Project management of backup power generators for a data centre in Italy
Scope
We were contracted to provide independent project management support for a power generation project, covering the design through to end-customer handover of four 3 MW diesel generators and one smaller 500 kW generator. These generators were procured by the end-customer for critical backup power at a major data centre in Milan, Italy.
We assigned one of our experienced project managers to the client’s project and proceeded to deploy our proven and versatile project delivery approach, tailored to align with the project’s unique requirements and our supporting role.
Challenges
Scope alignment: Ongoing alignment of contractual project scope and technical documentation approvals during advanced project stages, increasing the risk of unplanned changes.
Lack of controls: Absence of actively maintained risk or issue registers during the project's execution phase.
Change order delays: Stalled commercial change orders due to inadequate supporting evidence.
Support role limitations: Our role as a supporting team rather than the lead project management office limited our ability to deploy our suite of proven project controls.
Our approach
Objective independence: Ensured objective and solutions-focused decision-making throughout our engagement.
Custom solutions: Our project manager implemented custom databases to track risks, issues, and document approvals. Regular database reviews with stakeholders supported the prioritisation of resources and established task ownership and completion dates.
Engineering collaboration: We worked closely with engineering teams for prompt identification and actioning of design challenges, ensuring timely technical documentation completion.
Strategic scope management: We recognised the importance of quickly closing all ongoing contractural scope discussions during project execution. We were instrumental in achieving this by
providing decisive recommendations on stalled contractual items;
leading collaborative workshops with the client, suppliers, and end-customer teams;
maintaining a solution-focused dialogue and appropriate escalation levels.
Data-driven issue resolution: We benchmarked and resolved issues against agreed specifications and approved documentation, collaborating with suppliers for swift closure and lesson logging.
Change order consultation: We consulted with suppliers to seek substantiation for commercial change orders, and provided feedback to the client’s team for process improvements and risk reduction.
Benefits
Effective tracking: Our documentation tracker was well received, and was praised for providing useful insight into the weekly performance of documentation approvals and helping stakeholders prioritise their workload.
Scope risk mitigation: We made a significant contribution to the closure of open contractural scope items, mitigating the risk of project changes, and shared several conclusions and recommendations with the client to support future projects.
Quick conflict resolution: Our data-driven and solutions-focused approach ensured amicable challenge resolution, safeguarding project scope, improving client perception, and reducing risks.
Change order effectiveness: By collating substantiation for change orders we improved the likelihood of their approval, reducing commercial risk to the project.
Summary
Throughout the project, RJDP’s involvement proved pivotal in harmonising multifaceted elements of the project and aligning them with the end-customer's expectations. From managing scope and resolving conflicts to fostering a culture of continuous improvement, RJDP’s commitment to excellence and support was evident at every phase. As a trusted project management consultancy, we are proud to have played a role supporting in supporting our client with the delivery of critical infrastructure to a major data centre in Milan.
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