Identify, suggest and report on optimisation and performance improvement activities

This standard is about carrying out optimisation and performance improvement activities.

You will need to be able to use appropriate methods to identify areas for improvement and make recommendations based on evidence, including to reduce costs, shorten timescales, improve performance, identify recovery options, minimise environmental impact and influence scopes of work.

Who this standard is for
This standard is for project controls-related roles, including project controls engineers, estimators, planners, schedulers, cost controllers, risk analysts, risk managers and contract managers.

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1. identify, recommend and apply optimisation and performance improvement techniques to determine:
   • potential efficiencies
   • areas for improvement
   • activities to meet potential improvements
2. apply value management techniques as required
3. utilise cost improvement workshops effectively
4. review and report on the impacts of optimisation and performance improvement activities carried out, and provide evidence-based recommendations based on them
5. effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders to influence changes in scopes of work, based on optimised scenarios
6. update project controls plans and project baselines, as appropriate, to reflect optimisation and performance improvement opportunities identified and related changes agreed

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1. the principles and benefits of optimisation and performance improvement, and how to plan and carry them out
2. the different methods and modelling techniques available for optimisation and performance improvement activities
3. conditions or factors which create inefficiencies or non-value-added costs and schedule delays within your industry or specific sector
4. how to determine when and where optimisation and performance improvement activities might be beneficial, including how to influence scopes of work
5. how to consider potential savings (time/cost) versus the cost of making the change
6. how to review the risks, contingencies and assumptions when undertaking optimisation activities
7. how to consider value management vs safety
8. key aspects of value management techniques
9. how to organise and run process improvement and cost improvement workshops
10. sector-specific principles and practice, such as engineering design principles
11. how to construct a supporting narrative for recommendations you make around optimisation and performance improvement
12. the process of reviewing, updating and finalising project controls plans and project baselines

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Additional Information:

Value management techniques
These may include:

• value analysis
• value engineering
• design for manufacture
• assembly and construction

Benefits
Benefits may include:

• cost minimisation
• time minimisation
• optimisation of production and construction
• improved accuracy of estimates
• resource efficiency
• project recovery
• performance improvements
• reduced environmental impact

Methods and modelling techniques
Concepts, methodologies, and techniques to use for optimisation and performance improvement may include:

• what-if scenario analysis
• trade-off of time vs cost vs quality
• process improvement cycle
• root cause analysis
• requirements management
• functional analysis
• process improvement workshops
• impact analysis
• sensitivity analysis
• work study, method study and work measurement
• time study and methods engineering
• line balancing
• target costing and target scheduling
• lean methodology
• Plan-Do-Check-Act (Deming/Shewhart cycle)
• lessons learned

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1

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2029

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Current

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Original

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Engineering Construction Industry Training Board

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ECI PC19, ECI PC56, ECI PC57, ECI PC58, ECI PC59

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Contract Manager, Engineer, Estimator, Risk Manager, Project Controls, Cost controller, Planner, Scheduler, Risk analyst

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Optimisation methods; performance improvement methods; recommendations; opportunities; project controls plan; efficiencies; modelling techniques; what-if scenario analysis; trade off: time, cost, quality; process improvement cycle; root cause analysis; requirements management; functional analysis; impact analysis; work study; method study; work measurement; time study; methods engineering; line balancing; value management; value analysis; value engineering; design for manufacture, assembly and construction; circular economy; whole life costing; target costing; target scheduling; lean methodology, Deming Shewhart cycle; Plan-Do-Check-Act; PDCA; lessons learned; cost minimisation; time minimisation; optimisation of production and construction; improved accuracy of estimates; resource efficiency; project recovery; reduced environmental impact; cost improvement workshop; process improvement workshop; assumption management; non-value-added costs; inefficiencies

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