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Project Controls

Using P6 Built-In Reporting: Stopping Bad Schedulers from Hiding in Spreadsheet Graphs

Many turnaround schedules look clean on paper but fall apart in execution. The problem often isn’t the schedule itself, but how it’s reported. When schedulers export data to Excel and manually adjust curves, they disconnect leadership from reality. P6’s built-in reporting exposes issues like poor leveling and bad logic. Keeping reporting inside P6 ensures accurate forecasting, better decisions, and stronger execution.

B. BurchApril 20, 20265 min read

Turnaround ReadinessHealth & Safety

The Case for Pre-Execution Boot Camps

Turnarounds hit their stride or stumble right from day one. Too often, small misalignments compound into major delays and safety risks. Pre-execution boot camps fix that. These short, phased sessions align teams on everything from permitting to closure processes, ensuring everyone starts ready. Here's why they're essential, the core topics to cover, and how they build a culture of proactive readiness.

B. BurchApril 6, 20266 min read

Inspection & ReliabilityTurnaround Readiness

Client-Side QA Ownership: Why Plants Must Control Equipment Turnover Before Energizing

Contractors complete the work and submit their QC documentation. Too many plants treat that contractor paperwork as quality assurance, then energize equipment without any independent owner verification. The result? Hidden gaps in safety, reliability, and readiness that only show up after startup. Here’s exactly why contractor QC is never enough, the four-layer client-owned QA process that actually closes the gap, and the simple leadership move that prevents catastrophic shortcuts.

B. BurchMarch 23, 20265 min read

LeadershipProject Controls

When Contractors Fail: Why It’s Often Our Responsibility

When contractors fail during a turnaround, it is rarely due to lack of effort in the field. Poor job plans, missing materials, weak logistics, and unclear inspections are upstream failures that leadership must own. Turnaround groups create the conditions for contractor success—or for failure.

B. BurchMarch 9, 20265 min read

Health & Safety

Safety Lessons from an Emergency Shutdowns: Turnaround Preparation Essentials

A real-world emergency shutdown shows how preparation and safety culture protect crews during complex turnarounds and outages. Learn practical ways to reduce risk and improve readiness.

B. BurchMarch 2, 20266 min read

Project Controls

Leveling the Field: Why Primavera’s Turnaround Schedule Engine Must Be Mandatory

Stop fake turnaround schedules from destroying execution. Why Primavera resource leveling must be mandatory — and how to enforce it.

B. BurchFebruary 23, 20265 min read

Leadership

The Discipline of Scope Freeze: Why Leaders Must Hold the Line

Scope freeze is not optional. Some scope growth is inevitable, but most is preventable. When leaders enforce discipline, turnarounds stay safe, on budget, and on schedule. When they tolerate late scope, chaos follows.

B. BurchFebruary 9, 20265 min read

Health & SafetyLeadership

Permitting Without Exceptions: Why Discipline Prevents Disasters

Permitting systems only work if everyone knows them and follows them. Too often, plant personnel do not understand site policies, like blinding for high energy hot work, because training and communication fall short. Permits are not forms, they are safety barriers born from past lessons.

B. BurchFebruary 2, 20263 min read

Turnaround ReadinessLeadership

Why Every Turnaround Needs a Control Document (aka Milestones)

Without a Control Document, turnaround planning becomes fragmented and reactive. A Control Document aligns deliverables, owners, and due dates, giving turnaround leadership team the tool to enforce accountability and readiness.

B. BurchJanuary 26, 20264 min read

Software & TechnologyProject Controls

Real-Time Dashboards: Turning Data Into Decisions

Spreadsheets delay turnarounds by hours. Learn how P6-integrated dashboards deliver live schedule and scope tracking for faster, safer execution.

B. BurchJanuary 19, 20264 min read

Leadership

Crisis Leadership in Turnarounds: Stay Aligned Under Chaos

Emergency outages compress turnaround timelines and strain teams. Learn 4 leadership tactics to maintain scope discipline, clarity, and trust under crisis..

B. BurchJanuary 5, 20266 min read

Health & Safety

Safety in the Hand-Off: Why Turnovers Are a Safety Barrier

In turnaround events, hand-offs transfer responsibility for ongoing work. When treated as routine, they open the door to incidents. When treated as a barrier, they protect crews, contractors, and leadership while keeping the turnaround on track. This article shows how discipline, verification, and leadership make turnovers safe and effective.

B. BurchDecember 15, 20255 min read