General George S. Patton has been long heralded as one of the greatest military figures in recorded history. He was only a child when he set his sights on becoming a war hero. He was insatiable as a student, impressive as an Olympic athlete and astounding as a molder of men. His legacy of impossible victories and tendency to lead from the frontline rather than from the security of the war room have caused him to be immortalized as one of the world’s most intriguing military leaders. Patton made a statement once that could be disastrous if taken out of context: “If you tell people where to go but not how to get there, you’ll be amazed at the results.” When he made this statement, the general was referring to people who had been very well trained and equipped for the task. Patton relentlessly strove to train his troops to the highest standards of excellence. And he, too, was a product of considerable training. He attended Virginia Military Institute, West Point Academy, French Cavalry School, Mounted Service School, Command and General Staff School, and the Army War College.
In the turnaround industry, our turnaround execution coordinators are our eyes, ears and fingertips in direct contact with our contractors. In keeping with Patton’s statement, many execution coordinators (who unfortunately have not received the benefit of excellent training) are being told where to go but not how to get there. The results are seen in the poor performance and higher costs of turnarounds. Conceptually, the execution coordinators are the workhorses of the industry and saddled with tremendous responsibility for controlling project schedule and cost through the safe and efficient use of construction resources, including manpower, materials, tools, equipment and space. This is sound in principle, but it is all too often undermined by a lack of proper training. For most operating companies, this is a huge opportunity for improving turn-around cost and performance. It is a mistake to think a good planner equates to a good execution coordinator. The roles may have numerous overlapping skills, but the functions are drastically different.
Thankfully, the pendulum is beginning to swing in the right direction as companies are starting to see the light and beginning to offer formal training and development for their execution coordinators both in the classroom and in the field.
There really is so much to learn. Here is the short list of areas you need to have a strong grasp of:
- Understanding execution coordinator responsibilities. How do I ensure my company is getting what it is paying for? How do I effectively optimize safety, quality and housekeeping? How do I monitor and control staffing levels? How do I help increase productivity and reduce project costs?
- Contractor relations. What is an appropriate level of social and personal interaction with assigned contractors? What gifts, entertainment and solicitation policies are applicable? What tools are available to hold contractors accountable? How should disputes with contractors be resolved? What is the appropriate level of authority and direction execution coordinators should exercise over assigned contractors? What is my level of authority when it comes to approvals for timesheets, material deliveries, delays, etc.?
- Contract strategies. What are the various contract styles being used on my turnarounds? What are the strengths and weak-nesses of each contract type? What provisions of the contract am I responsible for monitoring and enforcing?
- Making referrals. When is it appropriate to refer contractors to other resources who have more knowledge or authority or a different skillset? What is the process for a seam-less handoff to Engineering or Operation or other decision makers?
- Contribution to meetings. What are the deliverables for meetings the execution coordinator will be attending? What information should they be receiving at meetings? What recordkeeping and reporting are they responsible for? What information should be provided and received at shift turnovers?
- Schedule compliance. What information should the execution coordinator be gaining from a schedule? How should the schedule guide decisions? What reports should he or she be studying that are generated from the schedule? What schedule use and schedule updating should be required from contractors? How can the execution coordinator help to ensure the schedule is consistently accurate and “real in the field”? How are variance requests handled when contractors wish to deviate from the schedule?
With so much responsibility on the execution coordinator’s shoulders and so much opportunity to positively change the performance of turnarounds, it is a no-brainer: Investing in training for execution coordinators is just good business sense.
For more information, contact Mike Bischoff or Ray Smith at (281) 461-9340, email sales@tamanagement.com or visit www.tamanagement.com.
