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Solar Park, Gujarat Power Corporation Limited

Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project, Tehri HydroDevelopment Corporation

Dell ICC Expansion, Sriperumbudur Industrial Belt,Tamil Nadu, C B Richard Ellis

Mahakavi Bharathiar Higher Secondary School, Sevalaya

December 2012 Volume 4 Issue 6

Manage India features the PMI India

Best Project of the Year 2012 awardees


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2 December 2012

Managing EditorRaj Kalady

PMI India Communications

Priya Awasare

Publication Project TeamCyberMedia Services Limited (CMSL)Marketing Communications Division

Project Editor

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www.pmi.org.in

Contents

Letter from Managing Director, PMI India

By Invitation

Te Imperatie f Scial Innatin

Article of the Month

Prject Management and Scial IT

Interview

Manage India talks t Mr. Ramam Atmakuri, winner f te PMI Eric JenettPrject Management Excellence Award, and Mr. Tejas Sura, te lead nminatrfr Mr. Atmakuri

Chapter News

Champion Update

PMI India Update

Feature

W Executies Need Enterprise Prject Prtfli Management

Winning te Da wit Prject ExcellenceManage India features the PMI India Best Project of the Year 2012 awardees

CovER SToRy 6

3

4

Contents

11

12

17

18

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14

The right motivation and work environment ensured the KoteshwarHydro Electric Project in the Tehri Hydro Complex in Uttarakhandcompleted on time.


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December 2012 3

Raj KaladyManaging Director, PMI India

Letter frm teManaging Directr, PMI India

Dear Practitioners,

We are almost at the end o an exciting and eventul

yeara year that brought the leadership o the worldstwo largest economies into ocus, besides many other

major geo-political developments around the world.

While the U.S. sees a continuity o its leadership or the

next our years and China has gone in or its once-in-

a-decade leadership change, the challenges or both are

mounting. These leaders will have to wear their project

managers hat and steer their country out o the present

economic crisis. U.S. president, Mr. Barack Obama, and

newly appointed Chinese leader, Mr. Xi Jinping, will be

heading the worlds most challenging projects o reviving

the economy and maintaining high growth, respectively.

In keeping with our belie that a successul project manager

needs to appreciate global trends and apply them to

practice, PMI India conducted a frst-o-its-kind study tour

to China in November. The study tour or senior executives

rom Indian public sector organizations was organized in

association with the Inrastructure and Project Monitoring

Division o the Ministry o Statistics and Programme

Implementation, Government o India. During the week-

long tour, delegates visited several top energy companies

in China and gleaned insights on their project management

practices.

Last month, PMI India and the Conederation o Indian

Industry (CII) jointly organized the third annual conerence

on project management. The conerence on, Project

Management: Doing More with Less, attracted large

participation rom CII members rom across industries.

We had two highly successul annual chapter conerences

in November and December. The PMI West Bengal Chapter

conerence, Aviskar 2012, in November-end showcased

the growing awareness o project management in east

India. The region is poised or rapid progress with several

large government projects coming up in these states. The

conerence gave an opportunity or practitioners acrossindustries, government, academia, and social sectors to

connect, collaborate, and integrate on the emerging trends

in project management.

PM Conclave, the PMI Mumbai Chapter conerence, this

month was on Delivery Business Results through Agility

and was a big success. We launched a new eature this

time. We elicitated or the frst time six members who

have completed more than 10 years as chapter members.

This will now become a regular eature in all annual

chapter conerences.

Registration is now open or the Research & Academic

Conerence 2013 in Chennai. You will get more details

about the conerence on http://www.pmi.org.in/rac2013/

I thank you or your continued support and involvement

in our various programs through the year. Looking orward

to a wonderul year ahead. Happy New Year!

Warm regards,

Raj KaladyManaging Director, PMI India


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4 December 2012

Te Imperatie f Scial

Innatin

Wherever you travel in the worldand speak with locals, you are likelyto hear about similar social prob-lems. You commonly hear com-plaints about rising energy andpetrol costs, ineective managemento waste, an education system that ishighly competitive and does notequip youth with the tools orsuccess, lack o jobs, lack o civic

consciousness, and so on. The list islong and the challenges oten ollowa similar pattern that you areamiliar with.

Traditionally, many countries havelooked to their politicians or solu-tions with the belie that societaldevelopment must be within thepolitical sphere. In many cases, this isvalid. Governments o countries such

Answers t man f ur scial

prblems lie in imaginatie

tinking and cllectie actin.

Alexei Leene, managing

trustee, Innatin experience

(iX), talks abut wat scial

grups and indiiduals can d

witut reling t muc n

te gernment

as Estonia, Singapore, Switzerland,and Ireland have been highly eectiveat creating conditions or societal, andto a degree, environmental beneft.What these nations share, aside rombeing compact, is that they understandthat the best way to develop condi-tions or societal development is notto act as a sole agent but to rather en-gage entrepreneurs, create conditions

or a thriving economy, and encourageindividuals and communities to adoptprogressive behaviors. The govern-ment in this scenario has a vision andcreates conditions or engaging stake-holders in seeing this vision through.The vision articulates clear benefts tocitizens and businesses. They also es-tablish a clear linkage with actorssuch as the promotion o inward in-vestment, premium tourism, and ahigher quality o lie.

But in the world today, should werely on governments alone to solveour social challenges? Solving chal-lenges suggests bringing us closer toan unnamed status quo, but whatabout pioneering new ideas that raisethe bar even higher? Even moderatelyeective governments set out incre-mental goals that oten lack real vi-sion and represent more o an ad hocsolution. The UK, which has signedup to the Kyoto Protocol, the UnitedNations Framework Convention on

Climate Change that puts an obliga-tion on industrialized countries toreduce their emissions o greenhousegases, has set so-called ambitioustargets o increasing renewable ener-gy usage by around 30 percent by2020. Some say that this is too loty agoal as wind and solar power are in-termittent and unreliable, and theycost too much. The myths surround-ing renewable energy are many and

whilst there is some truth to these,we must separate act rom iction.The U.S. Department o Energy re-ported in 2011 that the whole o USAcould be powered by solar energy byusing only 17 sq km o land in eachstate. A recent report by Boston Con-sulting placed solar PV as being oncost parity with black coal. This doesnot take into account the environ-

mental cost o black coal.

So while politicians oer incrementalsolutions at best and inaction or poordecisions at worst, what is the role osocial innovation in developing ourplanet and societies? Social innova-tion or new ideas that help and do notharm begins with an examination othe very essence o a social challenge.In the example o the UK energy strat-egy, a standard approach says toincrementally introduce renewable

energy into the mix. This strategyretains certain entrenched assump-tions and conveniently ignores someweighty considerations. Do we reallyneed a grid? What i each buildingwas a net producer o energy? Havewe actored in the true cost o owner-ship? What about the merit ordereect, transmission loss or the netcarbon impact? What about efciencyo energy use? What i houseswere able to automatically learn bestpractices rom each other?

