I joined WSP four years ago, after spending 28 years with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). I am now a senior project manager and lead scheduler for WSP’s project management and construction group based in Ohio and Kentucky.
In this role, I provide critical path method (CPM) scheduling services to WSP clients across the U.S., which is a technique for identifying all tasks that will be necessary to complete a project, as well as the amount of time needed to complete the project.
I have more than 32 years of experience in the construction industry, primarily in project controls and project management duties. For instance, I’m a co-author of ODOT’s Design/Build CPM scheduling specification and developed schedule analysis programs that WSP continues to use for clients in the firm’s 14-state Midwest district.
What inspired me to pursue my career path was finding changemaking solutions for tedious and time-consuming issues in time-sensitive evaluations.
Solving Timely Problems
An important challenge most schedulers address on large complete construction projects is the evaluation of project delays and the quantification of damage.
Early in my career, I was involved with several large construction disputes involving project delays. An “as-built” schedule needed to be developed to quantify the overall impact of these delays, which is a common tool used to produce compelling evidence in the study of compensable delays.
But in this case, I had to create an “as-built” schedule from two years of inspector reports manually. That was when inspiration struck for me: I decided the best solution was to automate this process using the DOT’s existing management software.
This automated process is now used by state DOTs nationwide to collect as-built schedule information from daily reports and provide instant project status at the click of a button.
Process Recognition
WSP has used the “As-Built Schedules As-You-Go” process for clients in Ohio and Kentucky, which provided tighter controls on project delays and impacts. It has helped WSP secure numerous contracts throughout both state DOTs. In 2018, I was honored to receive ODOT’s 2018 Innovator of the Year Award for the “As-Built Schedules As-You-Go” application via SiteManager and Primavera P6.
With a variety of construction management software, including Info Tech’s SiteManager, AASHTOWare Project, Field Manager, Appia, Oracle Unifier and the industry standard Primavera P6, WSP can now verify schedule date information and determine project progress, rather than wait for a contractor’s monthly schedule updates.
Record Keeping Streamlined
Clients recognize that as-built information becomes crucial when delay damages can potentially reach millions of dollars in losses for a project. But the implementation of new technologies has now made the verification process less cumbersome, more efficient and provides better opportunities for mitigation.
Automating the CPM schedule record-keeping process electronically provides an enormous time savings. We no longer need to perform time-consuming retrospectives during as-build schedule development. This restores valuable time to potentially alleviate costly delays.
Project managers can now gain tighter control on project progress while managing complex construction projects. The process provides real-time insight into project progress without scheduling a status meeting or sending emails, allowing us to make informed decisions quickly. These forward-thinking CPM processes have helped WSP win large construction inspection projects in multiple states, including the $3.6 billion Brent Spence Bridge project in Ohio/Kentucky in 2023.
I’m proud of my role in this changemaking technology, and I’m eager to continue to provide efficiency-enhancing services to clients across the country.
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