Managing Stakeholders’ Expectations through a Collaborative Solution:
Sellwood Bridge Replacement Project Case Study
Thea Robinson, Project Controls Consultant Pro Management Systems, Inc.
April 2013
Oh So Many Modules!!! Even though the Sellwood team is using nearly every module available in PCM; today we will focus on the following modules:
• Submittals
• Materials
• Daily Reports
Project Background The Sellwood Bridge Project in Portland, Oregon is an ongoing effort by Multnomah County to replace this 87-year old Willamette River crossing with a new, seismically-sound structure that offers upgraded facilities for users. Stakeholders who are funding the project include Multnomah County (Bridge Owner), the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). ODOT is the lead Agency managing the Federal funds and leading all reviews and audits. The Stakeholders’ objectives for this project are: • Replace the aging bridge with a new bridge in the same location and minimize the
disruptions to neighboring residents, businesses and the 30,000 commuters who cross the current bridge daily.
• Deliver the project in the most timely, cost-efficient manner while meeting the requirements of the Locally Preferred Alternative that was agreed to in 2009 by the County, PBOT, Metro, ODOT and FHWA.
• Find a solution that allows the Stakeholders to collaborate with the design firm, contractor, and owner in the review of documents as they relate to the design and construction of the bridge.
Primavera Contract Manager: The Solution Chosen to Manage Stakeholder Objectives With the Stakeholders’ objectives in mind, David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA) was selected to assist Multnomah County as an Owner’s Representative. PCM was chosen and implemented because:
• It can be implemented as a web-based solution and documents can be submitted by the design firm to the owner team and then sent out to ODOT and PBOT for review.
• Access to documents can be based on the role of the individual on the project.
• Reports have been created to provide live data to the management team so that decisions can be made to keep the project on track and the team working on the appropriate tasks.
• Forms can be generated that match the required ODOT forms that are typically filled out manually or in a spreadsheet. The forms in PCM provide accurate data that can be recorded in the field which keeps the team focused on the project and not worried about if a form is legible or filed in the correct place.
Efficiencies of the Submittal Module
• The design or construction firm submits their item.
• The Owner Team Coordinator then notifies the internal review team and the reviewers at ODOT and PBOT that items are ready for review.
• Agency Reviewers respond to the Owner Team Coordinator with comments and entered into PCM. Internal review leads enter their comments directly into PCM.
• Owner Team Coordinator then finishes the review cycle and notifies the design or contractor the status of the submittal.
Work-Flow for Submittals • Reduction in time it takes to review
items as reviewers have access to submittals within hours of submittal to the Owner Team.
• If Reviewer requests resubmittal of the item reviewed, the turn-around for a re-submitted item is reduced.
• Reduction in reproduction charges and paper used as printed sets for each reviewer are no longer needed.
• Owner Team Inspectors use PCM in
the field to confirm contractors are following the plans as submitted, reviewed and approved.
Benefits of Paperless Reviews
Real-Time Data Reports for Submittals Reports were developed to assist the Owner Team submittal coordinators in the tracking of the submittals as many of the submittals for this project have multiple reviewers. Providing such clarity allows the Owner Team to provide clarity and accountability to reviewers.
How the Inspectors Utilize the Daily Report Module The Daily Report module allows the Owner Team Inspectors to be efficient in the field by inputting the information for their reports using their iPads or laptops.
• Using the Issues Module, all final construction documents are filed and readily accessible to the Inspectors.
• When changes occur, the system is updated and the inspector can reliably know that he or she is looking at the correct set of documents.
iPads are Not River-Proof, Even in Their Water Proof
Cases!
Daily Report Custom fields make Custom Forms Easier to Build
The “Custom Fields” tab was added to build fields not available in the PCM tabs.
• The “Shift” tab is important as there are times when there are several shifts of work.
• While the materials tab is not filled in for the Daily Reports, it is important to note if any materials are rejected and why. The field is set to 256 characters.
