PROJECT MANAGEMENT
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We offer consultancy services in the following areas of Project Management: |
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We offer Project Management services in two delivery modes and at two levels. Clients often request Project Management services in a Staff Augmentation mode. This delivery mode is typically characterized by a client-defined project and client project team, to which the client requests our Project Manager to lead the effort.
We offer Project Management services in two delivery modes and at two levels. Clients often request Project Management services in a Staff Augmentation mode. This delivery mode is typically characterized by a client-defined project and client project team, to which the client requests our Project Manager to lead the effort.
When operating in the Staff Augmentation mode, the Project Manager utilizes varying toolsets, depending on client need. If the client has a defined project management methodology, we will use it to manage the project. If not, the Project Manager will present the standard Project Management Methodology and recommend its use. In either case, the client is able to leverage our Project Manager's vast experience with complex projects to achieve a successful result.
The alternate delivery mode is referred to as Developed Engagement. In this mode, we work with the client from project inception in order to define project scope, goals, specific requirements, budget, and Work Plan. Once the client agrees to the definition of the project, we assume the responsibility for managing the project to meet the goals. In most cases, the project team comprises of our and client personnel. In some cases, the project team includes personnel from a third-party, supplier of specialized services.
The importance of effective project management cannot be overstated. Regardless of the size of the project, it must be managed effectively. Small projects have no margin for error. Larger projects are often highly visible and the consequences of a less than satisfactory effort can be disastrous.
Project Feasibility Reports
Our pre-feasibility studies and detailed feasibility reports help our Clients in the technical and commercial viability aspects of the projects they are embarking on. Our team of experienced personnel has guided in preparation of many Bankable feasibility reports which includes selection of the right consultant for the project, jointly working out the scope and establishing a deliverable based contract
Essential features of a bankable Report include proper technical basis, accurate cost estimates with back-up quotations from Vendors, appropriate market surveys and realistic financial analyses. Approvals from financial institutions and Clients' Managements are based on the viability of the project, and a proper Feasibility Report / Study provides an unbiased and authentic evaluation of this viability.
Lastly, for those Clients looking to secure assistance from financial institutions, we offer Project Financing Advice. Our Asset Evaluation Reports also offer useful technical and commercial opinions for Clients looking to reach business decisions with regard to second-hand plants.
Project Engineering
Engineering constitutes the next phase in the life of the project, with the decision to embark on the project in place. Our engineering activity revolves around the Process Design Package (PDP) and Basic Engineering Package (BEP) which is received from the Licensor / foreign Contractors. For select processes, we undertake the Basic Engineering ourselves, and where necessary, can also offer Extended Basic Engineering assistance.
DAS SERVICES can provide project engineering support across all disciplines from the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) phase, which may consume up to 10% of the design effort and often involves the short term assistance in the preparation of flow sheets, preliminary line diagrams, piping studies, engineering standards, preliminary materials specifications, maintenance studies, total design man-hours, program and cost estimates through to construction and pre-commissioning.
We recognize that the composition and organization of a Project Team and the working location of its members will depend upon the particular project, its size and siting, the contract strategy proposed and the experience and resources immediately available within our Clients' organizations. DAS SERVICES is able to provide engineering support in the form of individual engineers, or a team of engineers as the specific duties of engineering team members change as each project progresses through each phase or stage.
We have the necessary engineering resources to support the Detailed Design Phase in the conversion of the conceptual design resulting from FEED as detailed in the Specification into full working drawings to allow procurement activities and construction planning to commence.
Included in our schedule of services are several Project Planning Engineers who are able to provide a comprehensive planning service that includes the preparation and updating of the overall project program; progress measurement and advice on corrective action; appraising and monitoring contractors' planning capabilities; the co-ordination of planning efforts of the various parties involved in project execution, and providing an advisory service on planning matters and techniques.
Project Implementation
A well-executed project is typically characterized by the seamless integration of the Engineering Phase into the Project Management phase and related aspects. Our systematic project implementation procedures ensure the right use of techniques and skills as well as good coordination and cooperation between all project players and partners. All activity is overseen by the dedicated Project Manager who acts as the interface between the Client and his Task Force.