At our organization, Innovation eX-perience, we are seeking to tacklethese systemic challenges head-onthrough innovative, impactul, andun interventions that can be scaledup. Take or example our solar read-ing lamp workshops, which we havebeen conducting in Kerala and TamilNadu. In these workshops, studentslearn the practical techniques o cre-

By InvItatIon

By ALEXEI LEvENE


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December 2012 5

ating their own solar reading lamprom the circuit board up. Not onlydo the students gain practical knowl-edge but also i one lakh studentsturned o their luorescent lightsduring study time, this would repre-sent between 5MW and 8MW savingo energy. It is a deceptively simplesolution to tackle energy issues, withempowered youth leading the charge.

We also draw on our teams previousexpertise in corporate strategy andinnovation, and are rolling out 1 and2 day creativity workshops or lowincome youth in Kerala, equippingthem with exactly the same tools thatFortune 100 executives get trainedin. Innovation is a buzzword thesedays. By being able to master the dis-

cipline o imagination, participantsearn a huge edge in an employmentmarket that values divergent think-ing. At the same time, we have devel-oped a one-year innovation curricu-lum that we are trying to roll out inKerala. We would now like to roll itout nationally.

Social innovation is about a mindsetthat seeks to re-imagine and thenimplement new ideas. As a startingpoint, we need to ask what tools we

have and need, both individually andcollectively. Given that in mostcountries we are constantly beingtaught to conorm -- i we dont do itright, we ail our exams or lose ourjobs how do we then develop amindset or invention? For would-besocial innovators out there, here aresome initial steps to consider:

Step 1 - Convert your mindset romone o risk management to one oadventure management

Most o us in the business, andespecially in the project managementworld, are constantly being asked tothink about the risk o a project orventure. Risk carries signifcantgravity and can oten halt us beore wehave even begun. The greatest riskcomes rom living an unulflled lie, somake a commitment to stop assessingrisk and start thinking about adventure!

tend to ollow the rules o compro-mise and sel-censure and do not leadto an innovative outcome. Innovationcomes rom passion, insight, playul-ness, and emotion. You do not want abureaucrat asking you: But where

has this been done beore? Drop thecommittee, orm a committed groupor social good, and make somethinghappen while the bureaucrats arestill debating about your proposal.

Step 5 - Make a dent in the universeSteve Jobs coined the phrase. Now golive it, you have less time than youmay think!

(Mr. Alexei Levene is Managing

Trustee of Innovation eXperience(iX), a social innovation non-profitventure based in Trivandrum, Kerala.iX focusses on new ideas, technolo-gies, and solutions in areas such asclean energy, waste management, ed-ucation, eco-tourism, and accessibil-ity, and works closely with partnerssuch as UST Global and CII Trivan-drum. Read more about iX at www.kerala-ix.com)

Step 2 - Embrace ailure; its the onlyway to learn

This is a well-established phrase buthow many o us put it into practice?The truth is that i you are trying

something genuinely new, you may notto get it right the frst time. And it is byailing and learning that you are able toadapt and move on. Being araid oailure and taking sae options are sure-fre guarantees to me-too solutionsand a constant bewilderment at thosewho move past you.

Step 3 - Understand that the highestmeaning in lie comes rom helpingothers

Sorry but its true. I you ever wantproo o this, you neednt look atreligious texts or sel-help books. Justtry giving it a go!

Step 4 - The larger the committee, themore incremental the outcome

Visionary thinking and not consen-sus-based decisions by committees isthe need o the hour. Such decisions

By InvItatIon

A structure designed and created by Innovation eXperience (iX) usingdiscarded plastic bottles.


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6 December 2012

Manage India features the PMI India Best Project of the Year 2012 awardees.

Conferred at the PMI India National Conference in Chennai in September,the award-winning projects displayed mature project management practices

that helped overcome complex technical, socio-political, and vendor and

people management challenges. From a government project that won over

stakeholders by creating a positive work environment after a troublesome start,

a government nodal agency that facilitated the setting up of Asias largest solar

power generation facility in record time, a private sector company that delivered

a project within tough timelines, and a social sector organization that employedmanagement principles in its efcient running, there was great variety on

display in terms of project type, challenges faced, and benets received.

By GEEThA RAo

Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project, Tehri HydroDevelopment CorporationPMI India Best Project of the Year (long duration: 3+ years)

The Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project is a part o the Tehri

Hydro Complex. Situated in Uttarakhand, the Koteshwarproject had gone o-track due to rehabilitation and resettle-ment (R&R) issues. The land could not be provided to con-tractors till 2006, though the project was awarded in 2002and expected to be completed in 2006. Restarting on the proj-ect meant restoring aith among the contractors, identiyingdedicated sta, taking speedy decisions, handling crises situ-ations, and the like.

The challenges were many. The R&R challenge had beendone in a piecemeal manner initially, and evacuation donein April 2005. Complaints rom villagers regarding blastingand dust made matters worse. In addition, the rates o steel

and cement had increased. Thereore, contractors wanted arevision o rates.

In 2007, a major decision was taken to work upront on theproject at the risk and cost o the contractor. An empoweredcommittee was constituted with vast powers. This resultedin speedy decisions, cash ow, and timely payments. Therewas a new positivity at work.

We started with an analysis o the requirements, said Mr. DV Singh, then director, technical, THDCIL. One big challenge

was non-payment o contractors dues. Besides, supplierswere not ready to provide materials. This led to a lack omobilization equipment and machinery were idle; therewere no communication acilities; there were no street lightsor working at night; and the batching plant and crushing plantwere insufcient. In all, only Rs. 99 crore worth o work hadbeen accomplished out o the Rs. 334 crore contracted or.

We started almost rom scratch in April 2007. We beganwith identiying problems, treatment, and execution. Forexecution, we chose employees with a track record o posi-tivity at work, and with the ability to work hard and withenthusiasm. The entire work was divided on a grid basis. Toregain a reposing o aith in us, we assured suppliers thatpayment would be made directly to them rom THDC. Thenext month, they were given the ull payment. This restoredtheir aith in us, said Mr. Singh.

Problems were identifed and corrected to the microscopiclevel. Even i they were a nut and bolt short, it could stall

progress. A chain o ofcers were assigned tasks. The taskswere monitored every day. This was ollowed by a reviewvery month. A complete team o experts rom all relevantsections put in place rom design, personnel, building androads, support systems, electrical, and backup systems. Toour relie, the system started working. With the dedicatedteam, we executed Rs. 600 crore out o the Rs. 650 crore workin three and a hal years, Mr. Singh added.

The targets were broken into smaller parts. Workers weregiven incentives or targets achieved. An example: i a cer-

Winning the Day with Project Excellence

Cover story


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December 2012 7

Cover story

tain task was completed by a given date, the incentive wasRs 50,000 or 25 workers. I there was a delay o a week, theincentive was Rs. 25,000. I the delay was or 15 days, therewas no incentive. The atmosphere o competition createdamong the workers was so positive that the talk at campswas about targets. The questions oten were about how mucheach had completed. Every day, there was a discussion osite problems between 6 and 7pm, when suggestions weretaken rom all, including project ofcers. A team spirit alsoevolved. The entire Koteshwar team got together with ami-lies and celebrated once in two months.

