Project Management 101: Basics of Autodesk Construction Cloud

MARCOS HARANO: Greetings, everyone. This is our session Project Management 101: The Basics of Autodesk Construction Cloud. It's a pleasure to have you guys here, and doing the whole session. This is a safe harbor statement. So it's important for you guys to be aware of it.

Let's start with our introductions. So it's a pleasure to talk with everyone. I'm Marcos Harano. I'm civil engineer, and also master in construction management. Currently, technical solutions executive for Autodesk Construction Solutions. And I'm based in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

JULIO PALMA: My name is Julio Palma, civil engineer. I'm part of the technical sales team in Latin America, basically managing Colombia.

MAURICIO IRASTORZA: Yes, I'm Mauricio Irastorza, also a civil engineer with a specialization in construction management. I'm based here in Mexico City, part of the technical solution executive team with Marcos Harano covering Latin America. And we're really thankful for your time here today. So today we're going to talk about project management in construction. How many times have you gone to bed with these things in mind, like change order, or payment application, RFIs, inspections?

There's a study from FMI report called Construction Disconnected that states that 34% of the time is wasted on non-optimal activities-- typical side activities like field executions, or conducting planning sessions. There's a study from Delft University in Netherlands that covered these typical activities, four of them-- planning, supervision activities, field activity, and administration.

The study was conducted within 28 months of a project, the ITP project, the reconstruction of a hotel worth $32 million. This project was conducted on the traditional means within the first two months, and they took 87 hours a week for the six residents and two superintendents to do their traditional workflows.

Leveraging on digital transformation and cloud-based solutions, they were able to reduce by 45% of the time, giving each individual around 40 hours a week of work. So they can focus on proactive activities instead of being reactive. Thanks.

MARCOS HARANO: OK. So given this lead [INAUDIBLE] introduction, let's say that we can get to our agenda for today. So we will give context for this session-- title and subtitle as well. Of course, project management, and Autodesk Construction Cloud. After that, we will guide you, and guide ourselves, in the search of a better and more peaceful night of sleep with the help of the triple constraint, the theory from the Project Management Institute. That will be divided into three parts as well as ourselves, the three speakers-- scope, time, and also cost.

All right. So let's go and start with the basic concepts that will help us during the scope, time, and cost phases as well. So first thing, to manage a project well, whatever it is, we need to separate tasks, places, and define those involved, right? That's why there are breakdown structures which can be applied to anything-- really anything.

And I can prove it. So since that's our goal, let's go back to the analogy, a good night of sleep. So first we define who will participate in this project, right? The famous stakeholders. So for example, at home my organization's breakdown structure is defined by me, my fiancée, and our dogs as well.

All right, so knowing this, each of these stakeholders has tasks to perform and to do, right? So these tasks must follow a sequence, or can be performed in parallel, whether it's taking a shower, putting on our swag pajamas, or having an evening tea while we watch the latest episode of Stranger Things. So this is called the work breakdown structure. And finally, we need to understand our surroundings, right?

Where will we perform these tasks? And our location breakdown structure is very well defined, whether it is the dog houses, the specific-- the limitation of space and my fiancée's, or even a good old couch in case I haven't behaved myself. Moving forward, but still on project management, it's time to measure our performance.

To determine the project's current status, progress, and future projections, we need to identify the following parameters-- actual cost, earned value, and, of course, the planned value. Each of these elements must be compared with the design and [INAUDIBLE] s-curve, as you guys can see on the screen.

These comparisons help you see whether our project is over or under budget, or ahead of or behind the schedule. In project management, you have to track many parameters like this, and the s-curve is extremely helpful in such a scenario. It is a fantastic tool to track costs in connection to man hours, as well as other aspects-- resource allocation planning, expenditure versus cash flow, and so on. It's almost like wearing a smartwatch during your sleep. But to input all of those informations easily, we need to use the right technology for that.

And before moving to Autodesk Construction Cloud, it's important to keep in mind our construction principles as well. And thus connect, then, with project management theorists. So first, we have to ensure how efficiently we handle all the people involved in the project, such as materials, all the equipments, defining budgets, best use of our locations, and information management in real time.

