Use of Collaborative Project Management Software in the University Classroom

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Use of Collaborative Project Management Software
in the University Classroom

• G. Edward Gibson, Jr., PhD, PE
• John Walewski
• Dept. of Civil, Architectural and Environmental
  Engineering
• University of Texas at Austin

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Agenda

1. Background
2. Constructware
3. Application of Innovation
4. Results and Lessons learned
5. Conclusions

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Agenda

1. Background
2. Constructware
3. Application of Innovation
4. Results and Lessons learned
5. Conclusions

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Course AbstractCE/ARE395S.4, Project Management

• Overall aspects of project management from
  inception to successful operation establishing
  product objectives, feasibility analyses, scope
  definition, contracting methods, project control
  systems, and project execution planning.
• Graduate-level survey class of PM applications.
  Uses both individual and group projects.

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What is project management?

• a process that helps project teams coordinate
  their efforts so they may create the right
  product (or service, process, or plan, at the
  right time, for the right customer, within the
  resource limits established by the organization.
  
• The art and science of coordinating people,
  equipment, materials, money, and schedules to
  complete a specified project on time and within
  approved cost.

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How long has project management been practiced?
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Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMI 2001)
Project Management
Project Time Management
Project Integration Management
Project Scope Management
Project Human Resource Management
Project Cost Management
Project Quality Management
Project Procurement Management
Project Communications Management
Project Risk Management
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e-Business and the Construction Industry

• e-Commerce effect in construction industry
• Hottest issue is e-engineering (or
  e-collaboration)
• ENR survey, Oct. 2004, 18 contractors using

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(No Transcript)
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What is e-Collaboration?

• Facility plans, time schedules, calculations,
  technical specifications and other project data
  are shared between the parties involved in a
  project (architects, engineers, contractors,
  sub-contractors etc.) electronically on an
  unified platform

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What Drives e-Collaboration?

• Enables cooperation in a distributed mode
• Decentralization of engineering and construction
  offices
• Accelerated document processing
• Globalization of markets and competition (24 hour
  intensity)
• Virtual project team concept

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Project Management virtual collaboration

• Automobile and Aerospace industries pioneered
• Originated in both the design and construction
  segments
• Need for increased collaboration
• Most solutions integrate data from the design
  process through facility management

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Example Collaboration Platforms
Microsoft Project EDS TeamCenter Project
eProject.com eProject Enterprise Marin Research Project Gateway
Constructware PacificEdge Software Project Office
EPIWare Epiware Metier Worklenz
DeskShare.com Project Desk CommonOffice.com Project Manager
Clear Reason F luid Enterprise Bizwall.com Bizwall
Acme Interactive Our Project YZ Project YZ Project Manager
Teamplicity.com Teamplicity Project.net Online Workplace
Systemcorp PM Office EPM InventX ePM Suite
Eroom e-room MediaSolv.com Inc. vProject
Lotus QuickPlace Planisware OPX2
onProject Enterprise Platform Computer Associates AllFusion Project
PowerSteering Software WORKSERVER Business Engine Software BEN
NexPrise ipTeam PlanView PlanView
Welcom Open Plan SME Corporation Project InVison
Company 39 ProjectSolve Artemis International ViewPoint
SiteScape Enterprise Forum Rational Concepts Proj-Net
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Agenda

1. Background
2. Constructware
3. Application of Innovation
4. Results and Lessons learned
5. Conclusions

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Constructware

• Application service provider (ASP) for
  communication and collaboration in project
  management
• Originated from the construction management
  industry
• 20,000 users
• 30 percent of market
• Clients include
• private sector owners,
• government entities,
• architects,
• engineers,
• contractors,
• construction management firms

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Constructware (contd)

• Application and data stored at the hosted
  site--incompatibilities are eliminated
• Helps clients centralize and formalize
  communication among the project parties
• Sophisticated, field-proven online drawing and
  document management capabilities
• Constructware claims that online its system
• increases productivity,
• improves risk management,
• and reduces costs

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Constructware - background

• Rated as being easier to understand and use
• Automates several processes, speeding up
  communication
• Project and company information stored in same
  database--ability to mine data enterprise-wide
• Real-time document review and conferencing for
  enhanced design collaboration red-lining

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Constructware - background

• System tracks and stores complex construction
  processes/documents such as
• RFIs,
• transmittals,
• submittals,
• meeting minutes,
• change orders,
• and reports
• Documents can be saved once and sent to multiple
  companies
• Flexible, XML-based data exchange model, allows
  each client to customize business rules and data
  flows
• Constructware maintains an in-house team of
  consultants, analysts, and trainers to help users
  

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Constructware - use

• Site administrator loads the preliminary data
  about the company and the project (or projects)
• Administrator provides access to all the members
  of the project team, assigning different levels
  of permission
• For instance, one member may only be able to view
  a document, while another may also be able to
  edit it
• Project participants upload various documents
  into the system for common access

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Constructware - use

• Documents automatically time-stamped, showing
  when they are uploaded, accessed, or modified
• System automates other tasks that speed up
  communication, such as
• notifying interested parties when a document has
  been uploaded, modified, or marked up,
• adding scheduled meetings to individual members'
  task lists
• Completed project data archived on CD, which
  includes an applet for viewing the data in HTML
  format

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Agenda

1. Background
2. Constructware
3. Application of Innovation
4. Results and Lessons learned
5. Conclusions

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Constructware use in ARE/CE 395S.4