Supplies were also tracked to speed up the process. Usually,civil works are taken up frst and then electromechanical andhydromechanical works. But we couldnt wait or that andstarted civil and mechanical work simultaneously, said Mr.Singh. With such innovative execution, the project was com-pleted in three and a hal years.

However, the project was not without crises. At one point,

there was ooding due to continuous heavy rain. Allthe equipment in the powerhouse was submerged. Wedewatered, cleaned, and dehumidifed all components. Wespent only Rs. 35 crore on reurbishing that was coveredby insurance, explained Mr. Singh. The restoration workwas done on a war ooting. Two units o the project werecommissioned in March 2011 ahead o schedule as envisagedater the ooding.

Never beore in the history o any hydro project in India hadthe entire project been executed and commissioned on therisk and cost o the contractor. We are now a role model inthe industry, said Mr. Singh.

Mr. S P Aggarwal, head, monitoring, THDC, who had looked

ater the management systems during the project, explained,

We used Oracles Primavera, a project management tool,with which we made an elaborate project schedule o5,500 activities. There were review meetings, monthly andortnightly. We took charge o giving supplies on time,though our main task was to chase supplies. All this resultedin speedy execution. The director technical and the chairmanand managing director were apprised o the daily progress.We created history with the speedy execution.

Would he use the project management approach elsewhere?Yes, we have started on the second stage o the Tehri proj-ect. We have taken a step ahead by using an online monitor-ing system through which all the project personnel are con-

nected online, he explained.

The dam raised to full height as seen in June 2010. TheKoteshwar Hydro Electric Project in Uttarakhand is considereda role model in the industry, having faced several challengesand overcome them successfully.

Starting almost from scratch and backed by an empowered committee with vast powers, speedy decision making, cash ow, and anew positivity at work, problems were identied and corrected to the microscopic level at the Koteshwar project.


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8 December 2012

Solar Park, Gujarat Power Corporation LimitedPMI India Best Project of the Year (medium duration:1-3 years)

The Solar Park in Charanka, Patan district in Gujarat, isconsidered to be the worlds frst multi-acility, multi-developer, multi-benefciary, and multi-technology solarpark. It is also Asias largest solar park. Visualized, planned,and implemented in a record time o less than a year, theormal launch was in December 2010 and the park wascommissioned on 28 January 2012.

This was achieved despite the several challenges the GujaratPower Corporation Limited (GPCL) aced during the plan-ning and development processes. GPCL is the nodal agencyor the development o the solar park and has been playingthe role o developer and catalyzer in the energy sector inGujarat. It identifes power projects and suitable private jointsector parties and implements them. Ater the power projectis identifed, GPCL obtains all the clearances required and

pursues the ormalities related to the acquisition o land.

In the case o the Solar Park, the location had to be at a non-ertile place that received a high level o sunlight. Charankain Patan district ftted the bill.

The inrastructure included plotting o the government land,constructing a 16 km road or connectivity plus secondaryand interior roads. Water was an important element. Thearea was low-lying, which made it prone to ooding. But theproblem was solved by diverting water into a canal. GPCLalso constructed a acility or water treatment. In addition,it provided auxiliary power or air-conditioning, lighting

inside the acility, and street lighting, besides telecom andInternet connections.

GPCL employed the services o a project management con-sultant or the project. We ollowed project managementthroughout the project. We wanted to make sure that the vari-

ous parties involved in the projects development aced noproblems that would delay the project. We met them everyweek and took ast decisions to solve any problems thatcropped up, said Mr. PH Rana, director, GPCL. For promptdecision-making, the company had a team o experiencedofcials on the site at all times to address problems.

By commissioning the Solar Park, GPCL has helped put touse vast areas o government wasteland and generated ruralemployment. In addition, there has been a reduction in car-bon emission and a recharge o ground water. On 28 January2012, GPCL commissioned 214 MW o solar power. The proj-ect employed 10,000 workers or almost three months. About1,000 are now employed or operations and security purposes.

Mr. Rana avers that when GPCL moves into the next phase othe solar park, the organization will build on its experienceo project management or even better results.

Dell ICC Expansion, Sriperumbudur IndustrialBelt, Tamil Nadu, C B Richard EllisPMI India Best Project of the Year (short duration: less thanone year)

CBRE undertook a project to expand the warehouse space atthe Dell India Customer Care (ICC) actory acility in Chennaiby an additional 73,000 sq eet. The project took o in Janu-ary 2011 and had to be completed by September 2011 - in justnine months. CBRE successully completed the project, andwon the PMI award or 2012 under the short-term category.The new acility had to come up on a plot adjoining the exist-ing acility, which was a ully operational production/assem-bly center. This meant that the new structures and enclosure

had to be seamlessly integrated into the old one. The oldofce shared a common wall with the new building, whichmeant care had to be taken to ensure operations at the exist-ing building did not get eected.

CBRE broke open a portion o the common wall to align thecolumns o the new building with the existing ones. A bro-ken wall led to security concerns rom Dell. CBRE cut open a1m by 1m opening at a height o 1.5 m in the wall to acilitatethe changes. The opening was then closed in the presence osecurity sta.

Another challenge was the requirement to complete the

enclosure by May 2011. The plant is situated in a SpecialEconomic Zone (SEZ) set up by the government. The projecthad to adhere to the SEZ agreement o completing the spend-ing or the project by end May 2011. I not, the tax beneftso the existing acility and the new acility would be limitedor reduced.

Dell knew that the entire acility would not be ready in twomonths. But the company wanted to inaugurate the acilityby 2 May. The overall project was scheduled to be completedonly by July frst week. However, the building had to be sub-

Cover story

The Solar Park in Gujarat, is said to be the worlds rst multi-facility, multi-developer, multi-beneciary, and multi-technologysolar park, besides being Asias largest solar park.


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December 2012 9

stantially completed and the spending commitment met byearly May when the SEZ authorities would visit the acility.CBRE helped Dell honor that commitment and handed overthe acility ater having completed the shell and core o thebuilding with ooring and partial lighting arrangements.

Every aspect o the project was planned meticulously. CBREconducted parallel activities so that there was no delay romwaiting or components. Even as the onsite work o layingthe oundation continued, production work or preabricatedsteel structure was in progress. The team tracked progressclosely and took immediate action to mitigate delays.

Mr. Gurjot Bhatia, senior executive director, projectmanagement group, CBRE India, said, We oer projectmanagement as a service to our clients across India. Wehave seen that whenever project management techniques areused, cost, time, quality, saety, and project communicationare handled eectively. Project management is a necessity,not a choice. We have used project management techniquesor all our projects, totalling 100 million sq t o industrial,commercial, retail, hospitality, and residential space.

