Building Information Modelling (BIM) looks set to revolutionise the way we work, promising to bring about a new ethos on project collaboration.The man at the heart of this new way of working is Professor David Philp (pictured below), head of BIM at the Mace Group and head of BIM implementation at the Cabinet Office.“Other than a digital-tool set, you don’t actually use BIM,” says David. “It is a way of working and it’s what you do, a verb. It is information modelling and information management in a team environment.”He describes BIM in simple terms: “It’s all about purpose-driven...
Whisper it quietly. Gazing into outer echelons of space may give the human race the chance to look into the past.Those astronomers’ dreams could soon be fulfilled, thanks to a groundbreaking radio telescope under construction in South Africa. Indeed, it may sound far-fetched. But Sir Martin Rees, the astronomer royal and former president of the Royal Society, has previously hinted at the subject, saying: “Telescopes are in some ways like time machines.They reveal galaxies so far away that their light has taken billions of years to reach us.We in astronomy have an advantage in studying the...
Many practitioners get trained in hard skills such as project estimation, planning and the use of tools and techniques, according to project manager and author Susanne Madsen (pictured left). But, she argues, when it comes to soft skills such as leading and motivating a team, classroom training tends to be less effective.She says: “The development of soft skills is concerned with changing behaviours that are individual to each person. When we teach hard skills – such as project planning, processes and estimation – a one-size-fits-all classroom approach is appropriate. But when we want a...
Peter Morris (pictured left) has been an acknowledged thought leader in project management since the late 1980s when he wrote The Anatomy of Major Projects with his colleague Dr George Hough (1987), not least in his concept of ‘the management of projects’ as a broader, more front-end oriented view of the discipline (The Management of Projects: 1994).Peter’s latest book, Reconstructing Project Management, which is due out on 10 May, is his summation of what he sees can, and what needs to, be said about the discipline and its knowledge base.Question and AnswerWhat was the inspiration...
A metaphor is a powerful instrument. Metaphors enable individuals, groups, organisations and society in general to create, shape and share understanding. They impact the way we think, what we see and how we do things. Shared metaphors encompass tacit understanding, thereby embodying many of the premises and assumptions that are never uttered. The choice of metaphor will influence the problem formulation, and subsequently, the solution that emerges. It is therefore important to select the right metaphor.A metaphor represents a single and rather limited perspective on a situation, thereby...
People’s needs are often left out of the equation when it comes to organising an industrial project – and that’s a crucial error.What fascinates me is the changing environment for each project – no two are ever the same. I have discovered that all too often the human aspect – how people behave and how they need to be treated – is often left out of managing a project. It’s not all about money and deadlines. Often a project will go wrong because the managers don’t take people into accountTop Ten Tips 1. Establish the project delivery strategy and governance by providing the project team with...
Patrick McLoughlin, the secretary of state for transport, has set out his initial preferences for the second phase of the £32bn High Speed Two (HS2) route.‘Phase two’ refers to the construction of new high-speed rail lines extending north of phase one – between London and Birmingham – to Manchester and Leeds – via stations in the East Midlands and Sheffield.The Department for Transport’s 211-mile preferred route for the Y-shaped extension running northwards from Birmingham will have five stops:Manchester – beside the existing Piccadilly station.Manchester airport – M56, between Warburton...
Africa base for Turner & Townsend Turner & Townsend has opened a new office in Kampala, Uganda, following marked growth in East Africa.The firm says that the permanent base and East Africa hub will see its project portfolio and team members grow across Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya.Ian Donaldson, Turner & Townsend managing director, Africa, said: “East Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world and there is a huge amount of opportunity to make a difference across a number of sectors, especially in the delivery of major infrastructure schemes.”Consortium targets...
Welsh-born Jon Whitty (pictured left) is a musician turned-engineer-turned-motivational speaker-turned-project management academic. His path into the profession of management was unique – there can’t be many other theorists around who have made the switch from radio DJ to project management academic.Armed with an honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering, Jon began his academic career lecturing in maths and electronics at technical colleges and universities in the UK before branching out into management. He made the move into motivational speaking and began to lead team-...
