MANAGING COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: A SYSTEMS APPROACH

Features

• Presents hands-on experience that works and has been tested on a number of complex power plant projects
• Offers simplified approach that can be readily understood by both the beginner and experienced professional
• Shows the process of work in many areas on a construction site and analyzes it to improve performance
• Discusses the impact of high-risk activities on complex construction projects
• Demonstrates how project schedule, quality, and cost are linked during the execution phase of a project

Summary

To many program, project, or construction managers, a complex project seems to be a labyrinth with many hidden dangers. This book is a guide through that labyrinth. It explains best practices and provides insight so they cannot only identify hidden dangers but also effectively manage the construction process to either mitigate or eliminate these risks.

The book presents a systems-based approach to construction project management that can facilitate a greater understanding of the complexity inherent in large construction projects and how that complexity can be effectively managed. The systems approach permits the onsite construction project manager to take a complex construction project, break it down into manageable pieces, and ensure that all systems are in alignment with the original goal of the project. This approach combines industrial engineering, project management, and finance into a unified approach for effective management of complex construction projects, ranging from a power plant to a highway project.

The book explains how to manage construction projects successfully through an approach based on the three following systems:

• Project Management System
• Work Management System
• Quality Management System

The problem with complex programs and projects is that many managers are only equipped with a knowledge of project management. A system for construction is a collection of many processes effectively working together to produce a specific deliverable, which is usually defined in the program or project’s contract. This system has a series of specific inputs and outputs, which are what the customer expects from the company or companies performing the work. This book develops checklists based on these inputs and outputs, which managers can use when first arriving onsite, and provides a "nuts and bolts" approach for managing a complex construction project onsite.

The author shares valuable lessons learned during a career of more than thirty years of working on various construction sites around the world. These lessons learned are filled with valuable information to aid readers become more effective as a program, project, or construction manager of complex construction projects.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Project Management System: Part I
Project Management System
Initiation Phase
Planning Phase

3. Project Management System: Part II
Project Management Outputs
Project Construction Execution Plan
Project Engineering Plan
Project Procurement Plan (PPP)
Project Logistics Plan
Project Communications Plan (PCP)

4. Project Management System: Part III
Project Management System
Project Risk Management Plan (PRMP)
Project Document Plan (PDP)
Project Staffing/Resource Plan

5. Work Management System
Work Management System
Civil Construction Work
Electrical Construction Work
Mechanical Construction Work
Instrument and Control (I&C) Construction
Work

6. Quality Management System
Quality Management System
Erection Completion Certificate (ECC)
Concluding Remarks

7. Bringing It All Together
Retirement Community Beta Project
Project Initiation
Project Planning
Project Execution
Project Controlling and Monitoring

8. Lessons Learned from the Field
Introduction
Project Management Systems Lessons Learned
Work Management Systems Lessons Learned
Quality Management Systems Lessons Learned