If you missed out on the February 2009 webcast titled "Engineering project management," you can check out the archived version on our Web site. There were a few questions that our presenter John Luff couldn't get to because we ran out of time. You can check out those questions and his answers here on the forum. And if you have any other questions about the topic, please post them here and I'll ask John to respond.

To register for upcoming Broadcast Engineering webinars, visit our signup page.

Thanks!

Question:

College administrators have dreams and want systems designed but almost never have the budget. How can I spend less time developing great systems that are never built?

Answer:

This is an interesting problem, but not exactly a project management problem. You might look into using Visio to provide good looking graphics along with equipment lists. Manufacturers often provide budgetary quotes for systems. If you make repeated requests that do not turn into orders they will likely stop responding, but they are a resource you can tap.

Question:

 Hi, I am working on a project which initially planned to finish within 8 months. It has been 3 years, and the project is still ongoing.And now it is too late to change the system integrator. But we really lost our trust to them. In order not to have the same problem in the future, what is your advice to make the integrator attach to the schedule? Or is it wise to change the integrator after project starts?   

Answer:

Performance this poor may well warrant removing them from the project now unless it would result in a further delay. You should probably bring someone in who can gage the difficulty of extracting one company and bringing another in. I would suggest in the future several contractual options which would help remedy the situation. First use a penalty for missing the completion date established in the contract. Second be sure to include language that allows you the right to require them to replace personnel who you deem are no longer effective, as well as the right to approve the replacement. In my opinion it is never too late to replace a firm which is incapable of completing work in a reasonable time frame.  

Question:

How much of your goals and objectives for the project do you share with your integrators or contractors?   

Answer:

Share everything! A well crafted relationship will essentially make them an extension of your staff for the duration of the project. It is critical that everyone understand how success will be measured so no one moves in a counterproductive direction.  

Question:

Is the ganett [Gantt] chart already formatted to the type of personnel that would be used for a television project or would I need to setup the title of services myself.   

Answer:

Unfortunately the software is not specific to broadcast. You might use a consultant to help you get started in a project, at the goal setting meeting and helping to set up the task list and resources. Formal training on Microsoft Project is available in most major metropolitan areas.  

Question:

Where is the best place to find a qualified integrator?

Answer:

The key word is “qualified,” for that can mean many things to many people. Just looking at a corporate resume cannot inform that judgement enough. You need to look for projects of similar size and scope which they have been involved in recently, not 10 years ago. Size is important because a master control room in the 80th market is likely to be different than one in NYC or Los Angeles, making comparison invalid in my opinion. This is specifically why I recommend an RFI to clients as a first step. It will gather the information necessary to make the decision with a solid foundation. Speaking with past customers can be very informative.