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This follows on very nicely from my last Blog about Cash Flow Management, but first a bit of qualification and explanation.

Because of my own interests and the project turnaround roles I took on, to me a Detailed Programme to Completion (DPC) was something compiled after discussion with all parties and showed what everyone should be doing, everywhere, at all times. It only used the software to show these very detailed Tasks from the point of view of manpower and got up-dated daily. With the benefit of hind-sight, perhaps these should have had another name; 鈥淰ery DPC鈥�???

For general purposes a DPC doesn鈥檛 need to anything like so detailed. It needs the contractual start and end dates then broad brush strokes for all the Tasks involved. For example, internal partition walls could just be a single Task rather than, for my 鈥淰DPC鈥�, saying which walls goes up which day! One task, perhaps, instead of 40? Similarly, this DPC doesn鈥檛 need to be up-dated daily; weekly will do very nicely to make sure the project is remaining on programme.

Now, the Planner or Project Manager has done their bit and come up with the who does what, where and when. At this stage, for a 鈥減roper鈥� DPC, the Quantity Surveyors or Estimators take over. The software used for the DPC, usually MS Project, has the facility for labour and material costs to be inserted into it. This what those 鈥渂ean counters鈥� get on with. Somewhere, lost in the mists of time, I鈥檝e been lumbered with this bit but it really never was my cup of tea!

Once these guys have done their bit they can 鈥淧ress Button B鈥� and the software will tell them the total expenditure anticipated month by month, how much should be owed to them by the Client and how much they will owe the sub-contractors. Their next little job is to make sure that the cash is at hand to meet the payments and that each month actually will have more money coming in than going out!

Incidentally, and this is purely personal, there should be some cash in the Petty Cash tin! I got fooled once and never fell for it again! We ran short of some expensive emulsion. I dashed out to the Merchants, with who we had no credit account, and shelled out 拢120 from my own pocket for three tins of it. That was about a week鈥檚 wages at the time. Took me weeks to get my money back! Back to the subject 鈥︹�︹��

The project has its DPC and has started on site; the Site or Project Manager needs to have a good wander round on a weekly basis and check actual progress against the DPC. This ensures that if there is any slippage against the programme corrective action can be taken at an early date to get it back on programme!

The Project Quantity Surveyor has a different job.He has to have a monthly walkabout and make a decision about what percentage of each Task has been completed. From that he calculates what the Client owes that month and what he owes the Subbies. For example, the raised access floor total is 拢100,000 and is 60% complete: the Client owes 拢60k and the Subby is owed 拢55k. The Client has that 拢60k added to the monthly submission 鈥� (while the Subby tries it on and asks for 拢65k!).

So let鈥檚 get back to looking at why a DPC should ensure projectsuccess. The first thing is that it shows someone has given the project a serious coat of looking at and thinking about before it even started. 鈥淧roject success鈥� is usually defined as 鈥渃ompletion on time, to standards and to budget鈥�. Well, the weekly walkabout by the SM and/or PM should have ensured progress was maintained and that completion would be on time. This walkabout should also have included a 鈥淒esnag as you go鈥� culture, so that is build standards taken care of! Finally the Quantity Surveyors have obtained payments on time and paid out to the Subbies, with 鈥渙btained鈥� being a bigger sum of money than the 鈥減aid out鈥� 鈥� to budget and showing a profit! That’s why is important.

So there it is! That is Why a Detailed Programme to Completion Ensures Project Success!

Sure, the production of a DPC costs money prior to the project start, but doesn鈥檛 that work out cheap compared to the LAD鈥檚 risked without one?