• The TD & DT check box was added as the TP & DT tab only needs to be completed if the TP & DT items are not correct.
To comply with ODOT requirements, the module needed to have tab-specific custom fields added…and directories customized.
General tab: • The field “Report number” is used to record the Inspector’s certificate # as required
by the ODOT report. Equipment tab: • Equipment Type directory was customized to include equipment for bridge project
that includes stabilization of a landslide area, detour bridge, and structure deconstruction.
• Work Area directory was customized for all modules to reflect the different packages of the project.
Field Force: • Custom Fields were added to report the field force as ODOT requires more detail
than provided out of the box in PCM. Materials: • This tab is NOT used in the daily report as it is used to report installations and
calculate payments to the contractor and will be covered later in this presentation. Attachments: • While not customized, this tab is used to attach a copy of the signed report, photos
and videos. We currently are reviewing photo solutions to use instead of attaching photos directly to the report, Inspectors would attach a URL to where the photos and videos are stored.
Daily Report Forms Customized to Match ODOT Forms ODOT Form PCM Customized Form
Is This Picture of the Old Bridge Upside Down or Right Side Up? Accuracy is Key When Paying Contractors
• The Owner Team uses the Materials Module to record the progress of the contractor’s work.
• As part of their monthly work, inspectors use the Delivery Ticket as Installation Sheets (Pay Notes) and record material installations.
• Custom forms and reports are in place to conform with ODOT requirements.
• The custom reports also are in place to assist management in tracking costs for the overall program which includes the tracking of any overruns.
Since the project is funded in part by Federal, State, and City funds, the County is subject to an Audit. Therefore, recording contractor payments accurately is crucial.
Custom Fields in Delivery Ticket Tab are the Key to Creating Customized Forms that Match the ODOT Forms
Over 30 custom fields were added in the order of the ODOT form to make sure that the Installation Sheets (also known as a Pay Notes) are filled out properly by the Inspectors.
ODOT Installation Sheet PCM Customized Installation Sheet
Contractor Payments from Materials Module
PCM streamlined the monthly quality and quantity checks that are performed by the Owner Team since information is only entered in once by the Inspectors. Once the checks are complete, and the reconciliation meeting with the contractor is held, the Pay Notes are brought into Payment Requisitions.
Pay Notes Directly Brought Into Payment Requisitions
Utilizing the “Get Materials Delivery” function in the Schedule of Values tab, the Pay Notes that are scheduled for payment that month are imported into the Payment Requisition
All Bid Items are brought in using this function including lump sum items.
Both the summary
and detail requisitions forms
were tailored to meet the needs of
the Owner’s Finance
Department.
General Ledger Report – ODOT’s Audit Tool
The Pay Notes are reviewed and compared to the General Ledger Report on a quarterly basis by ODOT to ensure accuracy of payments.
This report was formatted to follow the ODOT standard and to date, the Regional Assurance Specialist has indicated he is satisfied with the way the information is presented for review.
Overrun Bid Items Report During construction, unforeseen conditions cause overruns on materials installed. In the past, this information was gathered manually by reviewing the General Ledger reports and tracking the information in a spreadsheet.
This report replaced that spreadsheet and is now the tool used by the Office Engineer who generates the monthly Contract Change Orders that reconcile the overruns.
This also provides management an accurate picture of the monthly overruns.
When Stakeholders ask for Percent Complete Information…
The Quantity Tracking report is a summary report that provides the Owner Team management “live” data on how much has been spent on certain bid items across the six packages currently under construction. So, when the County Commissioners or the City of Portland Mayor ask how much has been spent on a certain bid item (i.e. Structural Steel) the report can be pulled and the team can provide accurate information to the Stakeholders.
A detailed report was also created in case the Stakeholders want detailed break-outs of what has been spent by package.
The partners involved in the Implementation of PCM for the Sellwood Bridge Replacement Project are:
Questions?
Thea Robinson, Project Controls Consultant Pro Management Systems, Inc.
