 10-15 percent annual membership growth. Among its associates, about 250,000 are certified as Project Management Professionals (PMP) and hold globally recognized PMP credentials. Of the total number of PMPs worldwide, 10 percent come from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The figure is steadily growing as more and more organizations seek to standardize and globalize their project management procedures. As a matter of fact, a shortage of 6 million skilled project professionals is expected by 2013. Add to that the fact that, of the 20 million people participating in projects worldwide, just one million [or 5 percent] have professionally recognized formal training on how to best execute those projects. One thing becomes clear: The demand for skilled project managers is at a critically urgent level. http:// www.pmi.org/AboutUs/Pages/ About-PMI.aspx Why PMP? You may ask: Why PMP? Why cant we continue doing what we are doing now? The answer is current developments

PMP Formalensures training smooth progression from concept to delivery

require a sharp project manager who is well versed in how to handle developments from initiation all the way to closing a deal with stakeholders effectively; in essence a person who can oversee and ensure successful project delivery. Todays projects are getting more complicated and integrated, and stakeholders are increasingly demanding prompt delivery while creeping in as much additional scope as they can from contractors and developers. PMP certification allows practitioners to speak with one common language, regardless of industry or geography or whether they manage projects, programs or portfolios. This commonality steers organizations toward achieving repeatable, predictable results a critical goal when considering that USD 12 trillion is being invested in infrastructure and capital projects worldwide over the next 12 months. Certification Your next question may be How do I attain the PMP certification? You will need to pass an exam based on PMIs Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). To qualify for the PMP exam, candidates must first satisfy all educational and experience requirements as established

by PMI. They must also demonstrate an ongoing professional commitment to the field of project management by satisfying PMIs Continued Certification Requirements program. A starting point in joining the ranks of successful PMPs worldwide is to take an exam preparation course, now offered throughout the globe. CMCS, with headquarters in Dubai and offices throughout the Middle East and Gulf region, offers this course. This course will go over all the knowledge areas and processes of PMIs PMBOK, and also offer practice quizzes and exams in order to increase your confidence level in taking the exam. In addition, CMCS provides strategies that you can apply to increase the chances of passing the PMP exam on the first try. CMCS is an accredited PMI Registered Education Provider, and all PMP Exam prep courses are delivered by certified PMPs with extensive backgrounds and experience in project, program and portfolio management. CMCS offers the training in both English and Arabic to accommodate all delegate needs. Over the last year alone, CMCS trained several hundred delegates from many industries including IT, government, finance and construction. CMCS has successfully produced certified PMPs who are now enjoying higher status and salaries within their organizations. Where to Go To find out more about how to progress your project management career, you may contact CMCS and an experienced consultant will walk you through the steps to certification. CMCS offers public courses where everyone can register and attend, as well as in-house sessions for organizations that have many staff members looking to grow their knowledge or get certified. CMCS can also design career development plans for organizations and help set up their Project Management Office (PMO) and write up project management procedures and methodologies. The project sector is evolving and requiring more efficient approaches that sustain viability and ensure success. PMP certification provides the tools and techniques to enable managers to steer their projects skilfully and efficiently, from concept to delivery.

ENTERPRISE PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY (Part 2)
Bassam Samman, PMP, PSP, EVP | CEO and Founder

he Project Management Institute (PMI) standards for project portfolio management identify a number of processes that need to be implemented. These processes are grouped into two phases: Aligning, and Monitoring and Controlling (See Figure 1). Under Aligning, there are processes for project identification, categorization, evaluation, selection, prioritization, portfolio balancing and authorization. The second phase, which becomes active when a project is sanctioned, contains portfolio reporting and review, and strategic change. The alignment phase allows executives within organizations to take an active role in identifying all possible project investments that an organization needs to take to achieve its strategic goals. These projects are then categorized according to which strategic objective it fulfills, the business unit it belongs to, risk levels, etc. (See Figure 2 for an example of categories). This categorization provides the information needed for evaluating investments and rating them, which would lead to determining what projects the organization will select. Priorities need to be assigned based upon project interdependencies (some projects could depend on other projects), constraints on funding, resource availability and other factors. A key challenge that faces organizations before selecting the final list of approved capital projects is to ensure that project portfolios have been balanced for risk exposure, return on investment, and line of business goals, among others. Applied against these criteria a final list of projects will be created.

The Benefits of PPM It is imperative that when project execution commences, executives focus on two important aspects: the performance of their portfolios and the ability to visualize the impact of any strategic changes to their portfolio. This cannot be left to just project teams or departments for the simple reason they most likely will not have an enterprise view. Monitoring and controlling the portfolio performance requires adopting performance management systems that can aggregate projects schedule and cost performance results. For example, the earned value process provides a number of performance indicators that can indicate whether a portfolio of projects is on schedule and/or on budget. Executives have the ability to aggregate key milestone dates in order to have a clear picture of their projects and portfolios. The growing interest in project portfolio management has created great interest in what is known as Portfolio Analysis Dashboards.

These dashboards provide executives with a single version of the truth about the status of their project investments by consolidating project information in different forms and in a real time environment. With project portfolio management applications such as Primavera PPM Solutions, executives as well as project leaders can collect and analyze the necessary information to proactively manage project portfolios. In the oil and gas industry, Primavera solutions have broad adoption for a number of reasons. First the majority of oil and gas organizations globally (and in the region) have standardized on Primaveras PPM solutions for managing their different
Strategic Objective

types of projects and programs from plant expansion to maintenance work. This also applies to project management contractors, EPCs, general contractors and engineers who work for those organizations. This means that the data that project portfolio management requires for generating the dashboard content is readily available in a format that does not require recreation. The second reason is the flexibility in designing multiple dashboards with different graphical and tabular portfolio analysis reports depending on the unique needs of the user. And all of this is a fully web-enabled solution that provides access anywhere at any time for those who have the right access rightswhether in the boardroom or in the field. Conclusion As the pressure to successfully plan, select and execute projects grows, leaders with a strategic portfolio will be best positioned to succeed. Project portfolio management solutions, such as Primavera solutions from Oracle, enable executives and project leaders alike to successfully identify the best strategies and opportunities for existing and future projects. With this understanding, oil and gas leaders in the GCC countries can thrive during challenging economic times.