Planning is of essence to the project - various stages of the project are carefully charted; these include engineering hours, materials and milestones. Specialized Planning Engineers chart, track and evaluate the project, using Planning tools such as Primavera, while generating important schedules for our top management.
Project Procurement
The Procurement Activities involve the estimation and determination of critical equipment and supplies in line with your project requirements, as well as various activities involving tender floating, vendor evaluation and order placement on the selected supplier by us for Lump sum Supply or LSTK contracts, and by Clients based on our techno-commercial recommendations on approved Vendors for EPCM Services contracts.
Essentially Project Procurement is a matter of getting the right materials and equipment to the right place at the right time and preferably at a price within budget. We recognize that failure to deliver any of these items could result in failure to complete the project. With this in mind the services that DAS SERVICES provides include the formulation of enquiry strategies and invitations to tender; the operation of a sealed tender system by competitive tendering; the provision of a comprehensive, technical and commercial analysis of tendering taking account any client purchase agreement. Approval of quotation summaries with the subsequent preparation and issue of purchase orders subject to client approval.
Other services that we undertake are the development of purchasing policies, provision of market intelligence, supplier pre-qualification and approval, bid list preparation, post order management and the operation, control and application of liquidated damages procedures and bank guarantees.
Stages of Procurement
The following provides an overview of the Stages of Procurement undertaken by DAS SERVICES's personnel when seconded to our Client's Project Procurement Teams.
Enquiries
Enquiries are only issued to companies with adequate capability. Bid Lists are agreed through the correct lines of authority advised by our Clients. Specifications should be as complete and accurate as possible.
Evaluation
Closed tendering procedures shall be complied with, with tenders to be sealed and opened simultaneously. Bid Summaries shall be prepared with analyses of tenders on a Commercial, Financial, Technical and Delivery basis.
Project Materials Control
Highly qualified materials control personnel are available to ensure the proper receipt, storage and identification of materials at client's works and construction sites. DASSERVICES fully recognizes the significant of materials management as the process that integrates the flow of supplies into, through and out of an organization to achieve a level of service which ensures that the right materials are available at the right time, of the right quantity and quality and at the right cost.
Specialist services include:
- Optimize levels of stock holding and inventory inventory investment.
- Direct and control the identification, handling, storage, safe custody and movement of all stores and materials into and from warehouses and stockyards, from the point of delivery to user groups.
- Minimize inventory losses due to deterioration, obsolescence, theft and other causes.
- Maintain records of all transactions and movements of stock and be accountable for same.
- Disposal of obsolete, surplus or scrap material.
- Forward ordering arrangements for materials, preparation of production schedules and sequences, issue of orders to production, emergency action to meet materials shortages, make or buy decisions, quality and reliability feedback and adjustment of supplies flow.
- Warehousing, packaging, external transportation.
A key element in the execution of any project -procurement - is managed by highly experienced individuals assigned to project task forces. They are in charge of sourcing new suppliers, buying, expediting orders, inspecting the manufacturing of equipment and bulk material as well as organizing delivery and logistics.
Our Inspection & Expediting Department assumes responsibility for inspection and expediting of critical equipment at vendor’s workplaces at various stages, until dispatch to your project site.
Advantages:
- Detailed planning and follow-up of activities at manufacturers and sub-vendors works, for timely completion of activity
- Experience on expediting raw materials / bought out items from vendors
- Pre-emptive / corrective action with a view to avoid delays
- Close coordination with Project Management, Engineering, Procurement and Commercial Departments
- Dedicated Inspection Engineer / Project Coordinator suitably located to monitor multi-location inspection activities
Inspection, QA & Expediting Services
DAS SERVICES offers a complete range of quality control, inspection and expediting services to ensure that the Clients' equipment and materials are delivered as per schedule, within specification and complete with all necessary documentation and certification. In the event of unacceptable delivery slippages, or other problems, immediate contact is made with the Client to apprise them of such occurrences, and where appropriate agree on a recovery strategy.
Quality Assurance will be applied to all phases of procurement, which includes selection & assigning the right person for the job, defining individual jobs, their responsibility, authority and reporting relationship, development of operating procedures and instructions for our clients, and taking the appropriate measures to ensure that the work is carried out as per specifications and/or best practices / industry standards.
