Top Skills for Project Controls Specialists
Project controls is a unique field. In a specialized arena in the project management world, project controls analysts require an ever-evolving set of skills. While nearly anyone from any background can jump into this field and excel with proper training, there are certain skills and knowledge bases that can make the journey easier. To better understand what those specific tool sets are, we tapped a few of our exceptional team members. Here’s a look at their thoughts on key skills, what they wish they knew when they started, and what trends in project controls will affect skillsets in the future.
Most important skills for project controls specialists
Our experts first pointed out things that don’t necessarily require deep technical knowledge. “In no specific order, I’d say the ability to pivot from assignment to assignment quickly, good communication and the ability to bond with your team, and being able to see situations from multiple viewpoints,” Kerry Minor, project controls consultant said. Brandi Gingery agreed, adding that being professional, succinct, and organized in communications is key. Consultant Thom Baumann-Neylon noted that these soft skills are important to keeping clients’ needs in focus.
“Having a client-focused approach to work has always been the most important skill for me. The ability to know when to lead, when to follow, how to communicate with a customer, and effectively work on teams will always be the framework for success,” he said.
Brandi and Thom also noted numerous tools and technical abilities that are important for project controls specialists. Often, beginners in the field don’t have to come in with this knowledge and can develop their abilities through training and continued learning. “Projects change, clients change, tools change, but a high aptitude learner will be able to effectively learn, grow, even thrive, while performing client work,” Thom said.
This includes platforms like Excel, P6, and COBRA. Brandi noted that an analytical mindset and drive to find sources of trends and changes is helpful when using these tools.
“What I wish I knew back then”
While any project controls specialist should aim to be a continuous learner and not expect to know everything out of the gate, the MRC team does have a list of things they wish they’d had a better understanding of when they first started.
“I started in the field very green,” said Kerry. “Back then a better understanding of Excel and its capabilities would have been useful. Also, scheduling tools can be complex to learn, so coming in with an understanding would have been helpful.”
Thom echoed these sentiments, noting that he started as a “tool jockey for P6.” While he had the theory and the how-to, the initial lack of experience with the tools means more upfront trial and error. Brandi said her initial experience would have benefitted from a better understanding of team organization structure and idea of who the key players are for different project needs.
Skills for the future
In reflecting on these experiences, the MRC team saw an opportunity to speak about the next phase of project controls and what skills will be needed in the future. Data and artificial intelligence were big topics. “The ability to organize and manipulate data into usable analytical formats is going to be more of a need in the future.,” Kerry said. “As programs like PowerBI and Excel become more advanced and user friendly, project controllers will need to improve their skills with these tools so their time can be better spent analyzing data, rather than organizing it.”
Thom also spoke to the impact of AI. “The expansion of AI and Automation will be seen in data analytic tools,” he said. “An example is teams can track project health, based on a vast volume of data, only a key stroke away due to the new data gathering and visualization tools.”
The MRC team also sees environmental concerns becoming a big priority. Thom believes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives and KPIs will become standard on projects. “For example, tracking the reduction in energy consumption or tracking reduction in carbon numbers by examining shipping and transportation methods,” he explained.
Lastly, Thom called for project leaders to embrace culturally responsive leadership. “Project leaders not only need to be able to collaborate with people of different backgrounds and cultures, but they also need to be able to hire, train, and lead people from diverse backgrounds.”