Increase Revenue, Improve Customer Service, Reduce Cost, Improve Productivity, etc. Enterprise, HL&IS, BFS, etc. By Region or Country, etc. Network, Telecom, Customer Service, Client Contact New Development Enhancement, Infrastructure, Process Improvement, Package Implementation, Production Support Attract Customer, Manage Customer Relations, Plan Capacity, Develop and Test Product, Launch Product Human Resources, Accounting, Operations, Development, Disabled Budgetary, Budgetary Unit 1, Budgetary Unit 2, etc. CRM & CFA, Business Intelligence, E-business, Financials, Help Desk, Procurement Supply Chain, Project Management, Business Continuity, etc. For each strategic imperative: Direct, Indirect or Absent 1 Contractor Performed Poorly, 2 Contractor Mostly Performed Adequately, 3 Contractor Performed Adequately and 4 Contractor Performed Well.

Business Unit Geography Functional Area Project Type

Aligning
Identification Categorization

Monitoring & Controlling

Portfolio Reporting & Review
Monitoring & Controlling Processes

Business Process

Budgetary Unit

Evaluation Selection Prioritization

Portfolio Balancing
Initiating Processes

Planning Processes Closing Processes

Application Type

Contribution to Strategy Contractor Performance*

Executing Processes

Authorization

Strategic Change

*This can be further broken down to show Contractors Performance as it relates to Schedule, Submittal, Correspondence, Safety, Quality, Change Orders/Claims, others

Figure 1: PMI and PMBOK 3rd Edition Standard Processes

Figure 2: Possible Project Categories

PROFESSIONALS CORNER: MEASURING ENGINEERING DESIGN TO PROPERLY CONTROL EARLY STAGES OF YOUR PROJECT
Ignacio Manzanera | Projects Director - MZ & Partners Architects & Engineers Consultancy

ne of the most important functions of project controls is to accurately evaluate the physical progress of engineering design. Physical progress is the primary factor in: Determining progress payments due to the consultant; Evaluating the impact of changes, interferences and delays; Measuring the consultants conformance to his plan; and Forecasting completion, final costs and turnover dates. The following guidelines offer an objective method of determining physical progress for each phase of the engineering design and consequently a form to evaluate interim payments to consultants. Physical progress for the engineering phase of a project consists of three levels of indenture as follows: Progress by drawing Progress by discipline Total engineering progress Estimate Prior to implementing a system for progress evaluation, an estimate must be developed for both manhours and quantities of drawings for each engineering discipline. For these guidelines we will assume the estimate shown in Table 1. Progress Evaluation Actual physical progress in these guidelines is measured against the drawings only, but it can easily be modified to include design specifications development. The progress measurement for each engineering discipline and for the total engineering effort is always a function of the progress against each individual drawing. In order to objectively determine the physical progress against each drawing, a series of milestones should be established to give credit for incremental work accomplished. The following is an example
Table 2 MILESTONE Start Draft Draft Complete Office Check Owner Review Final Draft APPR.W/H Final Approval Piping Progress
DRAWS IN MILESTONE

ing process and effectively monitor the accomplishment of the above-mentioned milestones, a drawing control log should be maintained to record the accomplishment of each milestone and identify the location of each processed drawing. Progress by Discipline Now that the estimated number of drawings for each engineering discipline has been established and the drawing milestones have been defined and assigned a weighted value from Table 1, the physical progress for each discipline can be evaluated. For example, assume the work status shown in Table 2 for the 50 piping drawings referenced in Table 1. Total Engineering Progress As each drawing milestone represents a portion of the total drawing, so does each engineering discipline represent a portion of the total engineering effort. Because certain disciplines may require more man-hours per drawing than others, depending on the nature and complexity of the project, the weighted value of each discipline is determined by the engineering man-hours budgeted for the project To calculate total engineering physical progress, the percentage of drawing completion for each discipline, would be multiplied by that disciplines weighted value. The product of this calculation would be the disciplines contribution to total engineering progress. For example: Piping discipline was calculated to be 65.5% completed (Table 2). Let us assume the percentages of completion for the remaining disciplines in similar fashion and then total engineering physical progress can be calculated as shown on Table 3.
WEIGHTED VALUE 8.3 16.7 8.3 10.0 26.7 20.0 10 PROJECT CONTRIBUTION 7.5 11.7 6.6 7.5 17.4 12.0 5.0 67.7

of typical drawing milestones and their related values to the completed drawing. Drawing Milestones Start draft (20%) Layout and design completed and actual line work visible. Rough draft of specification is completed ready for draft typing. Draft complete (65%) Drawing has been completed by drafting, checked by chief draftsman, and issued to engineering for checking. Specification is ready for checking. Office check (80%) Engineering has reviewed the drawing and pertinent corrections have been incorporated by draftsmen and engineers. Owner review (85%) Drawing and specification have been reviewed by the owner and returned with comments.
Table 1

Final draft (90%) All engineering and owner comments have been incorporated and drawing and specification have been issued to owner for approval. Approval with holds (95%) Drawing and specification have been approved by owner and are ready to be issued for construction with the exception that some portion(s) of the drawing has holds waiting for final resolution. Final owner Approval (100%) Drawing and specification have been approved by the owner and they are ready to be issued as approved for construction with no holds. Users should notice that these milestones can be modified at will to fit different projects and different levels of detail. In order to control the drawBUDGETED MANHOURS 1,250 2,500 1,250 1,500 4,000 3,000 1,500 15,000
Table 3

DISCIPLINE Civil Architectural Structural Mechanical Piping Electrical Instruments Total Engineering

ESTIMATED DRAWINGS 20 35 20 20 50 40 15 200

DISCIPLINE WEIGHTED (%) 8.3 16.7 8.3 10.0 26.7 20.0 10.0 100 PERCENT COMPLETE 90 70 80 75 65.5 60 50

PIPE DRAWINGS

MILESTONE VALUE

DISCIPLINE % COMPLETE

DISCIPLINE Civil Architectural Structural Mechanical Piping Electrical Instruments Engr. Progress

