Most A&E professionals spend 4 to 8+ years learning about design (or other professional discipline), followed by required continuing education and licensing. While technical and design expertise is at the core of every firm, project management is too. After all, successful projects are the only way a firm can make money and satisfy clients. This can impact staff retention as well. Principals, practice directors and project managers should register for this free webinar to help develop what we call a “Strong Project Management Culture". You will learn about the 3 pillars of project management excellence: 1. Building strong and effective project managers 2. Creating an environment that enables them to be successful 3. Instilling accountability across the organization This webinar is based on Deltek and PSMJ Resources’ more than 70 years combined experience in helping A&E firms manage their projects effectively. Utilize the framework, best practices and real-world examples to instill project management excellence in your firm. http://www.bcsprosoft.com/3-pillars-project-management-excellence/

1. Building A Strong PM Culture at Your Firm:
The 3 Pillars of Project Management Excellence

2. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Today’s Conversation
 Why a strong PM culture is critical to the success of your firm
 The 3 pillars of PM excellence
1. Building strong and effective PMs
2. Creating an environment that enables them to be
successful
3. Instilling accountability across the organization
 Summary
 Q&A

3. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Today’s Speakers
Bob Stalilonis, CPA, MBA
Senior Solution Architect
Deltek
Dave Burstein, P.E.
Principal
PSMJ Resources, Inc.

4. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Why a Strong PM Culture
Is Critical to the Success of
Your Firm

5. There Are Many Ways Your Firm
Can Spend Money
There is only one way it
can make money – on
projects
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

6. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Strong PMs Are Seller-Manager-Doers
Typical
PM
Roles
• Plan
• Organize
• Direct
• Control
Additional PM
Roles
• Up-sell and
cross-sell
• Close new deals
• Design/technical
direction
• Earn THE profit
• Bill the client
• Secure payment
Where to Find
Time?
PM 10% RULE:

7. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Your Firm’s Future Depends On It

8. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Direct Impacts
 Claims
 Client Retention
 Employee Retention

9. Pillar 1: Building Strong and Effective PMs
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

10. What Makes a Great PM?

11. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
What Makes a Great PM?
1. Follows through
 On commitments
 On others’ commitments
2. Good listener
3. Proactive
4. Nails every aspect of job
5. Leads by example
6. Good communicator
7. Backs decisions of team
members
8. Organized
9. Handles multiple priorities
well
10. Technically proficient
11. Holds people accountable
12. Delegates well

12. A Strong PM is Like a Great Server
in a Fine Dining Restaurant
1. Explain all the scope options offered?
2. Make sure customer understands firm's pricing
structure?
3. Understand the scope that the customer wants
before starting the project?
4. Communicate desired scope to project team?
5. Assure that project team prepares work product
per customer’s desired scope?
6. Deliver it in a reasonable time?
7. Periodically check with customers to see if they
desire additional scope items?
8. Deliver invoice as soon as project is completed?
9. Assure that customer pays invoice?
10. Incentivized to provide excellent service to
customers?
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

13. Best Practices
 A vision created by senior
management
 Clear company-wide standards
 Efficient processes
 Functional professional
development
 Formal project management
training
 Mentoring to enhance skills (team
management, public speaking, etc.)
 Consistent accountability
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

14. Every PM Needs A Development Plan
PM Duties/Authority Current Vision
Manage proposals for the projects he/she will ultimately manage No Yes
Prepare the fee budgets for their projects Occasionally Yes
Actively participate in fee negotiations with clients No Yes
Actively participate in selecting their project team members No Yes
Actively participate in performance evaluations of team members No Yes
Able to get non-performers removed from their projects No Yes
Control design and technical decisions (within the overall constraints of firm policies) Yes Yes
Stay in firm control of their project budgets Usually Yes
Stay in firm control of their project schedules Yes Yes
Maintain the day-to-day relations with their clients Yes Yes
Sign and seal the drawings (in states where they are licensed) No Yes
If there is a collections problem, directs the collection efforts Participates Yes
Really feel accountable for the success or failure of his/her projects Yes Yes
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

15. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Pillar 2: Creating an Environment
That Enables PMs to be Successful

16. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Best Practices
 Templates and tools to comply with
standards
 Efficient, well documented processes
 Workflows from PM system to provide
real-time project insight
 Insight into project financial
performance
 Support from senior project manager
or principal

17. Establish a Partnering Relationship
Between Principals and PMs
Activities Project Manager Principal
Fee proposals Prepares Approves
Fee negotiations Participates Directs
Team selection Requests Approves
Performance evaluations Inputs Performs
Removing non-performers Recommends Acts
Design/technical decisions Meets standards Set standards
Client relations Maintains Client Sponsor
Future work Secures Approves
Accountability Maintains Rewards/punishes
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