In general, projects accrue monetary benefts by using projectmanagement. In the absence o project management, no

one can predict project quality, whether the project will becompleted on time, and within the budget planned. Projectmanagement brings much needed management control anddirection to a project. This is a holistic approach, because youare not looking only at quality or cost. It brings together expertsrom various disciplines, such as mechanical engineering,electrical engineering, and saety experts, who bring theirindividual experiences to the table. A project manager is ableto leverage all these experts and make them work towards thecommon project goals. The other aspect is risk management.Project risk assessment is oten overlooked in India, and the

project is let to its own ate. We can overcome all these risksby ollowing project management techniques, said Mr. Bhatia.

Mahakavi Bharathiar Higher Secondary School,SevalayaPMI India Contribution to the Community Award 2012

From a rented house with fve children to a school that providesree education to thousands o frst generation learners romunderprivileged backgrounds, as well as a rural healthcarecenter, an old age home, and a goshala (cow shelter), Sevalayain Kasuva, near Chennai is testimony to what one can achieve

i only one dares to dream and has the commitment to turn itinto reality. Sevalaya has all this in good measure, started asit was in 1988 by Mr. V Muralidharan, ounder and managingtrustee o the organization, and his riends.

What is also commendable is the way in which all this hasbeen achieved: Mr. Muralidharan and his team at Sevalayabelieve in planning to the minutest detail, goal-setting in aparticipatory manner, ownership o goals, monitoring andreview o activities, ollowed by correction. As Mr. Muralid-haran put it, At Sevalaya, we believe that clear vision backedby systematic planning and execution results in success.

Its no wonder that the organization won the PMI India Con-tribution to the Community Award 2012.

Heres a detailed look at Sevalayas efciency:Every year, theres an exercise that takes o, around February-March, the teaching sta, hostel sta, administration, andstudents make a list o suggestions about what they wantdone the next academic year. This is compiled. Later,during the strategy week in the last week o April, we discuss,brainstorm, improve on the suggestions, and reject those noteasible, explained Mr. Muralidharan.

Cover story

CBRE conducted parallel activities so that there was no delay. The team tracked progress closely and took immediate action tomitigate delays.


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10 December 2012

The suggestions automatically become goals or the sixgroups at Sevalaya, based on their responsibilities: the Maha-kavi Bharathiar group handles education, the Mahatma Gan-dhi group looks ater extra-campus activities, and the SwamiVivekananda group looks ater the campus maintenance andhostel. The other three are support groups: administration,accounts, and public relations.

As the goals are discussed by all and accepted, and not

imposed on them, the groups own the goals. Within eachgroup, there are individual goals. With such ownership ogoals comes commitment. To achieve the goals, there isdiscussion on what the actions to be taken are, who takesthem, and by when they should be achieved. All these arecompiled in a calendar. A completed calendar shows all theactivities planned or the entire year. By 1 June, when theacademic year starts, a copy o the calendar is given to thesta, says Mr. Muralidharan.

Following this, every morning the teaching sta meets or10 minutes, and every night, the hostel sta meets. EverySaturday, the week is reviewed. The trustees meet every month

to review the progress. On the 12th or 13th o every month,there is a review with the groups. Each sta members bonus orincrement is based on his/her perormance ater the evaluation.

Finance is the biggest challenge since there is no committedincome. Sevalaya depends entirely on donation, which isthe responsibility o the public relations team. Lack o fnancemay mean cutting down o some events, he explained.Sometimes, money may be donated or the childrens homebut the requirement is more or a school activity, and henceused or that.

Mr. Muralidharan, who has put in practice learnings romhis experience in total quality management, o which severalyears were in Tata Consultancy Services, concludes, All ourwork is driven by a practice that has yielded positive results.The eective management practice we ollow is plan, do,check, and act.

That may sound simple, but in its simplicity lies its success.Sevalaya, a social organization and not a management school,

has planned and implemented a management model thathas won it accolades and more than 40 awards. Certainly, amodel that others can emulate.

Children at Sevalaya, near Chennai, waiting to do their exam in the computer room. Sevalaya, which started in a rentedhouse several years ago, now runs a school that has provided free education to thousands of rst generation learners fromunderprivileged backgrounds, as well as a rural healthcare center, an old age home, and a cow shelter.

The team at Sevalaya believes in meticulous planning, goalsetting, monitoring and review of activities, and has achievedtremendous success in all its initiatives, winning over 40awards so far. Providing vocational training is one of the coreactivities at Sevalaya, of which one is tailoring.

Cover story


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December 2012 11

artICleofthe Month

One thing that always attracts me is IT 3.0, or social IT

eatures o cloud-based solutions in project and service

delivery management areas. In this Facebook and Twitter

age, where electronic ootprints are omnipresent, one

cannot ignore social networking windows which

knowingly or unknowingly become a part o our daily

routine. Many organizations have started embracing

these tools with social IT solutions to streamline

communications and enhance productivity. Apart

rom standard project management solutions, social ITsolutions integrate people, connect experts across the

globe, oer a centralized platorm to express views and

opinions, and help display creativity.

How does it help a customer?

Consider an approach that ollows agile techniques

in project management which states that individuals

and interactions drive iterations. A group chat

during a brainstorming session, whether it is about

a eature speciication, design challenge, drastic

upgrade or tools selection, could be o great help.

Data can be stored and reerred anytime or review,asynchronous update, and use as a knowledge base,

and this eectively saves a lot o manual eort.

Tweet the worklow requirement, test criteria,

and quality expectation which are requent during

extreme programming phases.

In a managed service environment, business users

can ping the service desk agent and start chatting.

Service engineers can acilitate users to test out

solution scenarios or get inputs to reproduce an

incident. A production ticket can be an outcome o

these chat conversations. Business users can discuss

emergency changes or critical incidents in a chat

room with their IT sta. Think about capturing allthe communications and attaching them to a single

production ticket.

Social media encourages peer-to-peer support

collecting all relevant inputs rom experts around,

online sharing o sel-help articles, and sending

automatic live updates to impacted stakeholders.

Develop a community and orums to share best

practices among like-minded people.

Business users can subscribe eeds or important

and relevant updates in order to keep track o recent

events.

A direct interaction o business to customer,

live eedback sharing, conrontation, innovative

suggestions, and experts judgment add value to the

services you oer a customer.

How does it help a project manager?

An IT project manager can also be a beneiciary o all

the above eatures. In addition, it makes the scrum masters road easy

and he can look back to the recorded meetings ater

every sprint and re-evaluate the burn-down charts.

Managing a virtual team, where constant interactions

are regular and essential while creating project plan,

goals, milestones, team walkthrough, eedbacks, and

change discussion. How about a single solution that

has all the inrastructure set-up like live meeting,

video conerencing, chatting, and live eed to

collaborate?

It increases participation and encourages the team

to express, and debate their opinions and viewsindiscriminately. It also helps to engage people

sitting miles apart by establishing a communication

bridge.

The other side of social IT:

Although this media o communication makes the

world small, it has some negative impressions too.

Hence, it needs to be regularly monitored by a

discussion coordinator or moderator.

