SIMPLY PROJECTS

After PM is FM

Facilities management(FM)

A few days ago I have a chat with  a professor of FM.He told me that in the whole life cycle costing of a facility(eg: offices,hospitals etc) the design and construction cost is only about 22% and the rest comes later in the cost of operations and maintenance of the facilities.When I asked him which country is leading the world in this industry,he replied Holland!I also knew Holland is one of the major exporters of world chocolate and yet she does not even have a single cocoa plant!Looking back to 500 years ago,now I think I know why Holland could colonised Indonesia more than 400 years!

Looking back to my beloved country Malaysia,the good professor told me we are 15 years behind in FM.The professor asked me what I am doing and I told him I am in project management(PM) business.Showing some figures to me  which I could not reveal here,I know where the money will be in the next 10 years.Now,I have another reason to go to Amsterdam-not only to cycle with my friend Guus but also to learn more about FM.

Billions of ringgits were spent on our infrastructure but are we doing the right FM for these national assets?Below is a nice bridge I love to photograph at Putrajaya.How do you FM this bridge and many more?

 

Project: To run 7km

I have decided to take part in the coming Olympic Day Run on 26th September,2010.It will kick off at Dataran Merdeka,KL and it is a 7km run.I have to complete it in 90 minutes but my sons have to run the route in 70minutes.Nothing great but it is my first time.

The project began when I decided to take part and it ill end on the race day.I have to register,pay and get myself ready for the event.Now,I have only six days left to practise.It is just like a wedding event.Preparation can take months but the wedding ceremony is only about 3 hours on a pre-determined day.In the case of my coming running event,either I complete the run in 90 minutes or not.No second chance if I fail,except may be another time next year.

Personally I have been  doing my brisk walking since March this year.The record to date shows that I have almost completed walking a cumulative distance of 450km in the 6 months.Yesterday,I did the trial run and I made it-7km in 82minutes.Hopefully on the the race day,I could perform like yesterday or better!

This is a personal project.One criteria of success is completion the run in a specified time.That is the event first level of success.Another thing is more personal to me.It is learning what it takes to get ready for the such an event and as result I get fitter and feel healthier.And that is the business success of this project,insyaAllah

NEW LIFE to Simply Projects Blog

This  blog began on 12th Oct,2003.That was almost 7 years ago!

I started writing a few short notes in a month some years back  but the response to my writings was lukewarm.It was either my contents may not be good enough or the topic is too specialised for common people who are not directly involved with project management .About two years ago I tried to get my friends who are in project management to share a common platform at projek.ning.com but it did not take off well.From then on,it was off and on and from last posting on 5th Oct 2009 until yesterday I have not written anything at all.My few thousands apologies...

I think ,it is timely for me re-activate this blog as active as I could be for my cycling blog since I have resigned from being CEO of my construction company almost two years ago.My younger brother has taken over and he is doing fine.Now,I feel it is timely for me  to go full time as a consultant in project management and other related subject matters like change management, facilities management and property development.When I left the government service way back in May 1984,I joined a GLC in as project manager in property business.I still love the games there!

In about two years from now,I will be 60 years old,insyaAllah.It is high time for me to share whatever little knowledge and experience  with fellow readers and practitioners of my disciplines of knowledge and provide consultancy services and teaching so that I could earn some money to pay my bills.

At the moment,I am still busy with my Ramadhan activities.InsyaAllah,after Eidil Fitri,I plan to write one article a week and the interaction can take place at my Facebook.My new online business address will at my Facebook XPROJECT MANAGEMENT Fan Page.I hope to do a soft launch of my project management business some time around the end of September,2010.

Note: The photo was taken at Seri Negara where we discussed the role of project management in nation building among my fellow directors of Project Management Institute,Malaysian Chapter.