The task of estimating costs, planning and scheduling men and materials and then controlling these resources to maximize production output, while minimizing costs, can be a very difficult job.
These efforts become more complex with the increase in the size of the shipyard organization and the scope of the yard operations. Modern-day shipbuilding poses no mean management challenge.
A very basic problem has been job progress visibility, or lack thereof.
Without it, management must operate blindly. Cause and effect relationships become blurred in the midst of daily shipyard production problems and drain away the capacity to direct production effectively and economically.
Knowing precisely, and in a timely manner, the exact status of men and material, a responsible management can rectify problems quickly before they become critical.
From a brochure for a ship building ERP system.
The Point Here is Simple
Cost, schedule, risk, and technical performance planning is the start for a credible project management process. If you don't have these details, you can't possibly have a credible understanding of where you are going, when you are going to arrive, what the difficulties are going to be along the way, and when you arrive how will you recognize that you've arrived.