The UK's largest schools PFI project is planned and managed using project management software from Asta

An AMEC-led joint venture is using Asta Powersuite, a project management and site-to-client reporting solution from Asta Development, to help it manage a £320 million project to deliver 17 new and 2 refurbished secondary schools over a 4 year period, with final completion in mid 2009. 

AMEC, the international project management and services company, required a system that would enable it to report progress at least monthly to the client (South Lanarkshire Council), InspireED (the joint venture company), Cyril Sweett (the technical advisor) and AMEC's management team.  The reports had to clearly show the progress of each of the school's projects against the contract programme, as well as the overall progress of the programme in a consolidated format.

As extensive users of Asta Powerproject, Asta Development's construction project management software, AMEC approached Asta Development to find out whether it could provide a solution to meet these specific reporting requirements. 

The Asta Powersuite solution, which was implemented for this project, provides AMEC with a web-based mechanism for collecting site progress reports from contractors and project managers.  Progress updates from site are then updated in the central programme held in Asta Powerproject. 

The reporting functionality that Asta developed for AMEC allows summary progress reports to be displayed as line graphs (also known as S-curves) using the data held in Asta Powerproject.  The graphs are very simple and comprise of just two lines: one shows the planned percentage progress of the project over time (i.e. the contract programme); the other shows the actual progress. If the line displaying actual progress falls below the planned progress line, the project is behind schedule.  Should this happen, the delayed project can be booked out to the relevant contractor (using an add-on that Asta created for AMEC) so that they can produce a recovery programme.

Andrew McGarva, Project Director for AMEC Group, said: "It is vital that we get accurate reporting on progress against the contract master programme as it is this programme that reflects our agreement with the client and forms the basis for payment as the project progresses.  Asta Powersuite enables us to produce reports that show the actual status of the project in a format that the client and other stakeholders can readily understand." 

Michael McCullen, Managing Director of Asta Development, said: "AMEC has been able to build on its investment in Asta Powerproject in order to provide its client with a reporting mechanism that clearly shows, in a non-technical way, what the project status is at any point in time.  We are delighted to be assisting AMEC in the delivery of this major PFI project."