Only with these principles in mind, we can achieve budget accuracy, scheduled time, and desired quality level. And for those who think that there is no budget management, no such thing in a good night's of sleep, have you ever stopped to think about the cost of a bad night's sleep? So let's continue with Mauricio.

MAURICIO IRASTORZA: Thank you, Marcos. So now we're going to make a brief introduction around Autodesk Construction Cloud, and how it is the right tool for the job. So it can be defined as the right tool for the job as it is an adaptable tool for changing conditions. Each of the customers can personalize their workflow, or customize these workflows based on their current needs. So it's how are we going to take Construction Cloud and adapt it to the current company processes. It is also an easy-to-use platform for all team level expertise or maturity.

And I will say, as you've probably heard on different sessions around the vision from Construction Cloud, that this is an a platform tool, and not really a point solution. And it's the way we're shifting the use of our solutions on construction site by automating multiple tasks, and removing those time-consuming tasks allows you to have this good night's sleep. So there are three pillars that Construction Cloud is based on, digitizing, integrating, and optimizing. So how are these three pillars related?

The first one, digitize around the document management digitalization. How are we going to collaborate with cross-functional teams, and how are we going to set up those automated workflows to conduct our project management labor during the job site?

Then, we'll need to integrate all of this information, like digitally capture the field information, change management processes, switch from all the printed formats to mobile devices. In this way, as we are documenting and storing everything in the clouds-- in the cloud, we'll have the traceability and data analytics to conduct informed decisions within our construction projects.

So Construction Cloud can be positioned as this common data environment-- where we are going to talk and break those information silos within the architects, design teams, project managers, estimators, budgeting, engineer, those third parties. If we're going to establish this true common data environment, where we won't be needing to change from design phases, to pre-construction, to on-site activities, all of the information will be living in the same place.

And it is supported by ISO workflows-- ISO-19650, which allows for collaboration within BIM projects. And it doesn't matter if it's graphical actives, like sheets or models, or non-graphical information, like documentation, contracts, certifications, field reports. We can store all of the information within the same platform.

Julio is going to elaborate a little bit more on our design phases. But for the design phases within Autodesk Construction, we have Autodesk BIM Collaborate that can help teams to coordinate, model, conduct, design collaboration in real time with a federated model. And after that, evaluating the model conditioning to start this pre-construction phase, where we can solve, let's say, virtually, before going to construction, whichever project we might-- whichever problem we might face.

Also out of this build, which we can divide in five filers, those filers are project management and cost management, where we are going to focus our presentation today. But also, safety tracking and security tracking on site.

All of these can be done by a mobile application. We'll allow the users to conduct their day-to-day activities site working offline, without internet connection. All of this to conduct that documentation, where we can gather project insights and start exporting field reports, or as-built reports. So out of this build will be a project management solution that will allow us to finish projects on time and budget. Now let's go with Julio to hear more about how can we apply this triple constraint theory into Construction Cloud.

JULIO PALMA: OK, thank you, Mauricio. Now let me handle with the theoretical part. So project management fundamentals take us to the triple constraint theory. So the triple constraint theory states that you must be in control of everything, or almost everything that is happening in the project. And to be able to see what is going on-- what is going to come in the project, during the project execution, right?

So these countries are tied one each other. Any change made to one of those-- made to one of those will impact, or will influence the other two. The triple constraint theory is also known as the project management triangle, or the project triangle, or the iron triangle. It's nothing new.

Project management has been using it for almost 50 years now, and the idea behind the triple constraint theory is that there is always going to be one constraint in any system that can potentially take the project at risk. The idea behind the triple constraint theory is that the project manager can success or can failure in every project when it's tied to the budget, the schedule, and the scope. So your job as project manager is to find that balance among the three constraints, and to keep your project on track.

So what is actually the challenge? Right now, most of all of-- most of us are here full of documents, most of that are printed. We have a lot of apps, a lot of passwords, and so on. However, technology is already here. There are apps for everything today, and we manage almost everything from our phones or our laptops, right? So it's up to us to review our businesses, our business' cases, actually, and to become your project management in a digital environment.

So let's check with our joint project we all are involved these days. So I turn here to AU. To get you in the chair that you are right now, there were defined three principal pillars to get your approvals and depart from your hometown, right? First, the scope to be here in New Orleans these three days, and the most important to be here in Project Management 101 class, right? The time to be here during the three days, safe and sound. And the cost to be accurate in your expenses regarding your managers, your companies, and your family's approvals.