18. Give PMs the Tools They Need to
Do Earned Value Management
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
$-
$17,379
$34,758
$52,137
$69,516
$86,895
$104,274
$121,653
$139,032
$156,411
$173,790
1-Jan
1-Feb
1-Mar
1-Apr
1-May
1-Jun
1-Jul
1-Aug
1-Sep
1-Oct
1-Nov
1-Dec
1-Jan
Planned Expenditures
Actual Expenditures
Earned Value
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

19. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Pillar 3: Instilling Accountability
Across The Organization

20. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Best Practices
 Senior management
o Management sets the standard!
o Rigorous project reviews at least monthly
 PMs
o Document compliance with required
actions
o Project plans current and scope changes
addressed with management
o Standard escalation steps followed if
project falls behind with budget or
schedule
o Monitor KPIs monthly and take action
when project performance is below
benchmarks
 Finance
o Partner with the PMs – information
sharing, training

21. Much
Above
Target
Much
Below
Target
Profit
Target
Profit
Below
Target
Profit
Above
Target
Profit
Unacceptable
Needed Improvement
Acceptable
Met Expectations
Exceeded Expectations
Excellent
Exceptional
How One Successful Firm*
Evaluates Their PMs
ClientEvaluations
Profitability
1 1 PM #1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2 PM #2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3 PM #3
3
3 3
3
3
3
4
4 PM #4
4 4
4
4
4
* Reproduced courtesy of ClientFeedbackTool
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

22. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
10 Things Principals Must Know
About Their PMs’ Projects
1. Is the job set up properly in the accounting system?
2. Has a Project Management Plan been prepared and distributed to the
team?
3. Are there pending change orders that need to be formalized?
4. Has the job been billed recently?
5. Are payments current?
6. Is the job running over or under budget? If over budget, what corrective
actions are being taken?
7. Is the project on schedule? If not, what corrective actions are being
taken?
8. Are our QA requirements being followed?
9. Is the client happy?
10. Is there more work coming up with that client?

23. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
We Don’t Recommend This Method
Principals
Project Manager
CFO

24. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
You Can Get the Answers By…

25. Or You Can Schedule Formal
Project Reviews
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

26. Selecting Projects for Formal
Reviews
 % Spent varies significantly
from % Earned
 % Earned = % Spent
 High risk projects
 High opportunity projects
 Strategic client projects
 It’s the PM’s turn
©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved

27. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
One Firm’s Project Review Process
1. All PMs submit Earned Value reports to their Office Managers each month.
2. Each Office Manager in conjunction with the Regional Manager will select a day
each month to conduct project reviews. Time allocated will be 30 to 60 minutes
per PM, at the discretion of the Office Manager. Office Managers will have a
schedule in place on or before November 1.
3. Office Managers will advise Regional Managers, PICs, COO and CFO which projects
are scheduled for reviews each period. Regional Managers, PICs, COO and CFO
will attend at their discretion (either in person or via web).
4. Each PM must present at least one project each month. If the Office Manager is
also the PM, the Assistant PM will present the project
5. Project reviews will include both PowerPoint and Excel templates (plus other
clarifying management information that the PM may want to include)
6. The COO monitors the implementation of this process

28. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways

29. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways
1. Develop a specific list of PM duties for all the PMs in your
firm
2. Measure your PMs’ performance in terms of:
 Profitability
 Client satisfaction
3. Have a written plan for developing promising design
professionals into strong PMs
4. Communicate regularly with your PMs to find out the
status of key issues

30. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Key Takeaways…
5. Senior Management commitment to strong project
management
6. Senior Management adopts new processes
7. Project planning is integral to business process
8. Clear career path, training and development, and support
for PM leads to lower turnover
9. Best practice firms leverage technology, streamline
business processes, and centralize information in a single
database

31. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Q&A

32. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Next Steps
Project Management Bootcamp
This interactive, two-day seminar is extremely useful for those who are
looking for all levels of project management
• Webinar participants register now for one of the upcoming 8 locations, and bring a
colleague to this seminar for half off the regular registration fee.*
Project Management Newsletter
This monthly newsletter provides PMs with great ideas on how to make
their projects more successful.
• Webinar participants receive 18 months of this newsletter for the price of 12 months
($397 per subscriber)
• Significant discounts are available for multiple subscribers in the same firm
Call Diane Constantine at 800-537-PSMJ (7765) and mention that you
participated in this webinar to receive these special offers for a limited time only.
Offer ends 14 days from the date of this webinar!
*PSMJ PM Bootcamp offer – not valid on previously registered and paid attendees

33. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Next Steps
Building a Culture of Better Project Management
Whitepaper
A start-to-finish guide for creating a world-class project
management discipline.
Download- http://bit.ly/1rQcXJF
Deltek Project Management eBook
Loaded with product and client examples, this interactive
eBook shows you how Deltek Vision enables more effective
project management
Download - http://bit.ly/1jjjyty

34. ©2014 Deltek, Inc. and PSMJ Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Thank You!
Dave Burstein
dburstein@psmj.com
(770) 723-9651
Bob Stalilonis
BobStalilonis@deltek.com
(617) 528-2375