Photo courtesy of Nico Van Der Merwe
My friend The Plumber had a huge project for which he wanted to bid. It was a big project…bigger than any job he had managed before (he’s a young guy). He was confident he could do the job and he asked me how to use Excel to put together a plan.
Before I knew it we were at my computer putting together a project plan and schedule in Microsoft Project.
He had never heard of it. And I knew nothing about plumbing projects. But in about 2 hours we had a brilliant detailed milestone plan with costs. More than that, the process of putting together the plan helped him realize just what to quote for the job.
In the end he got the job and finished the project ahead of schedule and well within budget. He told me later that he made the most profit he has ever made and he believes he got the job because he was able to present a detailed and thoughtful timeline.
It also helped to manage all the resources because he could easily publish a calendar of activity for each and every supplier and subcontractor.
I’ve been polling tradespeople (electricians, carpenters, other plumbers, maintenance contractors) and none of these people use Microsoft Project or any sort of project planning tools!
Why is that?
I wonder if this chap Electrical Panel Service Upgrades uses it?