10 5 5 5 5 5 10

50 50 50 50 50 50 50

20 65 80 85 90 95 100

4.0 6.5 8.0 8.5 9.0 9.5 20.0 65.5

SERVICE REVIEW: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Ed Shehab, PMP, CBAP, CSSGB | Professional Services Managert

t the heart of every organization, there is an IT department that constantly works to support the companys business needs. The IT department is the technical engine that solves all technical complexities and is always expected to deliver miracle solutions to every problem that the organization faces. These solutions are typically packaged in the form of small projects that IT takes upon itself to plan and execute, while the rest of the organization eagerly awaits the results they are supposed to deliver. Types of IT projects What types of projects is IT usually involved in? Well, that depends on what industry we are in. Banks and financial institutions are on board when it comes to IT. Many banks in the GCC have undertaken extensive projects to advance their online services, from developing an account management portal where their clients can perform e-banking, to organizing their websites so that customers can find the financial information they need with ease. Some banks are also working hard to develop smart ATMs and credit cards with built-in microchips that allow their credit cards to stand out amongst the rest. But banks are not the only IT innovators. We are now seeing IT being incorporated into construction and buildings. With the advance of technology, there is now a need to plan for Internet, telephone, satellite television, security and more when we build. More and more developers are building technology-smart properties. What about roads and smart street lights? How about universities and schools? How about e-services that are being provided on government websites? All of these industries are taking up IT projects in order to stand out amongst the rest of the

pack. Any organization that is serious about growth and expansion must consider also how their IT can help support that growth. Stats about IT projects and why they fail So, with all these IT projects initiated, how many actually succeed and make it safely to the finish line? Well, the results are not impressive. Based on a study done by the Standish Group in 2004, 15% of all IT projects failed, 51% were challenged (over time and/or over budget), and only 34% succeeded. Additionally, The 2004 CHAOS report, entitled CHAOS Chronicles, found total US project waste to be $55 billion, made up of $38 billion in lost dollar value and $17 billion in cost overruns. Total project spending was found to be $255 billion in the 2004 report. These are numbers that probably have not changed much since then. IT projects are still a huge part of every organizations investments. How different are IT projects from other projects? In reality, all projects are projects, whether they are an IT project or in another field. The only difference is that IT projects deal with a lot more unknowns sometimes. Unlike construction, where every step has been repeated on several previous projects many times before, IT projects tend to deal with new technology, new interfaces, upgraded platforms and an ever-demanding customer base that wants the latest and greatest. As a matter of fact, a lot of IT projects are of an extreme nature, where the next phase is only defined after the first phase has been completed. There is also the culture in which IT projects must run. Business managers typically do not value IT and IT projects. They

focus more on sales and revenue generation. Since most IT projects can be related to infrastructure needs, there is usually no immediate return on investment that management can see. As such, they tend to think that IT projects are unnecessary and a waste of company resources and money. How can we address those challenges? The best way to address the challenges of our culture towards IT projects is to build the perfect business case and back it up with proven success in delivering IT projects. This will sway top management in our favor. Senior managers speak in dollars, and we speak in milestones, technical accomplishments and deliverables. There is a huge gap in between that needs to be bridged. That bridge is commonly referred to as aligning IT with the business goals. How do we do that? I have the following recommendations: First and foremost, we need our project managers to be true project managers. What I mean

by that is they should be trained as project managers. It is the job of the project manager to communicate to both upper level and lower level management. If we are too technical, we tend to talk the lower level dialect. We also need to tone the skills of our engineers who are being tasked with project management so they can deliver on time and within budget. For that, CMCS offers a 3-day IT Project Management course, or the engineers can simply attend the PMP prep course and shoot for certification as Project Management Professionals (PMP). This will assure better chances at successful project delivery. Second, we need to develop good business cases when proposing our IT projects. Senior management needs to see the value in numbers before they can get on board. For that, an upcoming training at CMCS in Developing a Good Business Case will do. Alternately, another course CMCS will soon be offering is the Certified Business Analysis Professional certification course. This course will demonstrate how project managers can properly obtain the clients requirements, whether it is an internal or external client. Last, but not least, we need to have the proper tools to manage our projects. We are, after all, IT professionals, and what good are we if we have no tools? That would be unheard of. For that, there are several good project management softwares out there. CMCS recommends Primavera Project Manager due to its excellent compatibility with PMIs processes and its superb project performance reporting features. Additionally, Primavera P6 has a project prioritization tool built within the web dashboard module that can be key in making our business case and project selection decisions.

CMCS NEWS
CMCS AND HARD DOLLAR PARTNER WITH C.A.T. GROUP, LEBANON
CMCS and Hard Dollar signed contract agreements with C.A.T. Group for providing Hard Dollar Cost Estimation, Control and Management, in addition to Primavera Project Portfolio Management and Primavera Contract Management that include licenses, training and implementation services. C.A.T. Group has been investigating several solutions and decided to select Primavera and Hard Dollar as solutions that suffice their extensive needs for their large projects in the Pipeline, Infrastructure and other projects, while partnering with CMCS as a professional provider for project driven discipline tools and techniques. A signing ceremony took place with the participation of CMCS CEO and Founder Bassam Samman, Hard Dollar CEO Doug Nicholas, and C.A.T. Group CEO and President Nasser Issa. During the event, Hard Dollar presented a trophy to CMCS for becoming the first Hard Dollar Authorized Relationship partner (HARP) and for successfully closing the first HARP customer sale with C.A.T. Group in Lebanon. Hard Dollar also presented a trophy to C.A.T. Group for opening a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar project in the Middle East.

SIGNING OF CONTRACT between Hard Dollar and CMCS held in Lebanon last May 4, 2009.

A MEETING OF THE MINDS: C.A.T. Group, Hard Dollar and CMCS top officials meet for business.

Fourth row from left are Abdallah Saadeh-C.A.T. Chief Estimation Manager, Shafik Mouchantaf-C.A.T. Group Contracts Manager, Joe Mansour-C.A.T. Group Controls Manager, Saadi AdraGeneral Manager of CMCS Lebanon, Antoine Papadopoulo-C.A.T. Group Chief Accountant, Scott Hyman-Channel Manager of Hard Dollar, Peter Wodtke-Board Member of C.A.T. Holding, Bassam Samman-CEO & Founder of CMCS, Georges Daher-C.A.T. Chief Adminstration Officer, Doug Nicholas-Chief Executive Officer of Hard Dollar, Davis Sambar-C.A.T. Board Member and Assaad El Hage-C.A.T. Legal Advisor.

HARD DOLLAR awards C.A.T. Group for opening a multi-hundredthousand-dollar project. From left are Bassam Samman, Georges Daher, C.A.T. Group CEO Nasser Issa and Doug Nicholas.

HARD DOLLAR CEO Doug Nicholas awards a trophy to CMCS CEO and Founder Bassam Samman in recognition for being the first HARP-Hard Dollar Authorized Relationship Partner.

