CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
7 March 2007
Implementation Investments
Primavera® Helps Atlanta Airport Deliver First Milestone of 15-Year Program Early and Under Budget
Primavera Systems, Inc . announced that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest commercial airport in North America, used Primavera's project management software to deliver the first milestone of its 15-year, $6.2 billion capital improvement plan early and under budget. Runway 10-28, a $1.2 billion program came in $102 million under budget and 11 days early.
"To effectively manage a program of this size, we required everyone to use the same project management software, which was Primavera," said Dwight Pullen, director of Runway 10-28. "Additionally, we established project controls and business processes to ensure each member of the team had the necessary information to keep the project moving forward. Primavera enabled us to have consistent standards across the program."
A partnership of five separate construction firms managed the Runway 10-28 program, with more than 200 people working on 22 separate projects. Program managers dealt with more than half a dozen local and state governmental organizations, built a massive bridge over an active 10-lane highway, and had to keep the airport functioning smoothly throughout the entire process.
"I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say that all eyes were watching us," Pullen said. "This was, quite literally, the most important runway in North America."
"Our contractors used Primavera to resource- and cost-load their schedules so we could track what the project managers were spending and whether the work in place matched the contractor's application for payments," said Curtis Wilson, the program cost and scheduling manager for Runway 10-28. The team developed baseline schedules for each project, and utilized Primavera to perform "what-if" scenarios that helped identify where improvements could be made.
The early completion of Runway 10-28 enabled the airport to close down another main runway to do $60 million in repairs and maintenance without disrupting the flight schedule. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is currently operating all five runways, while continuing to execute the next phase of its construction plan, a state-of-the-art rental car facility.
"The success of the new runway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta is a prime example of how establishing universal processes centered on solid program management can yield tremendous results," said Richard Faris, Chief Technology Officer of Primavera. "The success of Runway 10-28 is a model for public works programs nationwide."
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