In collaborative environments, a discussion orum

may not always maintain the right ocus. Similarly

each topic may not get the same attention. Hence, it

is essential to keep tracking discussions. The implementation o an eective communication

policy or proessional usage o networking eatures

within a controlled environment could prevent

unwanted incidents.

Any Internet solution with extensive eature

collaborations is likely to impact perormance.

Prject Management

and Scial ITBy ATIN Roy, PMP

(Mr. Atin Roy, PMP, is a senior project manager withInfosys Ltd.)


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12 December 2012

Manage India talks to Mr. Ramam Atmakuri, winner of the PMI Eric Jenett ProjectManagement Excellence Award, and Mr. Tejas Sura, the lead nominator for Mr. Atmakuri

Mr. Ramam Atmakuri, vice president, Cognizant &member PMI Chapter Member Advisory Group

How does it feel to have won a prestigious award for whichPMI received nominations from around the world?

Winning a global award is indeedan honor. Mr. Eric Jenett, in whosename the award is instituted,

was a PMI Fellow, one o the fveounders o PMI, and the frstProject Management Proessional(PMP). That makes this awardspecial. I thank PMI, my currentand past colleagues, and ellowPMI volunteers who encouragedand supported me all through my

career. I dedicate this award to all o them.

What top qualities should a project manager possess today?

Project management is both a science and an art. It is a

science because it relies on processes, tools, and techniques,and an art because it involves people and their management.A successul project manager recognizes the importanceo both these dimensions and strives to excel at both othem. Globalization o projects has added the dimension ocomplexity. A project manager has to be agile to embracerequent changes. I would lay relatively higher emphasis onsot skills and leadership vis--vis processes and tools ora project manager to become truly par excellence. Projectmanagement is gaining recognition globally or its strategicimportance. Project managers need to develop their mindsetaccordingly, make visible the business value they are capableo delivering, and not limit themselves to tactical results.

You have wide experience in working in global and Indianorganizations. Are there any unique strengths and weak-nesses in project managers from India?

Indeed, there are unique characteristics with their bearings inour culture. We are used to making things happen even amiduncertainties. That translates into greater ocus on executionthan planning. Regardless o circumstances, we fnd waysto execute the project to completion, overcoming hurdlesalso known as planned and unplanned risks and mobilizing

every available resource at ones disposal. We are not used tosaying no and thereby accept things that come our way. Theadaptability to change is high in Indian project managers. Thesetraits can be a strength as well as a weakness, depending on theproject environment. In the west, there is oten equal ocus onplanning and predictability, as on the execution o projects.In global projects, these complementary skillsthe westerntrait o meticulous planning and the eastern rigor in executionactually spell a competitive advantage to businesses. I believe

there is great room or project managers in India to improve onthe count o project planning, so as to improve predictability,and be better positioned to say no when necessary.

Mr. Tejas Sura, PMP, PMI region mentor,Western Asia (Region-11)

You were the lead nominator for Mr. Ramam Atmakuri forthe PMI Eric Jenett Project Management Excellence Award.Can you tell us the main reasons why you believed hedeserved this honor?

Mr. Atmakuri has been an out-

standing contributor to the projectmanagement proession. Duringhis stint as president, Pearl City-Hyderabad Chapter, he rolled outvarious initiatives that impactedthe proession locally. As a regionmentor or West Asia, his guid-ance and dynamism brought abouttremendous unity and cohesive-ness in this region, resulting in

collaboration among the PMI chapters in India and othercountries across the region. The steady yet phenomenal prog-ress that he has made in his proessional lie since the late 90s

included various noteworthy contributions to the proessionincluding trainings, lectures, the setting up o project manage-ment ofces, and project management initiatives that helpedraise the project management maturity in the companies hehas worked or. With this all-round proessional experience,volunteerism, and leadership, he deserved this honor.

What does the award seek to honor and celebrate?

The nomination or the award is done by a group o peoplewho wish to acknowledge the substantial contributions o the

Global PMI Award Recognizes and Honors

Practitioner from India

IntervIew


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December 2012 13

PMI India organized a series of collaborative events across India.

Below is a roundup of recent activities

individual known to them. The award seeks to recognize andhonor an individual who has made outstanding contributionsto the practice o the project management proession, and whohas demonstrated leadership and initiative while advancingproject management concepts, techniques, practices, ortheories. It recognizes leadership, innovation, and the driveto understand and apply project management practices inmultiple communities and/or business. The beautiul bronzestatue, which signifes strength, wisdom, labor, dignity, andaccomplishment, was designed by Mr. Eric Jenett, and Mr.Thomas Parker Emery, an artist, around 1996.

The award honors and recognizes a leader from thepractitioner community in India. What does it say about the

kind of talent and commitment available in the country?

Global businesses are moving east and the opportunitiesin India are growing. There is an increased recognition inacademia, corporate, and the government on the strategicvalue o project management, leading to a ocus ondeveloping leadership and project management skills tomeet the expanding demand. There is a surge in the pool otalented PMP. Their commitment and dedication has led tothe rapid economic growth o the country or the past nearlyone decade. Thereore, it can be expected that an increasednumber o talented and committed proessionals rom Indiawill match or exceed their global counterparts in every aspecto this proession.

Agile TalksPMI India collaborated with the Inosys Project ManagementCenter o Excellence in Chennai to organize a series o talkson agile project management techniques on the theme, Man-aging Agile Projects. The talks at the PMCoE had about 100people participated between 19 and 21 November.

On 20 November, the participants heard two external speak-ers Mr. S. Chandramouli, PMP, PMI-ACP, senior deliverymanager, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mr. A. Chan-drasekaran, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, CRISC, ISMS auditor, CEOand ounder director, Inocareer Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Chandramoulitook a session on Bridging to Agile and Mr. Chandrasek-

aran spoke on Estimation in Agile Projects. On the othertwo days o the event, project managers rom Inosys spokeon several agile project management topics o interest. Theinternal speakers were Mr. Sivamani Viswanathan, Mr.Thilesh S., Mr. Thirunavukarasu S., and Mr. Satish S.

Participants enthusiastically took part in a quiz that PMI Indiahad organized on agile techniques in project management.

PMI-CII EventPMI India and the Conederation o Indian Industry (CII)jointly organized its third annual conerence on project man-agement on 22-23 November in Bangalore. The conerence

on, Project Management: Doing More with Less, ocusedon various aspects o project management. Experts spoke onhow project managers achieve better results with the applica-tion o project management techniques.

The sessions titles were: Unlocking the potential o projectmanagement or organizational agility, Moving orward romproject ailure to project learnings, Talent management in thenew normal, Change management an inevitable reality,and Green project management: are organizations rising to the

challenge? There were two panel discussions on Unstruc-tured project management- leading to results or ailed proj-ects? and Do project managers reach the executive suite?

Alcatel-Lucent IPM DayThe Alcatel-Lucent Project Management Communityobserved the International Project Management (IPM) Day on1 November. This was the sixth edition o the annual event.PMI India was a knowledge partner on this occasion.

