As part of our series of interviews with Anddes leaders, we spoke with Lucio Calace, Project Management Manager of Anddes Argentina, to learn his perspective on the main challenges and strategies involved in leading high-impact projects. With a focus on customer satisfaction, effective coordination between areas, and the intelligent use of information for decision-making, Lucio highlights the importance of collaborative, strategic, and results-oriented management. In this interview, he shares his approach and the key practices that, from his role, strengthen the successful execution of each awarded service.
Knowledge of the scope of awarded services:
From your role, what do you consider to be the main challenges in defining and managing the scope of the awarded services?
I believe it is necessary to be committed to customer satisfaction in every project we undertake, from interpreting the scope during the proposal preparation to validating it, both in its initial stage, development, and at the end of the service. It is necessary to be aware that the client at all times feels that what we are executing is within their expectations and according to the quality they expect. This approach is key for us, as it allows us to fulfill Anddes’ value proposition: to provide innovative and sustainable solutions that align with the client’s needs.
Capacity and available resources:
Internally, how do you evaluate the operational capacity and available resources to ensure compliance with the obligations assumed in each project?
During the proposal stage, we analyze which resources could participate if the service is awarded to us. Once awarded, we meet with the area manager and the coordinators of the involved disciplines to evaluate the availability and suitability of the personnel who will carry out the service, from the project manager to the developers. As a multidisciplinary company, if any of our disciplines has a high workload, we coordinate with the Lima offices to verify if they have availability and thus ensure the continuity and quality of the service.
Facilitating solutions:
How does project management act as a bridge between project managers (PMs) and internal resources within the organization to resolve operational and administrative challenges?
As Project Management Manager, I ensure that from the internal Kick-Off-Meeting (KOM), the Project Manager (PM) and the team know that they have the support of the support areas to resolve any issue inherent to the project. It is important to highlight that Project Managers are not expected to do everything on their own, but rather to know how to identify who to lean on and how to provide adequate follow-up. This allows us to manage more effectively and ensure that, at all times, projects align with client expectations and service goals. Collaboration and teamwork are essential to achieving effective project management.
Customer satisfaction:
What are the key strategies that project management uses to ensure that the services delivered meet the expectations and needs of customers?
During the Kick-Off Meeting (KOM) we seek to validate the scope, and during the periodic follow-up meetings we seek to ask if they are satisfied with what has been generated so far, and the same during the closing meeting. Finally, we send a satisfaction survey and a service compliance report to be filled out by the client if possible. This process is part of our focus on offering solutions that generate value, and always maintaining the commitment to customer satisfaction.
Use of information for decision making:
How does the information provided by the Project Planning and Control (PCP) area influence strategic decision-making, both at the level of GPs, Area Managers (GA), and Senior Management (AG)?
It is essential that each GP, each GA, and the AG knows the status of the result of their project, or their area, or the organization respectively. Both at the level of direct and indirect costs, and I would also like to start working on the financial result and not only the economic one. A project or a company is not viable if its financial result is not positive, which is not always achieved with a positive economic result. Therefore, accurate and clear information is essential to make strategic decisions that allow us to align our projects with the objectives of the company, guaranteeing sustainable results aligned with our purpose.