CMCS IN THE NEWS:

Eqtisadiat, Saudi Arabia: CMCS intensifies its presence in the Middle East after a 50% growth revenue, March 2009, Page 46 Vision, Pan Arab: Partnership agreement, March 2009, Page 195 Arab Construction World, Pan Arab: Estimated US$21 billion worth of construction investments to increase demand for project management services in Jordan, April 2009, Page 41 Al Bank Wal Mustathmer, Pan Arab: Agreement between CMCS and ADePT, April 2009, Page 26

CITYSCAPE ABU DHABI

CMCS participated in the most popular real estate exhibition, the Cityscape Abu Dhabi, where property developers, investors, architects, designers, government authorities and other related industries showcased their products and services for prospective clients. The event which was held in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) and ran from April 19 to 22, was inaugurated by General H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. More than 300 companies from over 30 countries participated. The companies who visited the CMCS stand were: Cansult Maunsell, CPM - Consolidated Project Management, Department of Municipal Affairs, Desert Landscape, EC Harris, EllisDon Construction, Hill International, Kling consult and Mott MacDonald among others.

Emirates Business 24/7, UAE: CMCS Systems eyes Europe and Iran, April 5, Page 22 Emirates Business 24/7, UAE: Management company CMCS in Middle East expansion, April 28, Page 28 Gulf Daily News, Bahrain: Management firm plans new offices, April 28, Page 29 Al Bayan, UAE: CMCS opens its branches in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, April 28, Page 6 Al Wasat, Bahrain: CMCS promotes their opening of a branch in Bahrain, April 28, Page 2 Al Watan, Qatar: CMCS promotes a new branch in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt during the current year, April 28, Page 15 Al Alam Al Youm, Egypt: Egypt is our portal to enter Libyan and North African market, April 29, Page 3 Al Jazirah, Saudi Arabia: CMCS intends to extend to the Saudi market, April 30, Page 18 Oil Review Middle East, UAE: Management model aligns work with organisational strength, written by CMCS CEO and Founder Bassam Samman, Issue 3 2009, Page 138

PROJECT QATAR
CMCS took part in Project Qatar, believed to be the single largest exhibition ever held at the New Doha International Exhibition Center. Despite the global economic slump, visitors gathered at the venue during the 4-day event where a record of more than 900 companies from the construction industry from about 39 countries participated. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani, inaugurated the exhibition, which ran from April 27-30, in the presence of local, regional and international entrepreneurs. He said the exhibition is part of the initiatives being taken by Qatar to promote trade at a time when the world is experiencing an economic meltdown. CMCS held its own in the event with an unprecedented number of enquiries.

SAADI ADRA, PMP,RMP,PMI Certified OPM3 Assessor/Consultant, General Manager for PMAG S.A.L. has conducted an EVP Earned Value Management for Professionals lecture in the presence of around 90 attendees and members of the PMI Lebanon Chapter. The Lecture was followed by a Cocktail sponsored by CMCS/PMAG in the Holiday Inn Dunes on Tuesday 14th of April, 2009.

Featured Employee
DALIA AZHARI is the Webmaster of CMCS. She is responsible for checking inquiries from the website, updating the website with the latest information about courses and products and also takes care of marketing seminars held in the Middle East. She has been working with the company since March 2002. Born in Dubai, Dalia is now married for almost 2 years to Ziyad, whom she competes with in solving Sudoku on her free time. They have been blessed with handsome Bashar, whom she spends quality time with away from the office. Apart from that she also loves to read novels and of course, every girls pastime, go shopping! What she likes about working in CMCS is that theres a sense of team spirit, a practice of respect, a drive to work hard, cooperation among colleagues and proper assessment. She practices her philosophy which is doing one thing every day that scares her, and by doing this, she learns and this empowers her to do her job more effectively. Dalia earned her degree in Computer Science from the American University in Asia, Sharjah Campus.

PMI-SP CERTIFICATION
Full Name: Project Role: Eligibility Requirements: PMI Scheduling Professional Develops and maintains project schedule Highschool diploma/global equivalent, 5,000 hours project scheduling experience, 40 hours project scheduling education OR Bachelors degree/global equivalent 3,500 hours project scheduling experience, 30 hours project scheduling education application process + multiple-choice Steps to obtaining exam credential: 3.5 hours; 170 questions Exam information: US$520 PMI member Fees: (US$670 non-member) 3 years; 30 PDUs in project Credential Maintenance Cycles and Requirements: scheduling How CMCS can help you: We offer P912 Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) Certification Exam Preparation which will provide participants with a thorough background in the concepts of Planning and Scheduling Engineering and Construction projects. 3 days Duration of course: Schedule of next PMI-SP 21 June to 23 June, 2009 course:

CERTIFICATIONS

PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL (PMP)

RANIA KHAWAJA, the General Manager of CMCS Jordan, has successfully completed her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification on April 8, 2009. PMP holders are fully aware of project life cycle, project management processes and knowledge areas Integration, scope, time, cost, resource, quality, risk, communication and procurement. This deep understanding enrich their capacities in being responsible for all aspects of the project during the life cycle of the project as well as leading and directing a project team and/or cross functional teams to complete projects successfully. Project Management Institute was founded in 1969 by working project managers. Now PMI has 250 chapters in over 70 countries with more than 420,000 members. PMIs primary goal is to advance the practice, science and profession of project management throughout the world in a conscientious and proactive manner so that organizations everywhere will embrace, value and utilize project management and then attribute their successes to it. PMI-Jordan Chapter was founded in 2007 and now includes 119 of which about 90 are PMP certified.

CMCS new team members WELCOME!

Dina Atef Consultant, UAE

Houda Aglagal Training Manager, UAE

To receive our Collaborate monthly newsletter, send an empty email to info@cmcs.ae

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CMCS WINS
AMANA CMCS is awarded a contract for Implementation of Primavera P6 for Amana Abu Dhabi. The duration of the implementation is 20 days. The implementation would include development of data structure, finalizing the project life cycle, developing reports and layouts and finally carrying out prototype testing and assessing the full implementation. Amana team has already undergone P6 client and P6 web training from CMCS. Jordan Engineers Association (JEA), Jordan - JEA has recently signed a cooperation agreement with CMCS to implement a new range of management and development programs to be adopted by the Engineers Training Centre. The agreement further bolsters the efforts of JEA in producing the highest quality and excellence standards in various engineering sectors in the Kingdom and the rest of the Arab region. Jordanian Engineers Association is considered one of the largest among the region with 77,000 members and offices all round the kingdom. Engineers Training Centre the training provider arm of JEA is the only certified training center by the Federation of Arab Engineers and the International Federation of Consulting Engineers. C.A.T., Lebanon- CMCS is awarded a contract to provide C.A.T. Group with Hard Dollar Cost Estimation, Control and Management, Primavera Portfolio Management and Primavera Contract Management. This agreement includes licenses, training and implementation services. C.A.T. has been looking for methods and tools to enhance their widespread monitor and control for their projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars in several continents. Through interaction with CMCS and Hard Dollar Consultants, CAT decided that the methodologies, services and solutions presented are able to meet their highly demanding nature of complex infrastructure and oil & gas projects that utilizes heavy machinery, spans over a rather long period of time and utilizes diverse multiple resources. Taisei- a Japan-based Company, has awarded a contract to CMCS to provide HardDollar Project cost estimation software, implementation & Training. The scope includes installation of the software in Abu Dhabi as well as implementation of the same for their Middle East operations. Taisei is planning initially to use HardDollar for their Middle East operations with the goal to role out the same to their headquarters in Japan.

