Vine PM, LLC.

Weekend Winderings - I sit here looking out over Soap Lake in Washington state and think about the corporate life and grind. I am happy to be helping deliver projects while traveling and looking after clients interests. It got me thinking about what is best for a project - turn key one stop shop for EPCM(cxv) or a co-op of experts and consultants. Pros for EPCM etc. are single point of responsibility, obligations to deliver a project and less administration. Cons likely are competing resource, high markups and complex an inefficient contract terms. Co-op pros would provide better "Chosen Excellence" and focussed resource especially for smaller businesses. Cons would be higher level of administration and elimination of a single point of responsibility. I have always promoted the best resource for the job - look at the goals of your project and engage the right people and resource. Navigating our way through these options takes time and sense. Don't jump into a project with the delivery model you always use - take a little time to assess what is right for you. Also ask for opinion from an independent project advisor to ensure you have unbiased input. I have seen may project fail because we followed the norm. Happy to discuss - Jon Vine

Mid-Week Musings - I have to confess its been a month since I mused !. Its April and our travels take us to Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs. Bear with me this may be a long post! Today I decided to challenge myself and ascend the Manitou Incline https://lnkd.in/d5Ybdf67 an old traction railway that rises from 5,600 to 8,600 ft. How hard can this be I said - I love hiking ... The elevation to start with limits your energy and ability. Started out feeling the heart racing and lungs working overtime. One third the way in and the legs start with fatigue - pace slows and more frequent stops. At points I was thinking will I make this? Lots of thoughts going through my head. Well I did make it to the top but the best part of the climb was talking to a diverse range of people and motivating each other to the top. - People older than me taking it steady. - A lady from Germany who said she did this every Wednesday for the last month but today she was stopping half way. - A group of younger hikers who realized that youth does not create ability. - Friends from different countries coming to the area to challenge them selves. - Fellow Brits from Manchester visiting the area - And the local at the top who ascended and was reading a book based on Japanese self development. What went through my mind was everyone was doing this for different reasons but with the goal reaching their end goals (whether the top or not). It definitely brings to mind individuality in teams or individuality in reaching one goal. Remember your team members will do thing in their own time and own ways but will still reach the goal. Talking to them helps develop an understanding of the why. Everyone was happy for their own reasons of reaching the summit. The decent I can tell you was much easier but only after the hard work. Even people on the way need help and understanding: - Runners to take it easy so no injuries - A gentlemen who slipped while trying to stand aside and needed a little help back up. Remember - not everyone is the same. Work as a team and recognize their strengths and weaknesses. Something we forget in our work lives.

Mid-Week Musings - What constitutes a successful project ? Looking at it simply, "Safety" and "Fit for Purpose" are a given. So that leaves Cost and Time. But how do we measure success? Many projects fail to lock in at the right time the control budgets and baseline schedules. A propensity to push the risk to the contracting base delays the ability to control from an early date. It also allows creep of time and cost before locking in thus creating lack of trust from senior management and stakeholders. What are you doing to set realistic expectations, budgets and plans early enough to proactively manage? Vine PM focusses on ensuring these key project controls are in place at the right time for our clients.

Mid-week Musings - Team work 😏 Just watched the documentary on Netflix around the African famine relief back in the mid 80's. 40 years ago wow!! - it really shows how a team can come together under the right leadership and deliver. If you have not watched this documentary, I suggest adding it to your list, it is very inspiring and powerful. "Leave your ego at the door" was one of the best pieces of advice for all of these "now" exceptionally famous musicians. Get the right Team, work with your team and extract the best from your team. https://lnkd.in/g_WgRNkN

Mid-week Musings - It is interesting that there are two schools of thought on the return to corporate office working. Below is an interesting article looking at the resistance to going back to the status quo. How do we evolve? How do we repurpose the traditional office? and how do we think of the future generation working methods? When I was in my early 20's we had no option but to collaborate in an office. Firsthand access to line managers and experts was easy, however, the technology back then did not even include e-mail, computers were not connected to the internet, office memos were plentiful. Now we have other options creating better connectivity. https://lnkd.in/e_i8viv5

Mid-week Musings - When we talk about efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness there are many opinions on how to achieve this. So much effort has been put into processes, procedures, and methods to address the shortfall. I like the simple 7R's as the image below represents. While this is more associated with sustainability a lot of the same principles can be applied to project delivery. "Rethink". So many projects follow preset stage gate flows that while they provide certainty, they do not always fulfil the end goal. "Refuse" knowing when to challenge the norm. "Reduce" eliminating unnecessary work effort. "Reuse" avoiding unnecessary duplication of design. "Repurpose" Adapting v recreating. Lets rethink our approach.