The first decade of the 21st century has brought the engineering and construction
industry into a new era of mega-projects. In the US, much of the post-WWII infrastructure has reached
the end of its life. We are replacing major highway interchanges, upgrading power distribution systems
with modern smart-grid technology, and breaking ground on the first new nuclear plants in 30 years. At
the same time, the developing world is leaping into the modern era with an unprecedented investment
in infrastructure, particularly in China.
The lessons of the past should not be forgotten. Schedule delays, budget overruns, and technical
hurdles will be encountered. Project controls systems will help us overcome these issues, but only if
they are designed with the end in mind—providing the right information to the right people at the
right time. This paper presents the key steps to getting there, from two generations of mega-project
managers.
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