Project Information Management

Introduction

Project Information Management is something we all do whether we are engineering companies, heavy highway contractors, building contractors, or nearly any other construction-related business. This article will make a light pass at defining PIMS and describing concepts that will help you understand how to view PIMS as it relates to your company.

Project Information Management is the collection, organization and distribution of the information that is related to a project. PIMS is accomplished, in general, in one of three ways:

• The Paper-Based System
• Paper-Based & Computer-Based Systems
• Computer-Based System

In some organizations, “The Paper Chase” consists of just that, a completely paper-based system of papers, folders, and filing cabinets of data about each and every project. Some organizations manage information electronically with no paper at all. The vast majority of organizations manage their projects with a combination of paper and computer based files. The ratio of paper to electronic media within these organizations varies greatly based on the knowledge and experience of their personnel and on the amount of technology in which they have invested.

The Paper-Based System

For a small organization with only one or two project managers, an all paper system may do the trick, or it may be the only cost effective means of managing its projects. But as an organization and the number of projects it manages grow, it becomes more and more difficult to professionally manage the ever-increasing level of information for all those projects. In order to accomplish this, the company is forced to hire more people or reduce the level of detailed information collected. Although the paper-based system had its time and was in some cases extremely efficient, its day has come. No company can remain competitive and maintain the level of information required to manage increasingly complex projects in a purely paper-based system. The greatest problem in a paper-based system is the paper.

Paper-Based & Computer-Based Systems

Eventually all organizations turn to computers and electronic data collection to handle the increased level of project information more professionally. Most combined systems are plagued by gaps. The gaps are caused by the lack of an overall way of relating all information related to a project across both the filing cabinet and the computer file. This problem is exasperated by departmental attempts to relate departmental data without regard to other areas of the company. This is where the statement “islands of information” comes from.

Computer-Based System

Some companies have made the switch to a so-called paperless office. This type of system can be either a remarkable tool or an anchor that sinks the ship, or at least one that causes rough sailing. One of the strengths of a computer-based system is its ability to store large amounts of data in a central location. But this is one of its greatest problems too; with computer-based systems it is possible to store an enormous amount of data in this central location in an unorganized and unrelated fashion. If properly designed and managed, a paperless system can be leveraged to keep good order of all data and make retrieving it a breeze as well. Our goal at InfoPathways is to provide a solution that provides the sound foundation to manage all your project data efficiently and effectively. PIMS is that solution.

Which is the Best?

We recommend process-based information systems that leverage the power of computers and provide a basis for information relationships that model your business and the data with which you manage it. In a process-based system the users collect data during the flow of work. A good information management system is set up to store information in a fashion that provides for the easy access and retrieval of all information related to a project. And a sound solution allows you to print views of that information that simplify specific tasks.

Therefore, we believe that the best solution is one that stores everything digitally, and yet allows for producing the paper-based views that you need to be productive. The best solution is a solution rooted with computer-based management and providing paper-based output in the form of reports.

Anatomy of a System

The anatomy of a good system is one that

• Stores data in a central location...
• Provides an easy-to-use interface...
• Provides real-time access to your information...
• Provides common-sense views of your information...
• Provides the reports needed to enable the efficient management of your projects...
• Provides for reliable backup of your mission critical data...
• Empowers you to control your data...
• Allows you to view yesterday's data, today's data, and tomorrow's plans...
• and Helps you make better decisions based on complete data.
  The goal for a project information management system is to replace “Can you find me this?” with “Did you know that ...?” A sound solution changes the paradigm from information when you find it, to information when you NEED it.

Importance of Project Information Management

PIMS helps answer questions, sometimes even before they are asked! PIMS can speed up your decision-making process. PIMS provides two key elements—one is learning from the past, looking at jobs, seeing what went well so it can be repeated, and identifying what went poorly so it can be avoided.
More importantly, PIMS provides a real-time snapshot of a project at any given time, allowing you to identify and rectify issues before they become problems, problems before they become disasters, and disasters before they put you out of business. This is Your Project Information Management Solution.