Project controls from the front end

Projects rarely run exactly according to plan, changes are inevitable. Changes typically translate into more time and more money. And to make matters worse, the later the change enters the project process, the more costly. The result is project cost overruns and delays. This is very common on construction projects, and is considered out of control by many in the construction industry. Front end project controls, applied specifically during the design phase, offers the best opportunity to control project cost overruns. While not all changes are controllable, being able to identify and manage controllable changes mitigates many changes that would have eventually become project cost overruns. This article discusses and demonstrates the concept of front end project controls, and the potential cost benefits for large, complex, capital improvement programs where change is the name of the game. This article was presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting in Portland, OR, but was not on the 2002 AACE International Transactions CD-ROM.