Expediting | Procurement Deliverables
Problem Statement
To ensure that the team does not lose sight of the deliverables required to procure the project scope within agreed timeframes.
Goals
Ensure that:
- work packages are established,
- necessary resources are estimated, and the completion of the procurement activities scheduled,
- actual progress is tracked, deviations highlighted and mitigated, and final completion forecast.
Approach
Once the scope of work is established and the design progressed the following steps are taken:
- procurement packages are consolidated centrally in one list and a stepwise completion of each deliverable established,
- the progress steps are scheduled, and the timeline agreed within the team,
- actual progress is regularly tracked, and the schedule updated,
- deviations between plan and actual are highlighted to project controlling, and mitigation expedited.
Benefits
The process helped team members stay on track and regain focus if needed. Additional procurement packages or changes were quickly identified, and their completion prioritised within schedule and resource limits minimising negative impact to the schedule.
Process Implementation
Teamwork is essential. The teamwork between Project Management and Project Services is summarised as follows:
Use Case
The project was to be delivered on one location, by a team spread across multiple locations on two continents. Contractors to deliver the scope were to be sourced across multiple locations. Bringing and holding the team together was the job of project management, however Kiara, the procurement manager, wanted to ensure that she would be able to hold the team’s focus on procurement activities at the appropriate times.
The challenge was three-fold:
- ensure that the project scope was procured within the project schedule,
- engage the team in the procurement process by providing a focus for procurement activities,
- schedule and track procurement progress.
The project scope had been subdivided into work packages. We introduced an process which ensures that:
- work packages are procured following a standard process with clear roles and responsibilities,
- progress steps are scheduled for each work package in alignment with the project schedule,
- actual progress is regularly tracked, and the schedule updated,
- deviations between plan and actual are highlighted, and mitigation expedited.
The team was onboarded, and procurement progress tracked. Team members came to rely on the process to help them either stay on track or regain focus. Deviations were dealt with if they arose which helped Kiara to keep the process moving within schedule constraints.
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