Security project: follow-up (V)

The fifth installment of this special on planning a security project talks about the state of the project before its implementation.

By: Henry A. Rivera*

As progress has been made in the subject of project management we find that it is a chain that always feeds on elements that come before the phase that will be studied in this delivery: the project control stage, which is as important as the planning stage, because it will give us an overview of the status of the project at a certain time during the execution stage.

As mentioned above, the two management processes that have more sub-processes are planning and control, for the control phase there are twelve processes distributed in the nine areas of knowledge, which gives us a clear overview of their importance when developing a project. Therefore, the control that is carried out in all kinds of projects is highly dynamic, since it permanently accompanies the execution stage in all its phases, providing constant information on the real situation in the various variables, to allow the manager to evaluate and decide on the actions to be taken to stabilize the project in terms of time and cost, if the scope is not affected.

Taking into account that within the functions of the project manager is to direct and control the execution operations, it is important to emphasize that the manager must have some fundamental characteristics such as authority, leadership and adaptation capacity, sense of balance, ingenuity and a great ease of communication and speed to make decisions; the latter is quite important to control the tasks, being clear about the difficulty that this implies in the case of projects.

Going into the matter below we will present the processes that are given for the control stage of the project, which are based on the methodology established by the PMI®.

For the area of integration, the following two processes will be developed: the follow-up consists of carrying out step by step each of the controls on the progress of the project, verifying each of the milestone tasks, that is, those that mark us points of verification. In the Control of the Works our programmed and executed activities are verified, in such a way that with this information our Control Tool Software is updated.

In the Integrated Change Control it is sought to verify the changes that have been approved, in such a way that a complete record of the variations that the project has had throughout the execution is kept, it is essential to keep in mind that as the project progresses the changes tend to be more expensive, therefore it is important to have this process under control.

For the scope area, it must be very clear what the deliverables of the project are, starting from the WBS, in such a way that the scope of the project is given in an organized and prioritized way.

For the time area, the schedule will be controlled. This is one of the most important areas to control, because as we well know it is the map that gives us the development of the project in time. It is important to keep updated the execution times of each task as well as the resources used, in such a way that it gives us the basis to control in an optimal way the cost of the project.

In the area of cost, it will be controlled and compared against the cost baseline that the schedule throws at the beginning of the project. It is important that when detecting costs in the project, it is well verified if the errors that are being presented were due to a bad estimate of resources or times, in such a way that an erroneous image of the project management is not given.

In the area of human resources, project management is mainly focused on verifying the good management of the human resources of the project, the good interaction of the designers and others involved.

For communications, it is important that the different performance reports are controlled, verifying that the people who have to receive these reports have the appropriate or requested information. Finally, we must try to manage the interested parties in an effective way, that is, to be constantly interacting with the Stakeholders and solving the concerns generated by the development of the project or the interpretation of the reports presented.

In relation to the risks, it is necessary to follow and control them in a very detailed way, since it is a key factor to optimize the project, since if the risks are minimized we can maximize the cost, since all risk is calculated in advance, and by minimizing it the provision can be capitalized at the end of the project or failing that, supply another uncalculated risk.

In procurement it is necessary to administer contracts, that is, to maintain a good relationship with our suppliers, verifying that those actions embodied in the procurement plan are developed according to the bakery.

Types of control to be developed
Control mechanisms can be classified depending on the time when the control action is performed:

- Directional control: It consists of acting before the activity is fully concluded. In this case, the control is carried out continuously and not at certain points, so that each element of the action is the result of the almost instantaneous rectification of the previous action.

This is what happens, for example, when a project manager analyzes the status of his project and verifies that one of his activities can influence another activity that will be developed later and the space of time he has for the decision making is very short. You should try not to affect the next task, as this would make the difference between the failure of a project or its ultimate triumph.

- Approved control: The control is carried out through an examination carried out after having completed certain activities. In case of approval, the following activity is allowed. If there is a rectification to the task performed, the process is definitively interrupted or until the irregularities are corrected. This type of control is frequently seen in quality control.

In projects something similar happens, if this control is carried out and failures are detected in any of the activities, it is best to modify them correctly when they are finished, so that no subsequent problems occur.

It is worth mentioning that these two types of control are not mutually exclusive but must be complementary. The decision to use an isolated type of control or a combination of the above types depends on the nature of the system to be controlled and the level of complexity that is intended to be introduced into the control mechanisms.

Based on the above, what is intended is to design in a program or system that allows to develop not only an effective control of the physical progress of the project, but that makes it possible to establish the time/cost or scope/cost ratio. And For the implementation of a perfect control system there are important limitations to take into account, such as those presented below:

- Personnel: Difficulty in having trained personnel, which often forces to avoid a greater degree of sophistication in the system being designed.
- Facilities: Adequate facilities, such as a data processing office, are not always available.
- Time: A perfect control system requires time for implementation, which is not always achieved. In general, there is very little time to schedule the different phases of a project.
- Cost: The cost of control is a limiting factor in terms of the system to be designed. The cost tends to go down in large projects and with the use of increasingly efficient programs.

Finally, as project monitoring tools we present the following methodologies, which have been tested, and which prove to be highly effective in the development of projects.

Integrated PERT/CPM/ROY Network: In case you have to make an integration (several areas, several subprojects, several projects, etc.) the ROY (block network) is preferably used.

Gantt Schedule: It will contain in addition to the durations of the activities, the total and free clearances corresponding to each of them.

The above are just some of the tools used for monitoring in projects, currently, there are different software packages to elaborate, control and manage projects in a more efficient way.

To land these concepts in our development of the projects we will give the keys to take into account in relation to the control of the projects in electronic security.

Key 13: For a good control of the cost and especially the cash flow of the project, aspects such as investments, budget, payments, etc. must be taken into account. It is important to closely track the finances of the project; after all, the direct injured party, if negative deviations occur, in most cases, is the executor of the work.

Key 14: Take those past experiences in projects and make them part of the company's wealth of knowledge; or that allow an efficient and operational coordination between the various agencies for the achievement of the final objective, that is, a good end of the project thanks to its adequate control.

Key 15: To develop an optimal Cost/Time control, it is necessary to design indicators that establish relationships between the time spent in achieving an activity and the expenses actually incurred.

Finally, I affirm that the fact of carrying out a good control in the projects leads to a better use and a greater use of both physical and financial resources, including human resources. This indicates the importance that this part of project management must have, so we must insist on the implementation of a structure aimed at improving the monitoring and control of each project that is carried out throughout our professional life.

* Henry A. Rivera is an Electronic Engineer, specialist in project management, member of the PMI Colombia Chapter and has extensive experience in the planning and execution of projects in the area of electronic security.