PPM as a production system

What matters most in VDC is people and how they develop integrated work, even when they belong to different areas and teams. They come together through high-tech meetings (ICE sessions) producing simultaneous, coordinated work. That technology must be excellent to create Digital Twins handed over to the client at project closeout. But having the best team, the best technology and the best method does not guarantee results — a process and an ideal scheme are required. This is where PPM (Project Production Management) appears.

Of all the components of the VDC framework, PPM is undoubtedly the most complex. BIM is the project's virtuality, ICE is the meetings between cross-functional teams to measure performance, and PPM is a deeper concept. It is worth defining first to understand why it is the most demanding component.

PPM is the application of operations management to project delivery. From PPM we see the production system and how basic concepts such as materials, information and ideas are transformed into the final product. PPM is responsible for processes within VDC.

There are related systems such as Lean Project Management, Lean Construction, Agile Project Management or Scrum. These can be combined and, when used correctly, help deliver the project efficiently. Lean Construction and PPM share elements: effective work, waste reduction, conscious use of resources, metrics, data collection and continuous improvement. PPM's advantage over Lean is that it focuses on organizing and controlling the work activities of the project, providing greater certainty by being grounded in day-to-day execution.

Once the project is seen as a production system, it must be planned so its execution is agile and effective. To achieve this, the production system and the factors affecting it must first be understood. A key concept is the production batch: a unit of measurement that guarantees resource balancing and a continuous workflow, sustaining a harmonious, achievable and controllable production pace.

Process models help us better understand the work, the people accountable, and the importance of activities and stakeholders. A good workflow lets us see the final outcome, establish KPIs, control them mid-process and continuously improve them. That is the promise of PPM inside the VDC framework: turning uncertainty into a governable production system.