By Thomas Tropea, Project Manager

Although project performance is typically measured using indicators such as productivity factors, schedule progress, HSE statistics and change order tracking, I have come to realize that an elaborate dashboard of meters and gauges just isn’t enough. Positive outcomes are the result of people working together from project kickoff to closeout. Therefore, if you build a team that likes to work together…  then the numbers will follow.

The team effort required for the Glycol Recycling Facility Project is unique because it is managed by Eastern Operations while the work is being executed in Calgary. This basically means that the project isn’t run of the mill and requires agility – pun intended. It’s great to see how various support groups, from East to West, have come together to achieve positive results.

The Western Purchasing team has developed business relationships with local suppliers which translates into an efficient exchange of information, reduced delivery lead times and lower prices.

The Human Resources department in Montreal performed first-round screening of potential candidates and set up interviews with Roger Nadeau, Francois Mercier and myself for every tradesmen that set foot on site. This strategy allowed us to convey our objectives before a single man hour was spent. Direct labor knew from the get go that this was a lump sum project with an aggressive budget of hours to get the job done.

The Western Quality Assurance/Control team was responsible for navigating through jurisdictional laws specific to Alberta. The project also benefitted from the recommendations of site inspectors who have performed well on previous DCM Group projects.

As a member of the DCM Group, JYNT allowed us to troubleshoot issues faster, get a real feel for fabrication progress and ultimately incur reduced costs to the project.

The examples above only highlight a few of the support groups that have had a significant impact on the project. Notable mentions are also the adoption of DTC, support from IT services, and equipment/material supply from the Edmonton warehouse.

This project clearly demonstrates how DCM’s focus on teamwork helped build an efficient Project Management team made up of regional and non-regional support groups. This hybrid style of operation differs greatly from the concentrated operations that we have in Fort McMurray or in the Greater Montreal Area, and can be leveraged to enter new markets.

I take this as a sign that DCM Group can deliver a project just about anywhere in Canada. If we believe in ourselves and in what we can accomplish, so will our existing and potential clients.

Our client at the Calgary Airport is riding the wave of airport expansions throughout major Canadian cities. With increased airport capacity, infrastructure for fuel, de-icing liquids, and other chemicals that are required for airports to operate will have to be built – this is where we come in. We have already discussed with the client the possibility of future projects in Saint-John, Vancouver and Edmonton, in addition to asset maintenance projects in Montreal. Making this project a success is our best shot at repeat business.