Specialist services provided by DAS SERVICES personnel include:
- QA Audit capability including evaluation of potential suppliers
- Liaison with 3rd Party Organizations & Certifications
- Rotating machinery specialists
- Mechanical Inspections
- Fabrication Inspections
- NDT Inspections
- Electrical Inspections
- Instrumentation Inspections
- Fire Protection systems
- HVAC systems & Plant utilities
- Factory Acceptance Testing
- Site Quality management
We firmly believe that our Clients will return only if and when their expectations are fully met.
Inspection
DAS SERVICES has considerable experience of quality and safety management demonstrating the flexibility to work to standards specified by clients (including standards audited against ISO 9000) and the technical skills to develop and implement approval quality systems as required. In addition, many DAS SERVICES personnel have hands-on experience of implementing and developing comprehensive safety and loss control management systems.
DAS SERVICES philosophy is that Quality Assurance will be applied to all phases of procurement, as indeed it can to any activity, and to simplify, this means nothing more than defining individual jobs, their responsibility, authority and reporting relationship. DAS SERVICES personnel are experienced in the development of operating procedures and instructions for our clients, and taking the appropriate measures to ensure that the work is carried out as defined.
DAS SERVICES shall provide the full range of testing, inspection, certification and verification activities to ensure that client specified requirements are maintained against agreed Inspection & Testing / Quality Plans. In addition we are able to develop and implement Works Inspection Procedures to assure quality of product in a cost effective manner.
Whilst employing a wide range of specialist engineers to provide a comprehensive range of services DAS SERVICES is united in its single-minded commitment to quality.
Quality Plan & QA
DAS SERVICES are able to provide support in the preparation of the Quality Plan for new projects. In the event that a new requirement is identified the Quality Plan is established and submitted to the client for approval.
- Quality manual: overall quality management principles and practices.
- Procedures: specific processes according to client requirements.
- Skills tables: in addition to procedures, identify precise roles and responsibilities.
- Detailed instructions: where the complexity of operations requires detailed work instructions.
- Forms and quality records.
- Job descriptions
- Organization charts.
Expediting
Expediting and freight management services are provided on an international basis, with materials being tracked and monitored from order issue through to point of delivery. Emphasis being made that not only are deliveries being maintained against schedule, but also that all necessary documentation and certification is being produced and distributed to the relevant project personnel.
Specialist expediting services provided by DAS SERVICES personnel include:
- Provision of field expediting services at manufacturers' works and status reporting to client, with frequencies agreed by clients.
- Verification of physical progress against production programme at all stages and progressing of technical documentation.
- Identification of potential delays in supply, fabrication, testing and delivery and working with client and manufacturer to achieve the required schedule.
- Expediting control is effected through close scrutiny of the Master Expediting Plan supplemented by Weekly Expediting Itineraries which are subject to client approval; the editing of Field and Desk Expediting Reports and the attendance at scheduled and ad hoc expediting progress meetings. All man-hour requirements for both internal and external services are regularly monitored against client requirements.
- Suppliers' performance will be monitored against previously agreed production schedules and bar charts; and where necessary expediting will initiate corrective action; including if appropriate arrange ad hoc expediting visits to suppliers or their sub-suppliers. The delivery status of suppliers' sub-orders for raw materials and component parts shall be determined to ensure that they are consistent with project requirements.
Expediting will facilitate the progress of purchase order status through to the correct delivery of materials and documentation to job site
In the event of a material discrepancy our expediting team shall establish the facts necessary for the resolution of the reported damages, shortages, excesses or receipts of incorrect materials.
Construction, Site Management & Commissioning
We also offer Construction Management Supervision Services for erection activities at site.
Our Construction activities involve supervision of the approved Contractors working at site. They are joined in the final stages by our Commissioning Teams that commission your plant and ensure Mechanical Completion is achieved and a Guarantee Test Run provided for your satisfaction. Necessary Environmental and Safety measures are incorporated into our construction activity at sites.
Wide-ranging domestic and international experience, backed by our thorough knowledge of international standards and regulations, has resulted in our being associated with site management and supervision activities by Professionally-qualified engineers from various disciplines, with considerable experience in construction.