So let's keep in mind these three dimensions to be aware of the implications of being control of those in essential to enjoy the event, and get the most of it, and get back home safe.

The scope, these are the definition of what needs to be done. It documents the features and functions that will be included in certain project iteration. The scope documentation should make it clear to everybody about what will be and will not be included in the final product. You may be considering using a work breakdown structure to break down the scope into actionable tasks.

Creativity in design teams means changes, and changes means versioning, and they need to be in control of all that versioning. All project is in need of changes. Changes are the essence of improvement. So the problem is not actually the changes.

What is needed is a controlled way to do those changes, to be aware of changes' implications, being clear on the time to announce or to communicate those changes, and to implement those changes in the project's benefit. Autodesk Construction Cloud, as Mauricio mentioned before, and the specific Build Collaborate-- and Build Collaborative Pro modules, provide a set of features and specific workflows that allows you, as a project manager, and to the members of the teams and the team leaders to be in control of the changes during the design in pre-construction phase of the project.

So just imagine the project as a racetrack. You don't want any creative rider to take any shortcut at this [INAUDIBLE], right? So in Autodesk Construction Cloud, there are some specific workflows, or racetracks, to control everyone. I do note, I allow them to take any shortcut. In the first instance, there is the document management workflow, intended to admin all the projects documents in the common data environment. There is also the design review workflow, the model coordination workflow, and approvals workflow.

But wait-- yeah. So you are going to have a set of features-- as I mentioned, you are going to have a set of features in order to be in control of those changes. Those changes like sharing packages between the different disciplines, and the differ-- and to be in control of the different team leaders, to have clashes, automatic clashing, and to have different coordination tools also available in the platform.

For example, the Colombian customer Muros y Techos is using Autodesk Construction Cloud to track the different design and construction teams along their project's execution. Actually, they have implemented different key indexes in the project management process in order to deliver on type reporting and risk analysis to the C-level follow ups-- meetings. So Marcos, this is your time.

MARCOS HARANO: All right, so let's enjoy every single second of this talk understanding now how we can better manage our project time, but also how can we invest in productivity and rework mitigation. So do you guys remember our structures, right? Very well.

We have the stakeholders, tasks, and locations defined. We can manage all the actions, deadlines, and give visibility into the planning for everyone involved. And with this, we bring not only what project management permeates, but also what methodologies like lean construction preach. This is the Last Planner system aimed at visualizing task packages and deliveries in the field, with the objective of extracting the maximum of each day of the work team.

War rooms like this are set up so that everyone involved is aware of macro and micro-planning. But how about we migrate from paper and post-its to a common data environment? The work plan, too, within Autodesk Build-- and, by the way, here's a disclaimer-- is still in beta. OK? Makes it possible to filter the stream lane or flow charts, as you can call, by each of our planning and project management structures.

The organization-- all in every single different locations, where we can even bring one more methodology. For example, the Advanced Work Packaging, or AWP, and it's CWA, the Construction Work Areas, too-- as well. And obviously, by our tasks, stages, or even activities, right?

This gives us the management of performance indicators, the KPIs, such as the plan percent complete, the PPC, as we can present right now, or within work plan, which is the number of assignments completed on the day divided by the total number of assignments made for the week. This number shows what subcontractors have completion in relation to what they really promised.

So now that we are addicted to performance, how about saving time? Let's revisit the 35% of wasted time, which Mauricio shared with us at the beginning of the session, and imagine what a common date environment, where all documentation, templates, forms, photos are all centralized and in the palm of your hand.

This is how the Brazilian customers [INAUDIBLE] are delivering better results in the characterization of dams. Imagine this kind of works from extremely projects-- extremely complex projects-- to the most simplest ones. And this is how Saint-Gobain Brasil leads, by inspecting its works with the Planned Grid Build mobile app, generating drastic savings in time on the jobsite all around the country, and also saving time generating those bureaucratic reports and graphics as well. Time is money. Go for it, Mauricio.

