Plan It Autodesk

Do Project Planners Need Technology?

I think project planners do need, and in most cases, want technology. Why? Because it would free them from the many associated tasks that take away from the time they have to be creative. I think most project planners would agree that they run out of time and/or money on most projects before they run out of ideas. Most conceptual designs end up being a budget-driven compromise.

At the same time, for most planners the preferred GUI is a pencil and trace paper. If it is all about saving time/money, the question then becomes how much of the freedom and flexibility of the ideal GUI is a project planner willing to trade off for more time to be creative?

Or, given the state-of-the-art in computer technology, does there have to be a significant quid pro quo? I think not. I believe the main reason that a comprehensive project planning solution does not exist is because there has not been a focused and determined effort to develop it. With the input and support of the planning profession I think this can be changed.

What do you think?

Next Time - A Conceptual Project Plannning Model

Technology and Planning

Technology and planning, or should it be technology vs. planning? What has been the impact of technology on physical, or as  I prefer, project planning? I would really love to get your feedback on this one...

From where I sit it appears that the project planner, or should I say the needs of the project planner, have been largely ignored by the major software vendors that support the planning, GIS and/or Engineering/Construction (E&C) industries. Is that the way you see it? Is there something about the conceptual design process that does not fit with automation?

I know that there are over 500 members of the APA's Information Technology Division, and that there are a number of people in acadameia that are very interested in this topic, but is that just the tip of the iceberg, or do project planners prefer trace paper and pencil?

It seems that pre-design, as it is referred to in the architectural profession is also an area where there are not a lot of examples of comprehensive software solutions with long track records and large installed bases. Is it not possible to adequately simulate the conceptual design process?

Next time - Do Project Planners Need Technology?

What Do Planners Do?

Perhaps as another attempt to better understand the term Project Planner, I wanted to offer some thoughts on what it is that we do. First I think it is important to distinguish between the policy planner and the physical planner.

When I think of project planning I generally think we are engaged in physical planning. Our projects have the potential to go on to design, and eventually construction.  The end product is not a report that provides guidance into the future, such as a regional master plan. That is not to say that as physical planners we don't prepare master plans for certain kinds of projects - we do, but in most cases project planners are working on projects that will produce physical changes to the built environment. 

Of course Project Planners study the feasibility of a proposed project and develop conceptual designs. They are not surveyors, or licensed professional engineers, but they interact with them, as well as other disciplines. From the Autodesk perspective that is one of the key issues. We want to develop a project planning solution that is part of an integrated work flow that covers the entire lifecycle of a project from first concept to long term management.

So what do you think?

Next time - Technology and Planning