BY THE NUMBERS CMCS CLIENTS

Sector For this period Total this year

Engineering and Construction Utilities, Oil and Gas IT and Telecommunication Government Discrete Manufacturing & Research Education Overall New Clients Overall Returning Clients

62 8 2 2 2 1 23 52

1,227 100 74 33 23 25 77 236

CMCS WOULD LIKE TO THANK:

NEW CLIENTS:
Al Garhoud Engineering Al Salmiya (Gulf Franchising Co) Al Waab City Alamiah Building Co Arabian Advanced Systems Areef Computer Institute Arnaout Establishment ASCON Road Construction British Gas Butec SAL ENTIRETEC Middle East ECCI Imperial Trading & Contracting King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital Madina Group Neopharma Order of Engineers & Architects (Beirut) Penspen International RAMCO SEG, Qatar Stanley Consultants Tashyeed Properties Wamar

RETURNING CLIENTS:
5 Pioneers Property Devt Airport International Group Al Habtoor-Murray&Roberts Al Jaber Engineering ALDAR Laing ORourke Amana Contracting Archirodon Blair-Anderson Brewer Consulting Bunya Enterprise LLC C.A.T. Group CCC CH2MHILL Costain Det Norske Veritas Dubai Pearl EC Harris Elenco General Contracting Equate Petrochemical Exterran Hochtief John Buck International JT Metro JV Khansaheb Khatib & Alami Margham Dubai Est. Mubadala Nael & Bin Harmal Hydroexport National Marine Dredging Co. National United Eng. Co NDIA Oger Dubai Orascom/Contrack Oryx Petrofac Qatar Kentz Qatar Petroleum QatarGas Qatar Engg & Construction (Qcon) Road & Trasport Authority RW Armstrong Saudi Aramco S.D. Concept SDC Group Strabag Systra/Parsons JV Taisei Corporation Target Engineering Technip Technital S.p.A Qatar Thompson Cole Transco

11

CMCS COURSE NEWS

P102 Project Management in P6 Client-Server was held in Beirut, Lebanon during the period of March 31, April 2, 7, 9, 14 and 16. The course was attended by Ahmad Najjar, Falah Wakim of Relk & P, Rana Salika of Target Engineering, Norma Youness Zahwa, Hussein Mousbah Moussa and Jameil Hani Termos of waad, Rima Sassine of Debbas Enterprise, Haithem Jamil Darwich of BAU, Samer Baaklini of Ets. Nassim Abou Habib pour Lindustrie et Lenterprise, Louis El Nawar and Charbel Tawk of ELNTC, Wajdi Jamil Maatouk of BTD, Charbel Rizkallah, Nicolas Al Hajj, Nidal Haddad of Ste Scale Contracting s.a.r.l and Abbas Mohammad Ismail of Maher for Trading and Construction. The course was conducted by Omar Sidani. P850 Extension of Time Request was held in the period of April 12-16 in Dubai. Attending the course were Alexander Lyakhov and Robert Aldea of Exterran, Eiman Al-Enazi of Qatar Petroleum, Anahita Sadafi and Abdel Rehim Duqeh of ASCON, Wafa Salem Elfar of Airport International Group, Hafez Barakat of Nael & bin Harmal Hydroexport and Georges Baaklini or Arnaout Establishment. The course was conducted by Rania Khawaja and Gaganpreet Kaur. P501 Introduction to Project Risk Management with Primavera Risk Analysis was held in the period of April 1416 in Dubai. Attending the course were Andrew Thompson of QatarGas, Moustafa Ramzy, Rima Issam El-Ayoubi and Izaldein Al-Zyoud of CH2M Hill, Naief Subaey of Saudi Aramco, Elhaum Modarres, Ed Shehab, Dina Atef and Venkataramana K. of CMCS. The course was conducted by Laila Rojail. P202 Primavera Contract Manager (PCM) was held in Beirut in the period of March 30 to April 2 for Khatib and Alami (K&A). The course was attended by Elie Khoury, Toni Farah, Yeghia Torrosian, Reef Tuffaha, Ahid Mubada and Nabil Al Bidawi. The course was conducted by Taha Naji. P106P Advanced Project Management in P6 ClientServer and P106R Resource Management in P6 ClientServer was held in Beirut in the period of April 27 to 30. The course was attended by Nasreen Al Mutawa of Equate Petrochemical, Antoinette Cherfan of Butec SAL and Jean Pierre Abi Karam. The course was delivered by Omar Sidani. P201 Primavera Contract Manager 12.0 was held in the period of April 5 to 8 in Abu Dhabi. Attending the course were Mohammed Al-Abbasi of Bunya, Sardar Safiur Rahman of Mubadala, Taufik Ridani of Blair-Anderson and Lionel George Locksley of 5 Pioneers Property. The course instructor was Venkataramana K.

P102 Project Management in P6 Client-Server was held in Doha in the period of April 5 to 8. The course was attended by Alberto Amerio of Technital S.p.A. Qatar, Nisha Pradeep of Penspen International, Naheem Pasha, Mohamed Nissar Andikkan Kuzhiyil, Senthilkumar Balasundaram, Sumanrabi Charles of Qcon816, Prajeesh Kuniyil, Imtiaz Hussain Naz and Arun Johnson Samuel of Qcon-829, Osama Zohdi of Qcon-841, Pradeep Kumar Somanathan of Qcon-816, Ahmad Barghothi of Al Jaber Engineering and Ishfaq Deen of Al Waab City. The course was conducted by Kaveh Boromand.

