Reshma Sadhu&#039;s Articles on Plan Academy

Are you interested in starting a career as a Project Controller but not sure where to start or what it's all about? Project Controllers are an important part of any project team, they assume a lot of the risk and responsibilities when it comes to making sure a project has a successful outcome. They oversee the project's revenues and expenses to make sure the project meets its budget and

3 Construction Cost Estimating Mistakes You Might Not Have Thought About

Construction cost estimating is an important and major part of any construction project. To improve your estimating skills, you must first understand that each project is different and no two are identical. Dr. Saleh Mubarak, expert on Construction planning and scheduling discussed the most common construction cost estimating mistakes that are being made and how you can avoid them during a

Top 6 Free Construction Estimating and Project Planning Tools in 2019

Managing a construction project is a multifaceted endeavour. With the number of resources out there that can confuse anyone, accurately cost estimating and planning your construction project shouldn’t be one to suffer. With a wide range of open-source and free management tools available to help connect a team, implementing one of these tools can assist in making sure that the project plan

Global Construction Disputes: Trends You Should Watch Out For in 2019

Arcadis Contract Solutions released their Global Construction Disputes 2018 Report – Does the Construction Industry Learn from Its Mistakes? The 30-page report highlights key themes and patterns that has been occurring within the global dispute market that can be used to reflect the market trends. According to Arcadis, in 2016- 2017, the most common cause of disputes was a failure to properly

10 Game Changing Productivity Books You Should Read in 2019

In this digital age we are always on call, always connected and always on the go. Whether it’s in your professional or personal life, staying productive can be difficult. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your daily work load, doing busy work isn’t going to get important things done, you’ll only be stuck in this never-ending cycle. To help give you a push to get organized and started, I’ve

24 Top Project Controls Conferences To Attend In 2019

This year, investing in yourself should be on your priority list and if you’re ready to kick off 2019 by being around like-minded people and industry professionals; attending conferences is a great way to do this. It doesn’t always have to be just about business, it can also be a great excuse to visit and experience different places around the world and meet people from all over the globe.

10 Top Project Management Podcasts You Should Start Listening To

Time is of the essence and podcasts are a great way to get in your daily or weekly learning sessions. It’s all about convenience and we’ve put together a list of the top 10 Project Management Podcasts that can help you grow within your industry. Check out the top 10 Project Management Podcasts you should start listening to, and have bookmarked. Projectified™ with

Oracle Launches A Construction and Engineering Innovation Test Lab

Construction productivity has been declining since the 1990’s (Mckinsey&Company). With the rapid growth of digital technology and IoT, Oracle is developing a 15,000-sq-ft facility that provides a space for industry professionals to test new products – the Construction and Engineering Innovation Lab, in Deerfield, Ill. According to research from Mckinsey&Company, large projects take 20%

17 Construction Scheduling Blogs You Should Know About

The internet is a great place when looking to broaden your horizons, but the amount of content that is being put out there daily is ridiculous. It's necessary to narrow your search down to get the most accurate content - where you don’t become overwhelmed with reading material or spending hours searching, just to end up being distracted by cat videos. As construction planners and schedulers,

Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Construction Manager? [Quiz]

As you move forward in your career, there usually comes a time when the question's “am I happy or am I manager material?” arise. It’s normal to have these thoughts, but to soar in what you’re interested in and is currently doing takes personal awareness and always identifying and improving on the skill sets and knowledge required for that position. Managers hold a valuable role and it can

7 Inspiring Construction Videos You Should Watch

There is so much to go through and learn about construction, but it doesn’t always have to be concepts and schemes. There are many construction wonders around the world and equipment’s to know about. We’ve put together a list of 7 construction videos that you must see. You can either enhance your construction knowledge, get inspired or at least be entertained. Take some time out, unwind and

What Is Greenfield And Brownfield Engineering?

Greenfield engineering or greenfield construction is the process of developing a new building or structure over a piece of land that has never been developed. There are many advantages of developing over greenfield but not so much when you are talking about Brownfields. Brownfield engineering is related to developing or building over a property that was previously developed and requires additional

New Stats: Global Construction Dispute Trends

Update: [Arcadis Contract Solutions 2018 Report] Arcadis Contract Solutions released their Global Construction Disputes 2017 Report – Avoiding the same pitfalls. The 30-page report offers insight into the global construction contract landscape with recent stats and trends about constructions disputes. According to Arcadis, in 2014, the most common cause of disputes was a failure to properly

Boring Project Reports? 11 Project Timeline Tools To Help You Create Visual Reports

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Let's face it, our attention spans are short. And they are getting shorter. All the content we digest from the internet is developed to capture our attention and hold it for as long a possible, but we all know that something shinier or sexier will show up any second now. When it comes to conveying important project information to stakeholders, clients or colleagues, we have to take the same

17 Construction Apps Every Contractor Should Know About

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We’ve all become accustomed to using our smartphones for vital things like banking and email, but did you ever think you would be using it to track where you last left your tools? Mobile apps are helping to speed up business processes and make it easier to access and record information. And new innovative apps are helping construction professionals get results too. In 2014, 36% of construction

Project Schedule Delays: Find Out If You’re At Fault – Forensic Techniques for Beginners

Construction Disputes continue to rise in duration and cost, according to a 2016 study by Arcadis. It's estimated that 70% of all Construction project worlwide finish late. But the key question remains the same - "Whose Fault Is It?" To help you answer that burning question and then some, we invite you to join us and special guest Dr. Jesus de la Garza on exploring Schedule Delay Analysis