A virtual event or the Asia-Pacifc region marked the day.Over 185 employees rom 15 countries including China,Japan, Australia, Singapore, and India attended it through a

live webcast and meeting. There was also a symposium inwhich two external speakers and three Alcatel-Lucent speak-ers elaborated on the theme: Mission: Possible Right FirstTime. All the earlier sessions were recorded and can be vis-ited by employees or the next three years. Our last six ses-sions were attended by around 3,500 employees.

Refresher CourseAmity Academic Sta College, in association with AmityInstitute o Inormation Technology and PMI India, orga-nized a fve-day reresher course or project managers. Atotal o 29 participants rom Amity University attended thetraining. A three-member team conducted the training that

acquainted the participants with PMI concepts such as proj-ect management ramework, product liecycle, and organi-zation structure, project management process or a projectand mapping o these process areas with project knowl-edge areas, and project scope, time, and cost management.The participants gained insights on developing analyti-cal rameworks, communication techniques, and strategicplanning skills, and increase their managerial insights thatwill ensure projects are completed on time, on budget, andwithin scope.

PMI IndIa UPdate


14/20

14 December 2012

ChaPter news

October began on a high note or North India chaptermembers with the announcement o the hosting o the PMIIndia National Conerence 2013 in New Delhi. The NationalConerence is a great opportunity or PMI North India regionmembers to showcase the capabilities o the chapter. ThePMI North India board, along with its members, has alreadystarted planning towards making it a success.

On 12 October, the chapter held an event in collaborationwith IBM India on the theme, Managing Troubled Projects.It was inaugurated by Mr. Ajay Malik, project servicesleaders, IBM India. Ms. Arti Chadha, project manager, IBM,presented a case study on Managing Troubled Projects.There was a panel discussion on the subject by Mr. Malik,Mr. Ravi Ruhela, manager, project services, IBM India,Ms. Shalini Lamba, independent project consultant, andMr. Vijay K. Verma, manager, project services, IBM India,

who moderated the discussion. Over a hundred attendees,comprising o chapter members and IBM employees, enjoyedthe session. We thank Mr. Amit Agarwal, vice president,

programs, North India Chapter, and volunteers, Mr. NaveenSingh and Ms. Shalini Lamba, or their contributions.

On October 14, the chapter conducted its Annual General Meeting(AGM), one o the most important events or chapter members.The chapter board presented the achievements or the period,January 2010 to October 2012. The AGM started with a projectmanagement case study presented by Mr. Apoorv Chaturvedi,business head, M&N Business Intelligence. Ms. Sarita Talwar,vice president, membership, spoke about the current memberstrength and challenges in the retention o chapter members. Mr.Pritam Gautam, vice president, technology, elaborated on thetechnological upgrades on the chapter website. The North IndiaChapter website was one o the frst chapter websites to adhereto PMI global standards. He presented data on reaching membersvia social media like Linkedin and Facebook. Mr. PiyushGovil, vice president, communication, shared the quarterly

e-magazine initiative. Mr. Amit Chauhan, vice president,fnance, presented the fnancial health o the chapter. Mr. AmitAgarwal, vice president, programs, shared inormation on anumber o programs the chapter conducted in collaboration withcorporates, government/public sectors, and academia. Mr. ManojGupta, president and CEO, PMI North India Chapter, spoke onuture plans and initiatives such as reaching out more to stategovernments within the North India periphery. The chapterhas collaborated with the World Bank or state governmentrelated initiatives. It has also begun work on an advisory board,comprising o eminent personalities rom the government,academia, corporate world, and past chapter presidents. Mr.Gupta shared inormation on other volunteering initiatives that

the chapter is planning to roll out soon. It was also an occasion torecognize the eorts o members connected with the chapter orthe past seven years with the Loyalty Award trophy.

NoRTh INDIA ChAPTER

All Geared up t Set a New Bencmark

The IBM team that took part in the chapter event.

Chapter board members proudly display the banner that announces New Delhi as the host city for PMI India National Conference 2013.


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December 2012 15

This quarters highlight or PMI Pearl City Chapter (PMIPCC)was the PMI Chapter Leadership Award 2012 conerred onMr. Suresh Chandra, president, PMIPCC. The award waspresented during the North America Leadership InstituteMeeting in Vancouver, Canada, in October.

Three new members have joined the PMIPCC board. Mr. RaviVurakaranam, and Mr. Arun Ponnekanti, who have been onthe board earlier, have rejoined it. Ms. Sangeetha Zaparde,

who has worked or several chapters and has served on theboard o Pune chapter, has joined the PMIPCC board.

The PMIPCC Academy continues to oer trainingprograms on A Guide to the Project Management Bookof Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Certifed Associate inProject Management (CAPM), and PMI Agile CertifedPractitioner (PMI-ACP).

The chapter also conducted monthly public workshopsduring September and October, in addition to a corporateworkshop conducted or Deloitte. On 19 October, thechapter conducted a project management workshop incollaboration with the Conederation o Indian Industry inHyderabad.

PMIPCC has started work with the National Institute oTechnology, Warangal, to start a student chapter. The collegehas shown interest in engaging with the chapter in whichboth students and teachers will participate.

PMIPCC has announced a ew exciting volunteer opportunitiesor this year, details o which are on the chapter website.These chapter services need the involvement o experiencedvolunteers in large numbers.

A series o events were lined up or November, including anetworking meeting and talent enhancement programs.

PMI PEARL CITy ChAPTER

Leadersip Award t Capter President

ChaPter news

Ater a spate o activities or the Project Management Practitioners Conerence in Bangalore in September, chaptermembers have now settled down to a normal routine. The annual conerence, on 14-15 September, concluded withresounding success. Soon ater the conerence, our chapter executive council members went to Chennai to attend theRegion 11 leadership meeting ollowed by the PMI India National Conerence 2012. During the leadership meeting, theteam explored opportunities on collaboration among chapters and the sharing o best practices.

The chapter held PM Footprints on 27 September in which authors o the technical paper, Managing Virtual Teams:A Global Marketing Program Managers Perspective, made a presentation. The presentation, led by Ms. Rashmi K.,ocused on the challenges aced by marketing program managers and made recommendations to eectively managevirtual teams working on global marketing program.

BANGALoRE ChAPTER

Understanding Glbal Teams

Mr. Suresh Chandra receiving the PMI Chapter LeadershipAward 2012 from Peter Monkhouse, BSc (Eng), MBA, PEng,PMP, 2012 Chair, PMI Board of Directors.

Mr. Srinivas Kopparapu, vice prsident, PMIPCC, speaking atthe CII event.


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16 December 2012

PMI West Bengal Chapter organized its second annualconerence, Aviskar 2012, on 24 November in Kolkata. Theconerence provided great opportunity or project managementpractitioners across industries the government, academia,and social sectors to connect, collaborate, and integrate onthe emerging trends in project management.