P905 The Project Management Professional was held in the period of April 12 to 16 in Amman. The course was attended by Hiba Darwish of Especialized Wood Establishment and Darin Makki of CMCS-Jordan. The course was conducted by Ayman Jarwan.

P108 Migrating from Primavera Project Planner (P3) to P6 was held in Qatar for Hochtief Construction in the period of March 2 to 4. The course was attended by Armin Krimpmann, Steindl Ulrich, Sarah Szewzenko, Torsten Henssler, Mohammad Yasin, N. Karthik, Michayl Rysniak, M. Hisham Zakaria, Alexander Meisner, Kathrin Brunn and Jan Steueri. The course was conducted by Kaveh Boromand.

P102 Project Management in P6 Client-Server was held in the period of April 19-22 in Abu Dhabi. Attending the course were Mohamed Nazaruddin of John Buck International, Tan Kok Wah of Taisei Corporation, Stephen Thomas of Costain Abu Dhabi, Muhammad Khaleeq Anwar of RW Armstrong and David Thatcher of Murray & Roberts. The course was delivered by Venkataramana K.

P905 Project Management Professional (PMP) was held in Dubai in the period of April 26 to 30. The course was attended by Marcos Ricaplaza of Environmental Chemical Corporation Inc., Ayman Alhubaishi of King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Hady Rmeily of RAMCO, Jayant Naraindas of ENTIRETEC Middle East, Salem Nael Salamah of Arabian Advanced Systems and Elhaum Modarres, Walstan DSouza and Kaveh Boromand of CMCS. The course was conducted by Ed Shehab.

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INSTRUCTORS PROFILE
OMAR SIDANI is a Consultant at CMCSLebanon Professional Services Department, who holds a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science/Information Technology. He is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and a Primavera Authorized Trainer delivering P6 Beginner and Advanced courses across the Middle East. Omar provided training to professionals from leading organizations like: CH2MHILL, Khatib & Alami (K&A), Petro Canada, KBR, VECO, RW Armstrong, Borouge, Emirates Electromechanical & Industrial LLC., Fluor Mideast Ltd., BUTEC, Order of Engineers (Beirut and Tripoli, Lebanon), and many others. He has participated in developing Project Management methodology manuals for holding companies and various Primavera implementations. Omar is adept in Primavera applications, computer security, networking and designing of database systems. He is a CAPM-Certified Associate in Project Management, a CEH-Certified Ethical Hacker from the EC-Council USA and a CCNA-Cisco Certified Network Associate.

CMCS COURSE TESTIMONIALS:

The Course was all perfect. - Alberto Amerio, Architect, Technital Spa I am impressed with this course and strongly believe that it will help me in the future.- Pradeep Kumar, Planning Engr., Qcon The course will definitely improve my knowledge. - Ishfaq Ahmed Deen, System Administrator, Al Waab City The instructor (Kaveh) has a charming personality and his overall performance was nice. - Imtiyaz Hussain, Sr. Engineer, Qcon Kaveh is excellent and the course is very valuable and will help me in my career growth.- Naheem Pasha, DY. Manager Planning & Cost, Qcon Good job, Laila. When I am creating my schedule I should be able to consider the risk dimension. - Izaldein Al-Zyoud, Scheduler, CH2MHILL Venkat is excellent and holds a very good knowledge on both theory and practical works. The course is very good as currently I am using P6 6.2. - Mohamed Nazaruddin.M, Planning Engr., John Buck Intl Its a good experience to take the course of P6 from CMCS and it will help me a lot. - Mohammad Khaleeq Anwar, Planning Engr., RW Armstrong The Course was helpful for controlling & reporting. - Stephen Thomas, Lead Planning Engineer, Costain Abu Dhabi Excellent course, will help me in streamlining our processes. Jayant Naraindas, Project Director, Entiretec The instructor (Kaveh) is great! Its a useful course. - Ahmad Barghothi, Controls Engineer, Al Jaber Engineering The course is very helpful to better carry out my functions in Project Controls and better understand the Project Management process. - Marcos Ricaplaza, Project Controls Manager, Environmental Chemical Corporation, Inc. Ed is a great instructor. - name undisclosed The course is very much applicable to my job. - Kaveh Boromand, Sr. Consultant, CMCS

CLIENT CERTIFICATIONS
The CMCS Team would like to extend their heartfelt congratulations to the following for attaining their PMP Certification:

Lubna Al Natour, PMP

Project Manager, AMSI

Ammar O. Kahia, PMP

IT Projects Manager, AMSI

Abeer Senada, PMP

IT Advisor, Academy for Education Development

BY THE NUMBERS CMCS COURSES

For this period Total this year

It will help me manage all projects in a completely different and professional way. - name undisclosed My impression on this course was good, clear and informative. This may help me manage and review a claim. - Georges Baaklini, Sr. Project Manager, ARCON

Courses offered Training days Delegates trained Total PDUs granted

13 45 94 1,526.5

84 247 688 9,546.5

13

TECH TALK: MANAGING SUBMITTALS IN PCM

Ali Ammar, CAPM | Professional Services Senior Consultant

uring a project, managing submittals can be one of the most time-consuming tasks. Contract Manager helps streamline the submittals process by enabling you to track each stage of the review cycle and update submittal dates using activities from a linked schedule. No matter how many times a submittal is revised, you will always know who received it and when; which submittals were approved and which are pending; which are overdue and by how many days and, most important, who is currently responsible. The Submittals module in Primavera Contract Manager also provides distribution copies, transmittals, and dunning letters (alerts on overdue items). Managing submittals is simplified with an easy-to-view schedule of the submittal process. The submittal workflow moves documents to the right party for approval. Even incorporating multiple review cycles allowing you to know where your submittals are at all times. Managing Submittals The Contractor/Consultant is required to develop drawings and specifications during the project design and construction phases. Each document that is produced during these phases must be reviewed by the client or the assigned Project Management Con-

sultant (PMC) for which they will either Approve, Approve with Comments, Approve With Comments Resubmit or Rejected. In case the drawing or document is marked rejected or need to resubmit, the Contractor/Consultant must resubmit for approval. This submittal process will be managed by a representative from the Project Management Consultant (PMC) who will be called the Submittal Coordinator. The following steps provide an overview of the typical process for entering a submittal package and tracking its progress: 1. The contractor/consultant develops a list of all drawings and documents submittal packages in Primavera Contract Manager. This log of submittals is aligned

with the project deliverables as per the schedule. 2. For each submittal package the contractor/consultant needs to identify the drawings and documents included in the package. 3. For submittal item, codes and additional information can be added. Primavera Contract Manager allows adding unlimited number of user defined codes. 4. The system allows a user to define the workflow for receiving and reviewing submittals, for each submittal package. 5. It is highly recommended to create a Project Schedule in Primavera Project Management to identify the milestone dates for approving each submittal package. This is linked to the Primavera Contract Manager Submittals module so

