PROGRAM / PROJECT MANAGEMENT
A team to plan the success of your next project
Depend on the expertise of an experienced program/project team to plan the success of your next project.
Program Management
Program management differs from project management in that programs involve multiple projects for an extended period of time—usually several years. Tasks typically not involved in projects are an integral part of programs, and managers often manage programs as integrated business units rather than discrete individual projects. Successful program management requires the ability to consistently and methodically define, coordinate, standardize and manage the life cycle of multiple projects all at once, and to know how the life cycle of each project potentially impacts the rest of the program. The life cycle process includes planning, contracting, design, construction and facilities management.
Cost Management
Traditional cost estimating has its limitations: estimates are really only as reliable as the information from which they are developed. If the estimator provided inaccurate information about the project, obviously the estimate’s reliability will suffer as a result. For this reason, total cost management is becoming increasingly popular. Cost management involves assigning a senior cost professional with management experience to participate in your program from its inception. He or she will ensure that your program adequately and accurately evaluates its financial considerations from the earliest of planning phases to closeout. The level of involvement can be at a very high level with little involvement in the fine details, at ground level with duties such as producing and updating spreadsheets after any cost-related decisions are made, or anywhere in between. In providing cost management services, we can work for an owner or a program management contractor. Either way, total cost management involves working with both parties to ensure the best possible outcome.
Independent Review
We have developed a thorough, meticulous approach to independent assessments, reviews and evaluations. It can include documentation review, interviewing key personnel, determining organizational structures, researching issues, analyzing technical areas, identifying insufficient data, developing work breakdown structures, identifying costs, modeling multiple scenarios, developing schedules, estimating risk and costs, writing reports and presenting findings.
Budget Development
Early budget development is essential to the success of a program. The most important part of budget development is ensuring that it is realistic, based on accurate estimates of both the funding for the program and of the expected program costs. Because the nature of budgeting involves anticipating when program dollars will be coming in and going out, our budget developers work with experienced schedulers in order to best predict when certain program milestones will be met, and what monies will be coming in and going out as a result. Depending on our clients’ needs, their budgets can be adaptable and flexible or absolutely rigid. Budgets can be stand-alone tools or can be integrated with their schedules and management plans. After budget development, we can also assist in budget management and total cost management.
Project Time & Cost
Our team, formerly known as Project Time & Cost (PT&C), remains as committed as ever to your short-term needs and long term success. Learn more about our new name here.
We view everything involved in a program as integrated business units with the potential to impact the entire program. Acuity-E&C’s proven approach to program/project management involves:
Software products
Powerful Platform-based Solutions
Designed for PMO-Focused Teams
Cloud-based software applications providing a full suite of PMO-focused solutions.
Development services
Full-Stack Software Design, Development and Delivery
Delivering innovative technology solutions with our intelligent platform and expert product development teams.
Implementation & training
Lab-based Training Designed to Maximize Skill Development
Role-based training provides effective product implementation and knowledge transfer.
Project Management
Project management services focus on the execution phase of a project. Acuity-ETS can help clients track and measure project performance, maintain control of contract scope changes, review and revise project risk elements, and accurately predict the profit at the end of the project. Successful project management requires a continuous knowledge of current project performance as well as the ability to foresee and adjust to change.
Project Control
For effective project management and control, ETS promotes a graded approach to managing client projects. This approach ensures that project objectives are comparable with the dollar value, complexity and visibility, and it defines any potential risk of the project. These grading factors are the basis for determining the degree to which the elements of the project control system are to be implemented.
ETS provides a process using an integrated set of techniques for planning and controlling the life cycle of a project, which include risk management, cost estimating, planning and scheduling, and performance measurement.
Project control is a specialized subset of project management. It is the part of the project management process that establishes a project and schedule criteria or goals; measures progress toward those goals; and determines current project profitability.
Change Order Control
Any type of change in schedule or scope can cause a “domino” effect. That is, more things can go wrong as a result of one small change. ETS provides change order control services to ensure that necessary changes don’t result in unnecessary delays or further changes.
Risk Analysis
Risk and cost analysis are critical factors in any project. What adverse effects can occur during this project, and how can we prevent them from occurring? How much will a project cost, and is it worth it? We can assist you in analyzing your project’s risks and costs to help prevent careless oversights and costly overruns.
We regularly conducts risk and cost analyses to determine the probability that a project or effort will not exceed its budget. Because these projects often have large budgets and often must be committed to without full knowledge of all the conditions, this type of analysis is often undertaken for non-building, capital construction, environmental restoration and waste management projects. Our consultants can also develop risk-modeling templates for repeating situations as well as conduct simulation analysis.
Forecasting
The project control tools provide a process to collect and provide information that measures the physical accomplishment of work on a project, looking backward. This information can be used to establish performance trends and predict future productivity. Forecasting methods allow the project manager to anticipate potential future obstacles to success and either account for them by assigning an appropriate cost or developing alternative courses of action. Where project control methods help the manager understand past performance and current profitability, forecasting helps the manager look forward and predict final project profitability.
Life Cycle Analysis
When capital improvements and purchases are necessary, we can provide Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) consultation services. Life cycle analysis breaks down the cost of a product according to how long it will last, making budgets more accurate and helping determine when a replacement or an upgrade is necessary.
LCCA involves evaluating alternative buildings and building-related projects, systems or components that have different costs while providing an acceptable level of service (e.g., occupant comfort, safety and useable space). Typically, LCCA is used to evaluate alternative designs that have higher initial costs, but lower operating-related costs over the project life than the lowest-initial-cost design. LCCA is especially useful for evaluating the costs and benefits of energy conservation and water conservation projects in buildings. With LCCA, the life cycle costs of two or more alternative designs are computed and compared to determine which has the lowest life cycle cost and is therefore most economical in the long run. LCCA can be used for evaluating alternative designs in both new and existing buildings. In fact, LCCA can be used to evaluate alternative designs for almost any project type in which higher capital investment costs results in lower future operating-related costs.
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Other services and products
Custom Software
Engineering
Our software engineering teams employ proven methodologies and principles (such as the mvc pattern and agile processes) to develop solutions for the mission critical programs of our federal government and industry customers.
CostCenter
Facilities Cloud Suite
A powerful suite of cost estimating tools that give you the power to create detailed estimates based on current, accurate cost data. Our cloud-based tools put you in control, so you can collaborate with your team whether you are at the office or in the field.
Cost & Schedule
Management
Our team can help manage the costs and schedules of complex programs and projects. We have expertise in traditional disciplines – architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and special utility systems – with the latest estimating tools and software.