• Signed site-license agreement with Constructware
• License good for one year and one hundred
  seats/access points
• TA was designated as site administrator
• Constructware area representative gave
• Onsite training to Professor and TA
• 1.5 hour presentation to the class on
• Company background
• Applications of software
• Limitations
• High-level overview on major features and how to
  use it

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Constructware use in ARE/CE 395S.4 (Contd)

• Pre-loaded project information for academic
  licensees
• Site administrator (TA) entered preliminary data
  on example company and project into the system
• Administrator provided access for all the
  students on designated teams and assigned levels
  of permission to different modules, based on
  roles
• Course assignments created requiring students to
  use Constructware on semester-long project

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Class breakdown by degree level (N22)
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Experience with Web-based collaborative software
(N22)
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Team Assignments

• Four project teams created with 5-6 students per
  team
• Each used on-going or existing capital project as
  basis of their work
• Constructware used throughout the semester as
  primary method to
• Organize the project,
• Facilitate collaboration,
• Review work
• Disseminate information
• Students completed 5 team assignments (each had a
  Constructware component)
• Estimating
• Planning
• Design
• Construction management
• Quality
• Safety
• Risk management

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Team Assignments (contd)

• Teams were required to seek-out an industry
  professional associated with their project
• Industry professionals were asked to create
  request for information (RFI) to their project
  team after reviewing documents via Constructware
• Gave team feedback on their work product
• Review by an outside expert would help them
  understand how RFIs are developed and used
• Provided the outside reviewers with introduction
  into the workings of an internet-base
  collaborative software package

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Agenda

1. Background
2. Constructware
3. Application of Innovation
4. Results and Lessons learned
5. Conclusions

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Overall Course Results

• Teams successful with obtaining industry
  professionals for review
• TA provided outside reviewers with minimal level
  of instruction
• Students used Constructware to complete group
  assignment tasks
• In many case went beyond the assignment
  requirements
• Each team had high level of participation

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Overall Course Results (contd)

• Students exposed to theory and practice of using
  a Web-based collaborative tool
• Use of Constructware exposed students to a
  marketable skill
• Students sought some assistance from TA, but most
  needed minimal help
• Team assignments were successfully completed

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Student participant survey results

• Overall the students found Constructware
  valuable
• Use on real projects gave students better
  understanding of project management theory and
  practice
• Most used the tool and became proficient with its
  various functions
• Had higher opinion of the value of Constructware
  and other collaboration applications after using
• Most became proficient enough to list it as a
  skill on their resume

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Learning Constructware was a valuable part of
this class (N22)
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Use of Constructware helped facilitate this
semester-long project (N22)
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Background Information on Industry Reviewers (N5)

• Five reviewers from four companies
• 1 design engineer
• 3 project managers
• 1 vice president of project management
• Three of five had collaboration software
  experience
• Average project management experience 10 years
• Minimum 2 years experience
• Maximum 24 years
• Median 6.5 years

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Industry participant survey results

• Overall, outside reviewers had positive
  experience and expressed interest in future
  participation
• e-Collaboration allowed for industry experts to
  make real-time input to teams
• Two of the five outside reviewers used
  participation to assess Constructware as
  potential application for their company

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I would participate in future applications of
Constructware involving industry and academic
interactions (N5)
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Comments from industry participants

• Our organization is already using a web based
  construction management software, PrimeContract.
  However it is always useful to see a different
  approach.
• Currently we use an intranet based pm software
  specially designed for our firm. The program is
  a lot like File Maker Pro but designed for
  construction. We have been making it better for
  the past couple of years so the likelihood of
  changing to something like Constructware is not
  likely. It was a good experience and I would be
  more than happy to help in the future.

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Comments from industry participants-contd

• I do not know if I see the benefit of the
  software. Most of the information can be
  distributed simply through emails and
  attachments. I would be curious to see how this
  application would work in a real situation. We
  are using web-based reporting more and more
  frequently with our clients, so there could be a
  fit for this software, but I just dont see it in
  its present format.
• Our company will be using Constructware during
  construction of improvements to Bell County
  Wastewater Treatment Plant 1 in Killeen, Texas.
  This project is expected to begin this spring and
  will take 540 calendar days to complete. RFIs
  will be submitted through Constructware.

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The process

• Select provider and sign usage/licensing
  agreement
• Select a good, computer-literate TA
• Get training from provider earlyfaculty and TA
• Have provider give training to class (or have TA
  give training)
• Give assignments and guidance to students
• Make them exercise the system (selective modules)
• An early assignment can give them incentive to
  explore the system
• Use collaboration software to review student work
• Was able to review work while in Europe

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Demonstration
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Agenda

1. Background
2. Constructware
3. Application of Innovation
4. Results and Lessons learned
5. Conclusions

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Conclusions- benefits

• Collaborative software can get industry input
  into the classroom
• Fairly easy to get going
• Enhances collaboration
• Helps students understand implications of
  e-collaboration

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Conclusions- limitations

• Requires a lot of overheadyou will have to have
  a TA
• Takes a lot of time the first semester
• Must rethink assignments to exercise software
  capabilities

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Conclusions- lessons

• Be more involved in getting outside reviewers
• Reduce expectations of what it can do
• Reduce number of features that are available to
  students

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Usage in the classroomwhere?

• Undergraduate senior design projects
• Industry collaboration and interaction
• Good mechanism for communication
• Graduate classes with projects