CMCS EVENTS:
EVENT NAME CMCS Roadshow Hard Dollar and Primavera Project Portfolio Seminar CMCS Roadshow Empowering Project Driven Businesses CMCS Roadshow Empowering Project Driven Businesses CMCS Roadshow Empowering Project Driven Businesses PLACE DATE VENUE PDUs OFFERED

Beirut, Lebanon Kuwait, Kuwait Manama, Bahrain Dubai, UAE

21 May 28 May 10 June 15 June

Holiday Inn Radisson SAS Crowne Plaza Radisson SAS

2 2 2 2

that the required approval finish for each submittal package is calculated automatically based on the current project progress schedule. 6. This completes the preparation of the Design/Construction Submittal Schedule and a number of reports can be created. 7. The contractor/consultant will now upload the drawing (AutoCAD or other CAD) or document (Word, PDF, XLS) to be reviewed. Revisions for each submittal can be added as needed. 8. To update the Submittal log, the user will use the command Update Package. 9. The user can now select to update a specific Submittal Item or a group of Submittal Items. 10. Actual dates are recorded for sending/receiving the document. 11. Primavera Contract Manager will automatically create a Transmittal Form for the documents submitted. 12. The Submittal Coordinator will have those submittals listed in his Action List, which will be populated automatically. 13. The Submittal Coordinator will review the same. If acceptable, then he will forward to PMC Review Team by simply entering the date. 14. The PMC Review Team who will receive the same in their Action list can add their comments directly on each drawing using any redlining software application like Autoview or other Drawing Management tool. 15. When all comments are documented, the PMC Review Team will fill the return date and provide the approval status (Approved, Approved As Noted, Rejected, Others). 16. Again the PMC Submittal Coordinator will check, if everything is ok. And then forward to the initiator by filling the forwarded date. The initiator will have those submittals reported on his Action list which will be populated automatically. 17. For drawings that were rejected, the initiator will resubmit the drawing or document using the same original submittal number with different review cycle (revision) number. 18. Each submittal can be distributed to many organizations even if they are not part of the review process. 19. Primavera Contract Manager will provide a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) including: Time Elapsed for Reviewing and Approving Submittal

14

Q&A
Time for Submittal Held Outstanding Submittals Days a Submittal is Overdue (Delaying the Project) 20. Primavera Contract Manager can produce many other reports and charts including: Reminder Letters/Alerts on overdue submittals Document Growth/Number Document Turnaround Time Submittals Count By Area/Status/Contract Next issue in TechTalk, the importance of submittal management will be discussed as well as the benefits of Primavera Contract Manager.

Interview with CMCS team members:

1. Tell us about yourself (your name, your job title, how long you have been working with the company). My name is Ali Ammar. I am a Senior Consultant at CMCS, based in Abu Dhabi. I am a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and Certified trainer for Primavera Project Portfolio Management and Contract Management. I joined CMCS in July 2005. 2. What does your job involve? My job involves delivering professional services which include pre-sales, requirements gathering, presenting proof of concept and transforming clients business needs into requirements for implementation and customization of a Project Portfolio Management solution. Clients come to us with various concerns in managing their programs / projects. My responsibility is to work with them to understand their business processes and lead implementation effort to identify their technical requirements and finally, implement a robust solution. I also deliver customized trainings on the products implemented, to facilitate clients team to better manage, monitor and control their projects. 3. What are some of the current projects you are working on? Presently, I am involved in development and rolling out Project Management System for BARWA, Qatar. I am managing a team of consultants in Lebanon, who are implementing Design Schedule and monitoring Drawing Submittals for Khatib & Alami on King Abdullah Financial District project. I recently delivered Primavera Project Management trainings for The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai and Primavera Contract Management trainings for Bunya / Parsons, working on Reem Island project packages 1 and 2, Abu Dhabi. I have had the privilege to implement Project Management solutions and provide trainings to some of the Middle Easts most influential organizations. To name a few: ALDAR, ASTECO Development, BARWA, CSC (Credit Card Services Co.), CAT International, Dar Al-Handasah, EC Harris, KNPC, Occidental Petroleum, PARSONS, PDO, QNPM (Qatar National Project Management), TRANSCO, Atlantis Construction Management Team - Al Naboodah Laing ORourke, UDC (The Pearl Qatar), and many more. 4. How can your job add value to your clients? This is achieved by professionally developing our clients resources to take ownership of the solution and providing state of the art tools to support the operation. The solution that we customize for our clients provides a single language for them and all other stakeholders that are involved for managing the project delivery life cycle. My main role is to build project ALI AMMAR, CAPM management Professional Services awareness, unSenior Consultant derstand client requirements and implement a complete PPM solution to prioritize, plan and manage their entire portfolio through to its successful completion. This helps them gain visibility, capture best practices and leverage this experience on other projects. By automating their business processes, I help my clients to identify project issues / delays early on so they can be resolved in a timely manner. 5. What is the most challenging part of your job? During our implementation projects, I work with a team of consultants to integrate clients business processes to implement and roll-out an effective system. This is the easy part. But the benefits of our services are realized only when people are willing to use the system. Changing peoples attitudes and behaviors is the greatest challenge in implementing any software system. My challenge is to ensure that change is accepted, and to motivate the key users in effective utilization of the system. I try to ensure, that my clients team have the required skills and support from our consultants, for successful adoption of the system. 6. Which aspect of your job do you like the most? The main reward of my job is personal comfort and passion to work with a variety of industries and experiences. Nothing motivates me more than a happy and satisfied client. The job can be extremely demanding at times, but the learning curve is very steep. I look at the hard work as a worthwhile investment. 7. What do you like about working at CMCS? CMCS is a place where if you want to take initiative for something, youre given the space you need. There is a density of highquality and smart people I have not found anywhere else. The people at CMCS are not only committed professionals, but also fun and inspiring individuals with whom I have enjoyed working on several projects. Whatever you do in the future, the challenges and learning opportunities you experience while youre at CMCS will be huge assets. So will the network of excellent people you build. CMCS prepares you to do almost anything. It made me grow, pushed me harder and faster than anything else ever would have.

