This problem looks at how to apply concepts in the Advanced Multi-Project Management book in your own environment. First, go to www.realization.com and look at the Case Studies tab. There are many short articles describing companies that saw significant improvements using the concepts laid out in our textbook. This web site is selling a software package so that will be referenced in all the articles, so you need to look beyond their sales pitch. Read over a few of the case studies that are related to your business or may have some type of loose relationship with how you get work done in your business. Get some ideas for metrics that were used to show improvements and how project delivery issues were solved.

Next, look within your own environment and identify a challenge related to management of multiple projects. This could be within a small team or across a larger organization. If you work on long-term projects, then consider a smaller sub-set of work. Consider the six gears of multi-project management discussed in the text (introduced in Figure 1.2) to create a plan for reducing your overall project duration and increase projects (or tasks) completed within 3 to 6 months. This doesnt have to be complex but should be actionable. Start with a statement of the problem/challenge you want to address and why improvements in this area will benefit your team or business. This is essentially step 1 in the 10-step process. Then consider each gear in the context of your environment to create your plan. Using the 10-step plan may help you organize your thoughts. If you feel one of the gears doesnt apply to your situation then be sure to explain why that is the case. (30 points)

Lastly, look ahead to 3 or 6 months from now (whichever time frame applies to your case) and write a short case study (no more than 2 pages double-), following the model of the case studies you

reviewed on www.realization.com. Assume you were able to deliver on items identified in your plan and show significant improvements. My objective with this is problem overall is to get you thinking about how you can use ideas we discussed to drive relatively short-term improvements and then market to your team what you have done. (20 points)`

INFRASTRUCTURE & CONSTRUCTION

Innovations and Improvements at Almaraz Nuclear Power

Bringing large-scale improvements to nuclear power plant operations is complex, difficult and costly. SMART Project Delivery proved to be an essential partner as a Spanish nuclear power plant took on multiple projects aimed at capacity, safety and efficiency.

The Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant is located in Almaraz (Caceres) in Spain. The plant uses the international Tagus River that runs into Portugal for cooling. In 2019, the gross production generated between two units at Almaraz was 16,996 million kWh. and the joint net production has been 16,326 million kWh. Since 2005 Realizations partner, CMG Consultores of Spain, has worked alongside team Almaraz, bringing expertise and SMART Project Delivery software to help navigate planned shutdowns and ongoing projects.

Engineering projects

Several types of ongoing projects take place at Almaraz. Design modification projects take from one to six months and often involve 150 mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers. This work is critically important to the ongoing efficiency and safety of the plant. Persistent challenges lurked in many of those initiatives. Projects would launch but wouldnt get fully finished. Sometimes, engineers couldnt begin work because of issues with management input and approvals. The engineering work was being done to prepare for precisely planned shutdowns, so timing and completion were critical. The more efficient and successful the engineering teams were in this phase the safer and more efficient plant operations would be.

Special projects

Special projects entailed precisely planned annual shutdowns. The work might include new generators, interim nuclear waste storage installation and fuel building filtration units and more.

Special projects also included a once-in-a-lifetime shutdown for power uprate work designed to increase the capacity of the plant. During a power uprate, a third of the fuel is replaced and the other two thirds are moved around to make for even burning. Improvements would lead to a more efficient use of nuclear fuel, an increase in the overall efficiency of reactor operations, and increased equipment reliability. Almaraz normally employs 400 workers. During the power uprate shutdown, the workforce grows to 3,000 workers.

Three-thousand workers of varying skillsmany of whom had not worked together beforehad a set number of days to execute on a vast amount of difficult and complex work. Which meant that the way the plant had been operatinga systematic, business-as-usual operation with 600 employees, would have to change. The value of one day of production at the Almaraz plant was 1million euros.

An overriding question was: What can we do in the time we have to implement more design modifications and other improvements to increase the safety and capacity of the plant?

Managing a broad array of challenges

On the design modification front, the design process is iterative. Not every task could be defined upfront and the sequencing of tasks was flexible. How long would any given task take? How many people would it take? Requirements changed. During shutdown, inspections might reveal a need for even more maintenance and scope. It was no small challenge to manage and align so many workerswith varying skillswho were on site for a such a short time. As in most projects, there were a lot of internal and external resources involved. None of whom were in the control of project leadership.

There would be intense competition. For mechanics, electrical and I&C (instrumentation and control). For support resources like planners, schedulers, engineers, expeditors. For facilities and equipment, cranes, scafolders, and backshops). And for managers too: supervisors, leads, managers.

SMART Project Delivery: stable plans, focus & finish

To help Almaraz, CMG Consultores set in motion a slate of best practices enabled by Realizations SMART Project Delivery System. They rewrote the rules, moving from a keep people busy approach to a focus and finish mode. They replaced the concept of single projects/activities with dedicated resources, for one where the resources were global and shared between activities. They swapped out allocating a specific amount of time to a task, for one where time buffers are global and shared between activities or tasks.

Project activities would exist at two levels: Planning Tier (management unit phase) and Execution Tier (subtask, checklist, volume). Stagger Planning Tier tasks to promote the focus and finish mode. Every day the number of open tasks in Execution Tier would be controlled to reduce multitasking and help teams focus on just a few jobs. In daily management meetings, critical decisions were made to keep the project in control, and everyone fully aligned. Even despite the uncertainty. Every project or management unit would have a preparation process, or a full kit associated with it.

SMART Project Deliverys Management System

PLANNING TIER

• Tasks based on focus and finish
• Used for project management
• Determines Critical Path/Chain

EXECUTION TIER

• Subtasks based on work to be done
• Used for daily task management
• Dependencies are only a reference
• More dynamic and flexible

SMART Project Delivery:

Define the management unit Build 2-tiered activity networks for each unit Stagger the management units Provide daily schedules to know what tasks to work on and what problems to solve.

Summary

OUR CLIENT

• CNAT/ALMARAZ NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

CLIENT CHALLENGES

• Not all tasks could be identified upfront
• Managing large temporary workforce
• Changing requirements
• Intense competition for resources
• Aligning internal and external stakeholders

OUR WORK

• Focus and finish approach
• Full kitting
• Business processes for proactive management

THE RESULTS

• Shutdown 3 days early (65 days instead of 68 days)
• Power Uprating during the Shutdown: 6 days early (62 days instead of 68 days)