The event started with the ceremonial lamp lighting by thechie guest, Pro. Sudhangsu Sekhar Chakraborty, chairmanand managing director, Consulting Engineering Services,

along with Ms. Sonali Bhattacharya, president, West BengalChapter, and Mr. Subimal Chakraborty, vice president, WestBengal Chapter. In his keynote address, Pro. Chakrabortyprovided insights into project management rom his wideexperience in civil engineering projects. This was ollowedby a number o sessions covering a range o industries such

as healthcare, inormation technology,academics, and flm-making. The sessionswere anchored by eminent speakers whoare pioneers in their respective felds.There was also a panel discussion on theuse o collaborative platorms.

As part o its commitment to social causes,the chapter elicitated Hope Foundation, asocial sector organization that works in and

around Kolkata. Hope Foundation ocuseson the all-round development o street chil-dren by providing them shelter, nutrition,education, healthcare, counseling, and rec-reational activities. They also run programson awareness generation on issues related tochildrens rights, lie-skill training, reinte-gration into a amily, lie support, and love.

True to its theme o connect, collaborate,and integrate the conerence helped bring orth ideas andreal-lie insights to project management practices rom prac-titioners across sectors.

WEST BENGAL ChAPTER

Aiskar 2012: Cnnect, Cllabrate, Integrate

The Pune Chapter continues to deliver great value to itsmembers and the community in general. The chapterconducted its 97th monthly seminar on Mitigating PowerDevelopment Risks Through Eective Project Management,delivered by Mr. Vivek Taneja, head, business development,Thermax Limited (Power Division); and Stress Free ProjectManagement, delivered by Mr. Umesh Dwivedi, seniormanager, Cybage and columnist, The Times o India.

Mr. Taneja is a graduate in mechanical engineering rom theUniversity o Pune, with a masters degree in management.He possesses over 19 years o industry experience in variouscapacities in unctions such as sales, marketing, productmanagement, and business development. He spoke about theuse o project management in the power sector and the workthat Thermax Limited has done in this area.

Mr. Dwivedi has rich international work experience and hasbeen writing on project management. He is also a certifed

yoga teacher and has participated in an international yogaconerence, besides writing regularly on health and wellnessor The Times o India. He said that a stressul projectmanager was a victim o Counterproductive Work Behavior(CWB). CWB has a negative eect on work perormance,health, and project management. He threw light on dierentways to overcome it.

The chapter is now preparing or its grand 100th monthlyseminar to be held in January 2013. The other milestone isthat the chapter has started operations rom its own premisesin Erandwane. The resolution to purchase its own propertywas passed by the chapter general body in September 2011,and the process was completed in October 2012.

(Chapter news contributed by Mr. Piyush Gupta, Mr.Ravi Vurakaranam, Mr. Rinoo Rajesh, Mr. Soumen De,and Mr. Amitabh Kishore.)

PUNE DECCAN ChAPTER

Knwledge Sessins

ChaPter news

Speakers at the panel discussion on the use of collaborative platforms.


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December 2012 17

PMI India Campin PrgramThe PMI India Champion Program continues on its missionto spread awareness about PMI and advocate projectmanagement as a proession across industries in India.

The PMI India Champion Program, initiated in 2011, aims atidentiying and developing passionate project managementproessionals who will unction as ambassadors o PMIand support advocacy eorts in India. These proessionalsare employees o various organizations who work with

PMI to garner support, visibility, and space or projectmanagement.

Program representatives recently participated in twoevents, ILN Chennai Fruncido, organized by the IndiaLeadership Network (ILN), PMI Chennai Chapter, and thethird annual conerence on project management jointlyorganized by the Conederation o Indian Industry (CII)and PMI India.

The ILN Chennai Fruncido promotes collaboration betweenindividuals, groups, organizations, and initiatives. PMI IndiaChampion and a core committee member o ILN Chennai

Chapter, Mr. Visukumar Gopal, spoke at the event about thevalues o project management and the project managementramework or projects. Ater this knowledge-sharingsession, the ILN Chennai Chapter announced that it wouldimplement project management or its uture projects.

Mr. Gopal spoke at the CII and PMI India third annual jointconerence on project management on 22-23 November. Hespoke on Crack the Change with New Paradigm, in whichhe emphasized the importance o project managementcompetencies like technology understanding, leadership

skills, and competitive strategy. He also highlightedthe increasing adoption o agile project managementtechniques and Lean methodologies. He spoke about theimportance o having a project management center oexcellence in an organization.

The PMI India Champion Program presently has 15champions guided by a seven-member Champion AdvisoryCommittee.

(Contributed by PMI India Champions Mr. Chetan Mathur,PMP and Mr. Kumar Saurabh, PMP.)

ChaMPIon UPdate

Mr. Visukumar Gopal speaking at the project managementconference by PMI India and CII.

In this edition of Manage India, we prole Mr.Visukumar Gopal, PMP, a champion, and Mr. ArvindArya, PMP, an advisor.

Mr. Visukumar Gopal, PMP, is a versatile practitioner,energetic coach, corporate trainer, and public speaker.

He is passionate about transorming individuals, teams,and organizations into improving their processes,project management practices, operation practices,and delivering business value early and oten. He hasover 17 years o proessional experience and is a LeanSix Sigma Champion. He is a ounder o SynPMCom,Syntel Project Management Community, the ounderand managing trustee, Viruksha Trust, and member Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE is now called Enactus)projects, Business Advisory Board.

Mr. Arvind Arya,PMP, works as a super-

intending engineerwith Jaipur Develop-ment Authority. Hehas about 30 years oextensive experiencein managing multiple,complex inrastruc-ture projects includingprojects under public-private partnershipsand build operate andtranser mode. Mr.Arya has a P.Eng. (pro-

essional engineer)degree rom Ontario,Canada. He has extensive expertise in project manage-ment, budgeting, fnancial planning and control, con-tract management, tender preparation, evaluation, andarbitrations. He is a mentor to Mr. Visukumar Gopal.

Champion Advisory Committeemember, Mr. Arvind Arya.


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18 December 2012

Stud Tur f Cina Energ SectrPMI India organized a high-profle study tour o executivesrom Indian public sector organizations to China. Thedelegation, organized in association with the Inrastructureand Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) o the Ministryo Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI),Government o India, was held on 18-24 November. IPMDis the project management arm and apex monitoring body othe Government o India.

The study tour ocused on learning the project managementpractices that China ollows in its energy industry. Duringthe week-long tour, the delegation visited China NuclearPower Engineering Co. Ltd in Shenzhen; Shenhua EnergyCompany, Chinas largest coal company, China EnergyEngineering Group, China National Oshore Oil Corporation,Asset Supervision and Administrative Commission, andState Administration o Foreign Experts Aairs in Beijing;

and the project site o China Oshore Oil Engineering Co.Ltd in Tianjin.

