Project Management = People Management
Tom Gavula
Director - AM/FM/GIS Project, Providence Gas Company
Marina Havan-Orumieh, Senior System Analyst
PlanGraphics, Inc.
Introduction
Projects are successfully implemented if goals are clearly defined and project managers acknowledge their role as
people mediators. A project, whether it's about implementing a new technology or constructing a pipeline,
ultimately is about managing people and their tasks. This article is focused on recognizing that people fall in
different categories, requiring tailored management and communication. The following paragraphs provide a
history of the AM/FM/GIS project at the Providence Gas Company (ProvGas), and the specific 'tailored'
management and communication steps we use for specific groups of people we have identified that are impacted or
impact the project success.
Project History
The AM/FM/GIS project at ProvGas has had a long history. Information about the specific location of all its main
and service pipes was contained in a multitude of paper files dating back to 1875. Because the information was not
consolidated in any practical way, the shear volume of paper made it impossible to keep it all up-to-date.
Consequently, the records contained much conflicting information. Because there were no rigorous procedures
regarding who had access to the records, over time, many documents got misfiled and lost. Over the years, a few
databases were created, paper files were created to serve the needs of specific departments, and AutoCAD was also
introduced as a drawing tool. Though the complicated data maintenance was recognized at ProvGas it took a lot of
lobbying to initiated formal discussion in the early 1990's.
The more recent history related to AM/FM/GIS is listed in the following table:
| 1992 |
Showed board members the problem with existing paper records,the inefficiencies and the
holes |
| 1993 |
A company wide needs assessment project was completed that identified AM/FM need but not the
priority |
| 1993 |
Close to starting the project |
| 1994 |
Company evaluated all proposed projects. AM/FM didn't get picked |
| 1995 |
Assessed alternatives to AM/FM such as document management |
| 1996 |
Lobbied to, at a minimum, implement a facility management database to replace the legacy
system |
| 1996 |
Got approval to build a FM database |
| 1997 |
FM database development suspended due to work order management project
undertaking |
| 1997 |
Public Utility Commission agreed to a funding plan that required having 75% of active services and main in production by end of
FY2000 |
| 1997 |
ProvGas executives approval to start the project |
| 1997 |
Built a data compilation methodology, and first project team with a half time ProvGas project
manager |
| 1998 |
Began AM/FM project with the 4 year implementation plan where the DigSafe (one call) process was identified as the key process to be
addressed |
| 1998 |
Selected hardware, software conversion vendor, began pilot data
conversion |
| 1998 |
Team changed half time project manager to full time |
| 1999 |
Began maintaining production data using AM/FM/GIS tools |
| 2000 |
Will begin archiving source documents |
The long history of the project resulted in many individuals in the various levels of the company having exposure to
AM/FM/GIS, at each stage developing their own perceptions of its benefits and functionality. The company, in
anticipation of deregulation affects, was going through major changes, implementing best business practices and
new technologies As a result, key individuals rotated in and out of the process of getting the AM/FM project
introduced, developed and implemented. The role of clarifying the goals, and its impact on the various groups
within the company has become the most challenging task for the AM/FM/GIS implementation at ProvGas
Five key groups have been identified that were impacted and/or had impact on the ProvGas project, they included
the project team, executives, regulators, end users and vendors.
Each group is critical to the success of the project
but their vision of success, their expectations, their needs; their understanding of the technology and their potential
impact on the project has varied greatly. We will look at each of the five groups mentioned above with regards to
their expectations, understanding of AM/FM/GIS, impact on the project's success, and their affect on the focus of
the implementation. The discussion will also include the action steps that we found to align the groups with the
project goals, and progress.
