The Hammer Solutions: Summer 2021 Tips and Tricks

With technology updates and changes, we know it can be challenging to keep up with the latest, especially when smaller updates roll out frequently. In this blog, we have compiled practical tips from everyday users to serve as your one-stop resource for all the newest features so far in 2021. We’ve also included some shortcuts to empower you and your team to optimize The Hammer Solutions, stay on budget and deliver on complex, high-cost projects.

 Explore:

Take some time to explore the application, clicking through the dashboard to see how everything works.

  • Test drive reports, charts and tables and play around with different tabs. Manipulate how the data is consumed and presented.

  • Leverage the dashboard to get a pulse on the progress of the project and make sure it is on track. The dashboard summarizes all areas including BCWS, BCWP, ACWP and contingency.

Talk, Brainstorm and Share Best Practices:

How does your team use The Hammer? Talking about how you use the application and listening to how others use it will help guide time-saving best practices.

Learn from Our Consultants:

Project controls consultants James Anderson  and Brandi Gingery offered their expert insights:

  • View variances by dollar or hours: The default view when reviewing variances shows you the differences in dollar amounts, but you can change this to hours. Drilling into variances in the hours view shows you more detail about where issues may be cropping up.

  • Identify patterns: You can look at past variances outside of your default monthly view; this is a handy reference for tracking patterns over time.

  • Sort by task: As you track down variances, you can sort by different tasks to home in on the items that are taking more time/budget than allocated.

  • See cumulative variances: The CPR “Full Report” Tab presents the data as a traditional CPR and provides the ability to compare and see how current period variances are feeding into the cumulative variances. From this window, use the “Variance Status” Report to quickly view what variances are due and what remains to be written/approved. This report is more comprehensive; going to the “VAR Reports” Tab only shows variances that have been written.

  • Move variances out of draft: It is critical for CAMs to “View Drafts” after they write their VARs, select all variances and “Send Email.” If you skip this step, variances will remain “stuck” in drafts, even if the PM/PD approves the variance. This step also sends the email to the approver to prompt them that the variances are ready for approval.

Don’t Forget Version 2.0 Upgrades:

We’ve added a number of upgrades over the last few years:

  • The combined variance analysis and corrective action reports show reason, impact and proposed corrective action for variances in a control account.

  •  Improved EV chart graphics and Microsoft Excel capabilities offer tailored reporting and downloads.

  • Enterprise and project dashboards offer sophisticated drill down capabilities that allow you to evaluate your work by exception.

  • Batch Adobe PDF and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets can be uploaded for simplified and customized reports.

  • Real-time email notifications allow you to automate work. Intelligent advisory reports flag problems and suggest corrective actions.

NOW LIVE: Single Sign-on for The Hammer Solutions!

Have an idea or tip? Connect with us on LinkedIn!

Emmanuel Abela