The delegation included Mr. Mukesh Rohatgi, ormerchairman & managing director, Engineers India Limited; Mr.Dheeraj Kumar Ojha, director, MoSPI; Mr. Madan KumarChoudhary, deputy general manager (fnance & accounts),Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI).;Mr. Gengiah Rajasekar, deputy general manager (HR),BHAVINI; Mr. L. Swamy Raju, additional chie engineer(civil), BHAVINI; Mr. Surendra Kumar Patnaik, generalmanager (PP&M), National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC); Mr. Alokesh Banerjee, additional general manager

(mechanical erection), Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company Ltd;Mr. Sital Kumar, additional general manager (engineering),NTPC; Mr. Anil Kumar Pandey, additional general manager(erection), NTPC; Mr. Tetala Surra Reddy, additionalgeneral manager (projects), SIMHADRI Super PowerThermal Plant, NTPC; Mr. Partha Sarathi Deb, generalmanager(civil), North Eastern Electric Power Corporation(NEEPCO); Mr. Mukti Kumar Sharma, general manager(civil), NEEPCO; Mr. Bisheswar Dutta, deputy generalmanager (civil), NEEPCO; Mr. Ajit Kumar Barua, chieengineer (production project), Oil India Limited (OIL); Mr.

Partha Pratim Dutta, deputy chie engineer (FE), OIL; Mr.A. Ravi, general manager (mechanical), Oil and Natural GasCorporation (ONGC); Mr. Adesh Kumar, deputy generalmanager (production), ONGC; Mr. Roshan Lal Meena,deputy general manager (exploration), ONGC; Mr. G. R.Reddy, chie chemist, ONGC; and Mr. Dhiraj Gyani, head government relations and Public Sector Enterprises, PMIIndia.

The objective o the study tour was to expose delegatesto the project management practices that state-ownedenterprises in China ollow. It was the frst o its kind touron learning and sharing project management best practicesat an international level. It enabled the delegates to increasetheir understanding and knowledge o project managementpractices in China and appreciate the signifcance oChina being a projectized nation. Delegates agreed that

the remarkable growth in China was largely the result othe countrys application o project management toolsand techniques in their true spirit. As many as 53 percento the delegates agreed on having structural changes intheir department so that projects could be handled moreefciently. A commonly held view among the delegatesater the tour was the need to set up a Project ManagementOfce (PMO) by organizations in India.

Mr. Dutta rom Oil India Limited proposed to use theollowing ways to use the learning rom the tour: suggeststructural changes in his department, undergo hands-ontraining on project management principles, pursue

proessional certifcations, motivate team members to attendsuch training sessions, and take the initiative to suggest thepreparation o a PMO manual and the setting up o a PMO inhis organization as it is one o the prerequisites in todaysbusiness environment.

Mr. Ravi rom ONGC said it was time or Indian PSEs todream big and use project management undamentals tocomplete projects successully. I was pleasantly surprisedto see that concepts rom A Guide to the Project ManagementBook of Knowledge (PMBOKGuide) are used in totality evenin rontier research projects to realize the end results withinthe set time. We would like to expand the boundaries o

the application o project management skills to make it anintegral part o our approach to every activity, big or small,he remarked.

Mr. Kumar rom ONGC complimented PMI India and Chinaor an exceptionally well organized tour. In his eedbackater the tour, he said, Stage-gate project managementprocess must be rolled out in all owner (operating) companies.PSEs must develop subsidiaries on the joint venture model tosupport EPC unctions. The alternate energy option must bepursued by energy sector companies.

PMI IndIa UPdate

The delegates with ofcials from Shenhua Energy Company.


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December 2012 19

By GUy BARLoW

Over the past ew years, there has been a marked shit thathas brought project management to the oreront oexecutives attention. Many actors have been driving thisgrowing awareness, o which the most notable are theglobal fnancial crisis, heightened regulatory environments,

and a need to more eectively operationalize the corporatestrategy, or in other words, adopt operational planningand the best practical steps that the business should ollowto execute its strategies.

Executives in India are no exception. They realize theneed to build capacity, ramp-up production, and ensurethat the right resources are in place to capture growthopportunities in India. This applies across industriesrom asset-intensive industries such as oil & gas, utilities,and mining, to manuacturing, the public sector, andservices-based sectors, such as inance, telecom, and liesciences.

Compounding matters is a complex interplay betweenprojects big and small, complex and simple ascompanies grow both in the domestic and internationalmarket. This trend has created the need or a standardized,enterprise-wide solution or project portolio management(PPM). Failing to adopt PPM is akin to having two ERPsystems, one to manage large invoices and the other tomanage small invoices. It makes little sense to have asystem that does not provide enterprise-wide visibility.

The imperative or executives is to understand the ull rangeo their business commitments, the beneft to the company,

current perormance, and associated course corrections, ineeded. Irrespective o the industry or use case whetherthe company is building a power plant, launching a newfnancial service, or developing a new automobile companyleaders need to approach the value o enterprise projectportolio management (EPPM) through three critical areas:

1. Greater fnancial discipline Improved fnancial rigorand results through better governance and control is

an imperative, given todays fnancial uncertainty andgreater investment scrutiny. For example, as Indiaplans a US$1 trillion investment in the countrysinrastructure, how do companies ensure costs aremanaged? How do they control cash ow? Can theyeasily report this to stakeholders?

2. Improved operational excellence Increased efciencyand reduced costs through robust collaboration andintegration is necessary or proftable growth. Upwardso 66 percent o cost variances are driven by poorsupplier collaboration. As companies executeinitiatives, do they have visibility into the perormanceo their supply base? How are they integrated into thebroader program plan?

3. Enhanced risk mitigation Companies must manageand react to uncertainty through improvedtransparency and contingency planning. Whathappens i a company is aced with a skills shortage?

How does it plan and account or geo-political orweather-related events?

Projects are not just the delivery o a product or serviceto a customer within a predetermined schedule.Completing a project on time is part o a contractual andmoral obligation to company shareholders andstakeholders. Projects allow executives to demonstratethe organizations capabilities and competencies withwhich it can meet and, whenever possible, exceedcommitments to customers. Eectively developing andputting the corporate strategy into operation is the

hallmark o successul executives, and EPPM allowsthem to achieve this goal. For more inormation aroundexecutive views on EPPM please visit www.oracle.com/eppm/eppmboard.

(Mr. Guy Barlow has over 15 years of broad industryexperience in manufacturing, nancial services, and thepublic sector. He leads the go-to-market strategy for theOracle Primavera Global Business Unit.)

W Executies Need EnterprisePrject Prtfli Management

featUre

Guy Barlow, director - industry strategy, Oracle Primavera, on the three key

considerations that drive value across an organization


20/20

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PMI, the PMI logo, Making project management indispensable for business results, PMI Today, PM Network, Project Management Journal, PMBOK, CAPM,Certied Associate in Project Management (CAPM), PMP, Project Management Professional (PMP), the PMP logo, PgMP, Program Management Professional(PgMP), PMI-RMP, PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP), PMI-SP, PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP), OPM3, PMI-ACP, PMI Agile CertiedPractitioner (PMI-ACP), the PMI Educational Foundation logo and Empowering the future of project management are marks of Project Management Institute, Inc.For a comprehensive list of PMI marks, contact the PMI Legal Department.

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