Capital Projects


Book Description

A real-world framework for driving capital project success Capital Projects provides an empirically-based framework for capital project strategy and implementation, based on the histories of over 20,000 capital projects ranging from $50,000 to $40 billion. Derived from the detailed, carefully normalized database at preeminent project consultancy IPA, this solid framework is applicable to all types of capital investment projects large and small, in any sector, including technology, life sciences, petroleum, consumer products, and more. Although grounded in empirical research and rigorous data analysis, this book is not an academic discussion or a conceptual dissertation; it's a practical, actionable, on-the-ground guide to making your project succeed. Clear discussion tackles the challenges that cause capital projects to fail or underperform, and lays out exactly what it takes to successfully manage a project using real-world methods that apply at any level. Businesses report that 60 percent of their projects fail to meet all business objectives, and IPA's database shows that projects' final average net present value undershoots initial estimates by 28 percent. This book provides concrete, actionable solutions to help you avoid the pitfalls and lead the way toward a more positive outcome. Avoid the missteps that make capital projects fail Learn the specific practices that drive project success Understand what effective capital project management entails Discover real-world best practices that generate more value from capital When capital projects fail, it is almost always preventable. Inefficiency, underestimated timelines, and unforeseen costs are the primary weights that drag a project down—and they are all avoidable with good management. Capital Projects gives you the insight and practical tools you need to drive a successful project.




The Project Management Handbook


Book Description

This book provides a clear explanation of the roles and responsibilities a project manager must fulfill in executing a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project successfully. It begins with the basics of project management and traces the life cycle of the CIP project from start to finish. It is an essential resource for students and professionals.




Finance for Engineers


Book Description

With flair and an originality of approach, Crundwell brings his considerable experience to bear on this crucial topic. Uniquely, this book discusses the technical and financial aspects of decision-making in engineering and demonstrates these through case studies. It’s a hugely important matter as, of course, engineering solutions and financial decisions are intimately tied together. The best engineers combine the technical and financial cases in determining new solutions to opportunities, challenges and problems. To get your project approved, no matter the size of it, the financial case must be clear and compelling. This book provides a framework for engineers and scientists to undertake financial evaluations and assessments of engineering or production projects.




The Non-Architect's Guide to Major Capital Projects


Book Description

(Authored in 2005.) In his preface, Waite explains that ""[N]on-architects are often placed in positions of leadership or responsibility in a capital project process. Administrators, managers, and academics, while no doubt experts within their own specialties, often have little or no training to prepare them for a role in a major capital project. The purpose of this book is to provide the non-architect with a broad framework of understanding in the steps, phases, and sequence of planning, designing, and delivering a capital project."" In addition to appealing to ""non-architects,"" this book should also appeal to architects who (a) may wish to understand what those non-architects are learning from this book and (b) may wish to purchase for distribution to clients or potential clients as part of the information process.




Proceedings of Government/Industry Forum


Book Description

Recurrent problems with project performance in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the 1990s raised questions in Congress about the practices and processes used by the department to manage projects. The 105th Committee of Conference on Energy and Water Resources directed DOE to investigate establishing a project review process. Many of the findings and recommendations in this series of reports identified the need for improved planning in the early project stages (front-end planning) to get the project off to the right start, and the continuous monitoring of projects by senior management to make sure the project stays on course. These reports also stressed the need for DOE to act as an owner, not a contractor, and to train its personnel to function not as traditional project managers but as knowledgeable owner's representatives in dealing with projects and contractors. The NRC Committee for Oversight and Assessment of Department of Energy Project Management determined that it would be helpful for DOE to sponsor a forum in which representatives from DOE and from leading corporations with large, successful construction programs would discuss how the owner's role is conducted in government and in industry. In so doing, the committee does not claim that all industrial firms are better at project management than the DOE. Far from it-the case studies represented at this forum were selected specifically because these firms were perceived by the committee to be exemplars of the very best practices in project management. Nor is it implied that reaching this level is easy; the industry speakers themselves show that excellence in project management is difficult to achieve and perhaps even more difficult to maintain. Nevertheless, they have been successful in doing so, through constant attention by senior management.







Comprehensive Grant Program


Book Description




Capital Budgeting and Finance


Book Description

A updated on the 2004 current, comprehensive, and detailed how-to manual for planning and financing successful captial projects. Practical planning guide creating 'shovel-ready' plans. (replaces ISBN 0-87326-144-5)