“Bravo” Company: Lessons Learned in Project Management
By Bob Prieto, Senior Vice President, Fluor
On September 16, 2008, the Industrial & infrastructure (I&I) Group of Fluor conducted a team building session with about 120 members of the Executive Management Team (EMT). While highly successful in achieving its primary objective, the lessons learned by one “Company” are instructional with respect to many of the attributes of good project management.
Project Location and Strategic Objectives
“Bravo” Company, was one of six I&I companies who engaged in a series of paintball “engagements” at the U.S. Marine base at Camp Pendleton. The objectives were team building and having fun, but for each company it was about competition and success. Not unlike how we meet many of our projects. Initially “Bravo” Company was to consist of 19 EMTs from I&I and a marine that would join each of the companies in paintball combat. The EMTs came from all units in I&I and include both some “veteran” players as well as paintball novices, not unlike the staff composition of most projects that we undertake. The obstacles to be faced were unknown to the team as well as the constraints they were to face.
As “Bravo” Company prepared for battle and gained experience, the team grew and strategy and tactics evolved. Leadership of “Bravo” company was selected randomly based on whether your chair had a piece of paper under it or not.
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About the Author:
Roberto Prieto
Author
Robert Prieto is a Senior Vice President for Fluor, responsible for strategy in support of the firm’s Industrial & Infrastructure Group and its key clients. He focuses on the development and delivery of large, complex projects worldwide. Prior to joining Fluor, Bob served as chairman of Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. He is a member of the executive committee of the National Center for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a member of the board of directors of the Business Council on International Understanding, a member of the board of the Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation, and co-founder and member of the board of the Disaster Resource Network. He currently serves on the National Research Council’s committee framing the challenges on Critical Infrastructure Systems. Until 2006 he served as one of three U.S. presidential appointees to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and served as chairman of the Engineering and Construction Governors of The World Economic Forum and co-chair of the infrastructure task force formed after September 11th by the New York City Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the board of trustees of Polytechnic University of New York.
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Leadership Based Project Management Model Tested
On Food Services at Arizona State University
By John K. Michael, Dean Kashiwagi, Kenneth T. Sullivan
Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
Editor’s note: This paper was a keynote presentation at the PM-04: 4th SCPM & 1st IPMA/MedNet Project Management Conference in the Mediterranean, 29-31 May 2008, Chios Island, Greece (http://2008.pmgreece.gr). As a Media Partner for that event, PMForum offered to republish selected papers in PM World Today. This paper is included here with the consent of the authors and the permission of the Centre for Construction Innovation of the National Technical University of Athens (www.innovation.view.gr) who is the copyright holder of the conference proceedings. All conditions and disclaimers of the copyright holder pertain.
Abstract
A new project management (PM) model has been tested in construction over the last 13 years, and has minimized construction management functions by up to 90 percent. It was hypothesized that the new PM model is based on theoretical leadership based principles, and could thus be applied in non-construction industries. The model was tested in a university food services contract ($400M, ten year contract). Results validate the theoretical model and support the idea that the PM problems encountered in construction and other areas are not industry based, but due to the use of inefficient and ineffective management principles.
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About the Authors:
John K. Michael
Author
John k. Michael is a MS research assistant at Arizona State University’s Facility Management Research Insitute (FMRI) headed by Dr. Kenneth Sullivan. John’s research work is also in conjunction with the Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG), where he provides support to multiple private and public organizations (Arizona State University, University of New Mexico, United Airlines, Aramark, Arizona Public Service, State of Missouri, etc.) who are learning and applying the best value Performance Information Procurement System (PIPS). The majority of PBSRG’s research has been in construction and construction related services, though John is the first student involved in the PBSRG’s research of best value PIPS on services outside of construction (dining, janitorial, sports marketing, landscape maintenance, exersize equipment supply and maintenance, and police and general governement radio systems). The non-construction services projects procured at $451M. John can be contacted at john.michael@asu.edu.
Dean Kashiwagi, PhD
Author
Dean T. Kashiwagi, PhD, is a professor at Arizona State University’s Del E Webb School of Construction and also the Director of the PBSRG. PBSRG is the worldwide leader in improving facility/project performance and efficiency. Kashiwagi has developed a “hands off” approach to managing contractors or vendors in any industry. His concept is contrary to traditional price-driven procurement. The technology has been tested over 500 times totaling $1.135 Billion ($683M in construction projects and $451 in non-construction projects) with a 98% success rate since 1994. He work is now being tested in the Netherlands. Kashiwagi has integrated these concepts into a Facility-Project Asset Graduate Program at ASU. His presentations are highly sought out by highly recognized international organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Congress. Dean can be contacted at dean.kashiwagi@asu.edu.
Kenneth T. Sullivan, PhD
Co-Author
Kenneth Sullivan is the deputy-director of the Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG) and the director of the Facility Management Research Institute (FMRI) as an assistant professor in the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University. His research focuses on risk management, cost engineering, productivity, best value, and leadership in facility management and the built environment. He is well versed in quantitative methodologies, statistics, and data analysis techniques and teaches courses in advanced estimating, research methods, and facility management. Sullivan’s research fundamentally seeks to shift established organizational paradigms into a more efficient structures composed of measurement-based systems of accountability, resulting in the reduction of inefficient practices of over-management and the increase of risk control. As co-founder, and now Secretary of Research for the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) Task Group 61, Kenn has been commissioned to generate a global performance metric for construction and facility management, and create a new journal focusing on performance information and risk. Kenn has also published 58 peer-reviewed papers and is a frequent speaker, both domestically and internationally. Kenn can be contacted at Kenneth.sullivan@asu.edu.
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