MAURICIO IRASTORZA: So, how many of you are familiar with this image. As my time doing project manager, I was hoping to have this fourth monitor, as I was needing to be covering our project financials, payment applications, seeing project sheets, conduct activities within multiple environments.

And I will say, I couldn't find a messy desk of all the printed paperwork at the display that my desk actually looked like. What if we could have a tool-- oh, sorry. What if we could have a tool for the job within Autodesk Build, a tool that allows our users to set up their entire project parameters-- set up their entire project parameters, like a base budget, codification, handle contract management, processes and allocate multiple budget lines to each contract with our subcontractors in an upstream and downstream processes-- where we can receive payment applications through the subcontractors, and then we can take this as input for generating upstream payment applications to project owner, managing budget within time thanks to the integration of the scale functions within Build.

And being able to handle the change order processes, and establish our scope, as Marcos introduced, where we can have this full visibility on how our project is performing in time, cost, and scope.

So one of our customers here in Mexico is Cemex. It's a customer that we have been working on for the past years, and it helped-- it makes good faced the pandemic reinventing themselves. They generated an entire business unit for prefabrication. Working with their own customer network, Cemex managed to build more than 30 modular hospitals in one year. These modular hospitals took less than 40 days to build. And one of the main benefits that Cemex mentioned around digital collaboration was their material waste reduction.

They managed to reduce material waste by 20% in each and every single one of their projects, impacting directly on the project budget and their sustainability targets. So for sustainability targets, what Cemex is doing, they have integrated more than 70 EPDs within a [? EC3, ?] the building transparency tool calculator, that will help or allow the customers to calculate [? embodied ?] carbon for their projects. Cemex has now more than 70 EPDs, which are this environmental product declaration within the tool, and they are making those connections to their materials through the projects thanks to ACC.

So Cemex, it's also thinking how to reinvent their sales and digital transformation processes. So now they are conducting a, I would say, asset tracking activities, or asset management activities. They have all of their asset master list. Each of these assets represents a different prefabricated element within their models, and now within Autodesk Build.

So with Autodesk Build, they can easily take their cell phone, they can see each of the materials, where is that material-- sorry, where is that element located, like this a wall-- where does it has to be, the location. What is the status-- have been ordered, had it been shipped to site, had it been delivered? So with this, they can take the cell phone, they can scan barcoding from fabrication to on-site construction to track this progress-- where is each of the elements' statuses.

So now, for example, this element has been delivered to site. The resident changed this by scanning the barcode. And now with this, he also links it to a model as it linked to the element ID. With this, they can see the location within the model, and have references like the actual model from Navisworks, from Revit-- even checklist, like a punch list for a functional test on the element, on delivery processes.

So with all of this, they can know for sure where their assets are within their entire life cycle. They also plan to establish different types of dashboards, so they can be able to track all of these single elements within all of their projects. So imagine the possibility that Cemex is expanding by using the asset management tool within Autodesk Build to save more time and save more money without losing track of the business.

So these were some examples of Latin America. We will go ahead and cover some of the key benefits these customers have thanks to this digital transformation processes with cloud solutions.

MARCOS HARANO: All right. So in Brazil, we saved 50% of our time on monitoring and reporting field activities and quality inspections alongside [? Saint-Gobain ?] Brazil.

MAURICIO IRASTORZA: In Mexico, Cemex was able to save an average of 28% of waste reduction by having this agile change management and asset tracking executing on fields.

JULIO PALMA: And in Colombia, the customer Muros y Techos has been able to finish their projects up to 44% ahead of schedule-- some of their projects.

MAURICIO IRASTORZA: Great. So going back to our sleep analogy, imagine if only we had a tool that can take all of those thoughts-- that we have as a project management before going to sleep to store, manage, and track our construction site activities. So we invite you guys to rely on our solutions and the great people at Autodesk.

We would love to hear your comments. We're eager to learn and keep developing ourselves from our customer needs, and customer outcomes, and we would love to hear your comments on how you guys are leveraging ACC and project management activities to being able to have this positive impact within digital transformation in our construction industry.

Well, thanks, everybody for your time. It was a pleasure spending that time with you. Hope you have a pleasant rest of Autodesk University. If we'll meet on the host, please, let's have a follow-up conversation. Thanks for your time here today. Thanks Julio, Marcos.