8 Project Management Infographics That Everyone Must See

Casting your net in the realm of project management may be a bit overwhelming for some– especially when you’re not exactly sure where to start if you’re a newbie. Regardless, always learning more will put you ahead of the crowd and make the logistics of it all less difficult. Sometimes a great project management infographic is exactly what's needed. I’ve compiled 8 project management

23 Top Project Controls Conferences To Attend In 2018

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Update: Check out the list of Top 24 Project Controls Conferences to attend in 2019! 2018 hasn’t even started yet and I’m already trying to get you fill your calendar. Now isn’t that something! But hey, the sooner the better and this will be one thing off of your to do list for next year. As you may know, accurate planning and scheduling is important. Not only for your work projects, but

Concrete: 4 Innovations You’ve Never Heard Of

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Concrete -- a material that can trace its interactions with humans back to the Roman era more than 2,000 years ago -- is the most popular material used today. When tonnage is compared, the use of concrete outweighs plastic, wood, aluminum and steel combined. What's equally amazing about concrete is the material's ability to continuously be the center of innovation. Here are some of the more

7 Productivity Killers You Should Avoid [INFOGRAPHIC]

The internet is rife with tips about productivity tools, techniques and hacks. So many of us are searching for ways to improve our productivity, get the most out of our time and find great tools to help us. Implementing techniques and tools is great, but we can't ignore the "silent productivity killers." A study from the University of London found that people who multi-tasked while doing a

Is Modular Construction The Future? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Globally, the construction industry is adopting modular construction over site-built construction more and more. Modular Construction can have up to 50% time-savings overs traditional construction and an average construction time of 180 days. What Is Modular Construction? Modular construction is when independent sections of a structure are built in a controlled site, typically in a plant or

5 Free BIM Tools That Can Help You Get Started

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Why aren't you using BIM yet? The impact of BIM (Building Information Modelling) on construction projects has increased over time and now there are more BIM software tools than ever before. The use of BIM virtual reality and 4D imaging is starting to revolutionize the builder's lifecycle. It allows contractors to make better design decisions, reduce waste, and perhaps even reach that elusive

7 Negotiation Tactics To Save Your Deal From Collapsing

Negotiating for a Construction project? Whether you're an owner negotiating with a contractor or a contractor negotiating with a sub-contractor, you should get your game plan in order. Negotiation tactics can help you reach the best agreement and allow you he opportunity to discuss your successes and how your better than the competition. To get you started, here are 7 negotiation tactics to

Top 4 Tech Trends In Construction And Engineering

Technology is taking over the world. Technology that we never thought would dominate has become a staple when it comes to planning and executing a project in construction and engineering. According to a 2016 survey by PwC, 74% of respondents stated that technological advances are the top global trends that will transform stakeholders' expectations over the next 5 years. Coming in second place

4 Tips To Sharpen Your Focus and Prevent Distractions At Work [INFOGRAPHIC + VIDEO]

How many times a day are you interrupted by distractions at work? According to a University of California Study on digital distractions at work, it takes approximately 25 minutes to get back to the task at hand after a distraction. We are left to our own devices and It’s up to us to stay on track, especially with the large amounts of information we’re processing on a daily basis. The 20

Big Data For Construction: How It Can Help You Deliver Your Project On Time

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Big Data for construction is here - the question is are you ready? But first, what is Big Data? At the AACE Conference last month in Toronto, the keynote speaker was Paul Zikopoulos, a trends expert and VP of Big Data Analytics at IBM. Big Data is a ubiquitous term that refers to the immense amount of data we capturing about all of our interactions online or with devices. Every click online

12 Reasons Why Your Brain Craves Vacation Time [INFOGRAPHIC]

It’s that time of the year. The beaches are opened, the sun is out and vacation is on the mind, but when was the last time you actually took a vacation? A vacation where all you did was relax and not have to be connected? Yes, for some it has been a while. In an article written by the Wall Street Journal, US workers on average left five vacation days unused each year. You may be saying to

21 Unbelievable Construction Fails That Will Leave You Stymied

In all professions people are prone to make some mistakes once in a while and construction is no different. I came across some, let's say interesting images of construction fails and thought I'd share. With all of the advanced planning in construction you would think everything would go smoothly, but sometimes the plan can go wrong in ways that make no sense. Regardless if you're using

7 Strategies To Stay Focused At Work

Staying focused at work can become a difficult task when you workplace is hectic and chaotic. Yes, it does come with the territory - loud equipment, people walking by, loud discussions, deadlines, busy schedules, and clutter, but all of that can be cultivated so that it doesn’t have to stress you out. Even the slightest changes can become leveraged strategies to stay focused when your workplace

Addicted To Meetings? Here Are 9 Ways to Make Sure They Are Effective [INFOGRAPHIC]

Let’s face it, some meetings are just unnecessary. Research conducted by Harvard Business School and the London School of Economics found that 25-50% of meeting time was considered wasted. With so much to do everyday, productivity is paramount and time is money. So why can't we organize effective meetings that are worth attending? According to software company Altassian, the estimated cost of

6 Tips To Manage Decision Fatigue: It’s Not as Difficult as You Think

Are you overwhelmed with all of the decisions you have to make as soon as you walk into work? You might have decision fatigue. In one day have you ever felt like you’ve made so many decisions that it would suffice for a whole month? Each decision we make adds to decision fatigue. According to Wikipedia, in decision making and psychology, decision fatigue is when the quality of decisions

Drive Results As A Project Manager – Build Team Alignment [PODCAST]