Advanced Work Packaging podcasts

AWP Podcast: A Discussion on Materials Management and AWP

Listen to the leaders in AWP discuss the processes, the challenges, and the triumphs
of implementing Advanced Work Packaging.

Advanced Work Packaging Podcasts Series

Insight AWP Podcast Series

In this episode, Chaitanya, our Materials Management rock star, discusses the adoption of AWP, the challenges of change, what he believes is needed to affect that change and what is expected from a materials management expert.

Discussion Highlights

  • Chaitanya’s Background
  • His take on the state of AWP
  • Change and affecting change
  • Materials Management Overview

Streaming Audio

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Streaming Video

Transcript

Ryan Bonnell: Well, thanks for joining us today. Today we’re talking with Chaitanya. Chaitanya why don’t you just tell me a little bit about yourself.

Chaitanya Viswanadha: I’m Chaitanya Viswanadha. I am from Calgary, Canada. I’m a married have a wife and a six-year-old kid.

Jeff Samis: So how long have you been with us for?

Chaitanya Viswanadha: I have been at Insight for about six years. Jeff.

Jeff Samis: What do you like about working for us?

Chaitanya Viswanadha: So working for Insight. I think the people acknowledge what you’re doing. They respect your knowledge, you have a freedom to do what is good for the project. You have a freedom to do what is good for the company. And every day is a different ballgame. It’s not the same thing. So I wake up with different issues every day.

So it it kind of keeps me on my toes. So I like that’s what I like.

Jeff Samis: So you have a kind of an interesting position with us. You know, materials management’s obviously quite a bit different from AWP facilitator, but what do you think the current state of AWP is in the industry right now in the construction industry?

Chaitanya Viswanadha: My understanding is like AWP is a good process, like that is that is still not a white acceptance among all the people involved. So it’s it’s going take some time when, you know, before everybody accepts this process and understands. So this is not something that something like a, you know, different concept. So if you want to go from place A to place B, what you do? You open your maps and check how much time it takes for you to go from place A to place B.

Same thing with construction. So if you want to finish a construction, what does it take for you to finish your construction on time? So you have to plan your stuff. And that’s the process that AWP is all about.

Jeff Samis: So why do you think there is resistance and what do you think some of the biggest obstacles are?

Chaitanya Viswanadha: So my understanding is the biggest obstacle is because people think that this is something that they have not been doing in the past. And second thing is, we need different skill sets where all of the people need to be, you know, having the basic knowledge of computers. So which which the traditional people don’t have. So we need investment on training all the personnels to get the right skill sets.

Jeff Samis: So what do you think the future looks for, looks like with AWP? What would you like to see in the future around AWP? Implementations and such?

Chaitanya Viswanadha: So the only thing that is constant is change. So there is going to be change every now and then, and people have to keep adapting to it. It’s not like AWP is there today. Tomorrow there’ll be something else. So. So but I think people need to understand. People’s mindset needs to change. They have to adapt and they have to accept whatever, you know, change is coming, coming in.

Ryan Bonnell: So And how was. Yeah. Sorry. I just wanted to ask like, how would you affect that change?

Chaitanya Viswanadha: So from my perspective, the owners need to be more open and more involved in the engineering aspects rather than just waiting till the construction or waiting to the engineering is done and then look at things. So owners should be more proactive and more involved.

Jeff Samis: So that you can know your role with us is a lot different and very unique within the company. So why don’t you tell us a little bit how your job is different from some of the other people that work for us?

Chaitanya Viswanadha: So my position are basically the metals management position is not very known until you have an issue, right? So when everything goes smooth, nobody notices that there is somebody behind that’s making it work. So when something is not working, that’s it. Oh, the metal is not here, right? So that’s my job. So my job is to make sure that the metal is properly delivered on site in time. When they need it for construction.

So, so far this all, all the prep work is, is you have to make sure that the all the engineering data is is inside the system and accessible to all the planners who are who are using that information. Right. So they are the ones who simulating the information and using it. So and MM (Materials Management) is not like it’s it’s not like something that you can visualize or that you can see like a model or anything.

Right. It’s just a group of data, like data sets which you have to deal with.

Ryan Bonnell: Thanks for just talking AWP with us. If you want to learn more about AWP, please visit our website at insight-awp.com. That’s insight-awp.com. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, where we post the latest in AWP and its many facets.


This podcast featured:

Chaitanya Viswanadha

Jeff Samis - AWP Business Development

Jeff Samis

Ryan Bonnell