Capital Projects

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.

Investors and managers of major projects know how often they result in cost overruns and schedule delays. Risk Navigation Strategies for Major Capital Projects builds on conventional best practice to provide a risk-based view of current practices for planning and executing large international projects. As economies of scale continue to drive projects to ever-higher levels of scope and complexity, new thinking about strategy and risk is required. Since major projects are highly exposed to external risks, the traditional view of predictability as something that can be mandated and ensured by rigorous application of conventional best practice has become a myth. Fresh thinking is required to manage projects today, and this book provides a framework for taking project management best practice to the next level. Risk Navigation Strategies for Major Capital Projects is intended for executives investing in major projects, project leaders and managers, as well as those with a teaching or research interest in project and risk management.

Aiming to bridge the gap between the quantitative viewpoint of management science and the practical, day-to-day needs of project cost management, this text offers coverage of an integrated cost management programme. It presents the use of method study techniques to increase the effectiveness of procedures and improve the productivity of resources, emphasizing a systematic approach to cost control.

The premier accounting reference, revised and expanded The Accountants' Handbook series has the longest tradition of any reference of providing comprehensive coverage of the field to both accounting professionals and professionals in other fields who need or desire quick, understandable, and thorough exposure to complex accounting-related subjects. Like its predecessors, the Tenth Edition is designed as a single reference source that provides answers to all reasonable questions on accounting and financial reporting asked by accountants, auditors, bankers, lawyers, financial analysts, and other preparers and users of accounting information. Written by nationally recognized accounting professionals, including partners in major public accounting firms, financial executives, financial analysts, and other relevant business professionals, the Handbook covers both financial accounting and reporting and industry specific accounting issues in separate volumes for easy reference. Its comprehensive content provides analysis on over 43 critical areas of accounting.