Key advantages:
- Application of scientific site management principles including site planning, constructability studies, construction plans, progress review meetings involving site Civil / Erection Contractors and Clients, and monitoring of quality measures
- Efficient Materials Management at site to ensure uninterrupted material flow for project work
- Conformity to envisaged quality standards and time frames
- Emphasis on safety through adequate safety drills and periodic safety awareness programs
Project Monitoring and controls:
Site visits and progress monitoring on a daily basis against baseline / time schedule and/or earned value monitoring system; analysis of cost & time schedule overruns, if any, with accompanying Preventive / Corrective actions; MIS, Project Progress reports, Review Meetings, MIS reports, Delay reports, corrective actions, Compliance reports, resource requirements, Ensure regulatory compliance and global HSE standards at the sites etc.
Testing, Commissioning & Plant Handover:
We ensure quality people on site to handle all pre-operational testing and commissioning phases. Our purpose is to inspect and test plant components, ensuring facilities are in accordance with the project design. Thorough testing of plant systems with product are conducted to ensure design performance is met. Our commissioning services support the ramp-up of the plant throughput to the design level.
The Principal activities followed by us for ensuring successful plant commissioning:
- Prepare commissioning manual
- Complete equipment list
- Complete P&IDs
- Scope P&IDs (identify commissionable systems)
- Develop commissioning schedule
- Agree on construction schedule
- Develop commissioning plan
- Staff for commissioning
- Construction handover, inspections and documentation
- Commissioning tests
- Commissioning handover, inspection and documentation
- Trials and ramp up (commissioning assist operations)
As the final step in project execution, we understand the importance to complete the work quickly and as such we work diligently with detailed planning to provide our clients a rapid ramp up.
Project close out & Learning:
The practice of project close-out finalizes all project activities completed across all phases of the project to formally close the project and transfer to O & M. The purpose of project closeout is to assess the project, ensure completion, and derive any lessons learned and best practices to be applied to future projects. However, in multi-phase projects, the close-out practice may be applied at various stages of the project; upon deliverable completion, upon phase completion, at designated times during the project’s life, or at whatever other juncture represents a completed segment of project work. Applying the close-out practice in this manner closes out only the portion of the project scope and associated activities applicable to that portion of the project. We have established elaborate procedures for Plant handover protocol and Project close out,
The practice of project close-out consists of two main activity groups:
Administrative Closure - The administrative closure process defines activities, interactions, and related roles and responsibilities of the project team members and other stakeholders involved in executing the administrative closure procedure for the projects.
Performing the administrative closure process includes integrated activities to collect project records, analyze project success or failure, gather lessons learned, transfer the project products or services to production and/or operations, and archive project information for future use by the organization. Among other activities administrative closure includes:
- Confirming the project has met all sponsor, customer, and stakeholder requirements
- Verifying that all deliverables have been delivered and accepted
- Validating exit criteria have been met
Contract Closure - Contract closure includes activities and interactions needed to settle and close any contract agreements established for the project, as well as those related to supporting the formal administrative closure of the project.
Contract closure involves verification that all work has been completed correctly and satisfactorily, updating of contract records to reflect final results, and archiving information for future use. Among other activities contract closure includes:
- Confirming the project has addressed the terms and conditions of the contracts
- Confirming completion of exit criteria for contract closure
- Formally closing out all contracts associated with the completed project
Project close-out should be anticipated and planned as early as possible in the project lifecycle even though it is often the last major process of a project’s life.
At a high-level, the key elements of project close-out are:
- Verify acceptance of final project deliverables
- Conduct post-project assessment and lessons learned
- Conduct post-project review and evaluation
- Recognize and celebrate outstanding project work
- Disburse project resources - staff, facilities and automated systems
- Complete and archive final product records
- Ensure transfer of knowledge
Operation & Maintenance management:
Smooth ramp up of plant production; Process optimization, Maintenance management, Trouble shooting, Failure Mode analysis, RCA, AMCs, up gradation of Plant equipment, Electrics & automation systems up gradation, Instituting 5S, TPM, 6 sigma and quality management systems
