Case Study: California Engineering Contractors optimizes complex dam scheduling with Planera

How CEC Uses Planera to Optimize a very complex Folsom Dam Construction Plan

California Engineering Contractors (CEC) faced a complex scheduling challenge while retrofitting the gates of Folsom Dam, a vital flood control structure. The project was highly technical, with intricate dependencies between tasks and strict seasonal constraints on how many gates could be worked on simultaneously. CEC's Senior Project Manager found that traditional Gantt chart-based tools like Primavera P6 were cluttered, inefficient for collaboration, and ill-suited for visualizing such a complicated network of activities.

CEC implemented Planera, specifically using its Canvas interface, to address these challenges. The digital whiteboard allowed the team to visually map out tasks, sequence their flow, and add critical details in a highly collaborative environment. This solution dramatically reduced the time required to build a high-quality schedule and enabled real-time updates with stakeholders. The vendor's tool was so intuitive that the team began deriving value from Planera within a single day, eliminating the need for extensive training or onboarding.

California Engineering Contractors

Roger Giles

Senior Project Manager