CAREERS
CMCS
Business Relationship Support CMCS-Qatar requires a Business Relationship Support (Administrator Officer) who will maintain day to day administrative activities related to training, sales, personnel and day-to-day office issues. Job qualifications: The candidate should be degree educated with experience in office administration. He/she should have good interpersonal and communication skills and must be able to deal professionally with personnel from all levels. He/she must be able to commit to tight deadlines and manage several projects at any one time with minimum supervision. Interest in business and commerce is a plus. He/she must be proficient in writing letters, memos, agendas, presentations and reports and must have excellent organization skills. For interested parties, send a comprehensive CV to Paula.Manzanera@cmcs.ae, or call +974 451 5737. Visit http://www.cmcs.ae/en/careers for more details. Erratum: On Page 11 of
Collaborate April issue, Moutassem Al Kouatli was mentioned as having the PMP certification. It should be PMI-SP and not PMP .

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CMCS COURSE CALENDAR (MAY-JULY) 2009

COURSE # P102 P102 P102 P106P A101 P102 P106R P918 A201 P106P P106P P980 P905 P106R P106R P901 E101 P201 P905 E201 P102 P102 P102 P916 P106P P905 P106R P990 P106P P912 P102 P905 P102 P106R P917 P108 P106P P980 P913 P106R P918 P912 P201 P901 P106P P102 P905 P106R P917 P203 P990 P106P P907 P102 P106R COURSE NAME Project Management in P6 Client-Server Project Management in P6 Client-Server Project Management in P6 Client-Server Advanced Project Management in P6 Client-Server ADePT Awareness Workshop Project Management in P6 Client-Server Resource Management in P6 Client-Server IT Project Management ADePT Software Training Advanced Project Management in P6 Client-Server Advanced Project Management in P6 Client-Server Program Management Professional Certification Exam Preparation PMP Exam Preparation Resource Management in P6 Client-Server Resource Management in P6 Client-Server Project Risk Management Essentials of Estimating & Budgeting Primavera Contract Manager 12.0 PMP Exam Preparation Advanced Project Estimating & Budgeting Project Management in P6 Client-Server Project Management in P6 Client-Server Project Management in P6 Client-Server CAPM Exam Preparation Course Advanced Management in P6 Client-Server PMP Exam Preparation Resource Management in P6 Client-Server Organizational Project Management Maturity Model - OPM3 Advanced Management in P6 Client-Server Prep Course for Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Certification Project Management in P6 Client-Server PMP Exam Preparation Project Management in P6 Client-Server Resource Management in P6 Client-Server Portfolio Management Migrating from Primavera Project Planner P3 to P6 Advanced Project Management in P6 Client-Server Program Management Professional Certification Exam Preparation Managing Projects Using Earned Value Professional (EVP) Certification Resource Management in P6 Client-Server IT Project Management Prep Course for Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Certification Primavera Contract Manager 12.0 Project Risk Management Advanced Project Management in P6 Client-Server Project Management in P6 Client-Server PMP Exam Preparation Resource Management in P6 Client-Server Portfolio Management Using Infomaker with Primavera Contract Manager Organizational Project Management Maturity Model - OPM3 Advanced Project Management in P6 Client-Server Project Management Leadership Skills Project Management in P6 Client-Server Resource Management in P6 Client-Server DATE 11-13 May 11-13 May 12-14 May 17-18 May 18-19 May 18-20 May 19-20 May 19-21 May 20-21 May 24-25 May 24-25 May 24-26 May 24-28 May 26-27 May 26-27 May 31 May-4 Jun 01-03 Jun 01-03 Jun 06-10 Jun 07-09 Jun 07-09 Jun 07-09 Jun 08-10 Jun 13-16 Jun 14-15 Jun 14-18 Jun 16-17 Jun 21-22 Jun 21-22 Jun 21-23 Jun 21-23 Jun 21-25 Jun 22-24 Jun 23-24 Jun 28-29 Jun 05-06 Jul 06-07 Jul 06-08 Jul 06-08 Jul 08-09 Jul 11-13 Jul 12-14 Jul 12-14 Jul 12-16 Jul 13-14 Jul 13-15 Jul 13-17 Jul 15-16 Jul 20-21 Jul 22 Jul 22-23 Jul 26-27 Jul 26-28 Jul 27-29 Jul 28-29 Jul PLACE Dubai Doha Aqaba Manama Dubai Amman Manama Dubai Dubai Dubai Amman Dubai Abu Dhabi Amman Dubai Amman Dubai Amman Muscat Dubai Muscat Amman Kuwait Syria Doha Doha Doha Abu Dhabi Muscat Amman Manama Dubai Abu Dhabi Muscat Abu Dhabi Dubai Beirut Beirut Amman Beirut Muscat Dubai Dubai Dubai Kuwait Dubai Beirut Kuwait Beirut Dubai Beirut Abu Dhabi Amman Doha Abu Dhabi PRICE ($) $ 1,295 $ 1,295 $ 1,295 $ 895 $ 895 $ 1,295 $ 895 $ 1,500 $ 895 $ 895 $ 895 $ 2,100 $ 1,995 $ 895 $ 895 $ 1,995 $ 1,295 $ 1,295 $ 1,995 $ 1,295 $ 1,295 $ 1,295 $ 1,295 $ 1,200 $ 895 $ 1,995 $ 895 $ 1,400 $ 895 $ 1,500 $ 1,295 $ 1,995 $ 1,295 $ 895 $ 1,400 $ 895 $ 895 $ 1,500 $ 1,500 $ 895 $ 1,500 $ 1,500 $ 1,295 $ 1,995 $ 895 $ 1,295 $ 1,500 $ 895 $ 1,000 $ 695 $ 1,000 $ 895 $ 1,500 $ 1,295 $ 895 PDUs 19.5 19.5 19.5 13.0 N/A 19.5 13.0 21.0 N/A 13.0 13.0 21.0 35.0 13.0 13.0 35.0 N/A 19.5 35.0 N/A 19.5 19.5 19.5 24.0 13.0 35.0 13.0 11.0 13.0 21.0 19.5 35.0 19.5 13.0 12.0 13.0 13.0 21.0 21.0 13.0 21.0 21.0 19.5 35.0 13.0 19.5 35.0 13.0 12.0 N/A 11.0 13.0 21.0 19.5 13.0

For inquiries or registration, send an email to training@cmcs.ae or call (+971) 4 3654850