The project is funded and starting
The investment decision is made, but there is no management structure, no procedures and no approved baseline.
Project Management Services A3
Project Start-up: putting the project under management
A project's outcome is set in its first months. We build the management frame — quantities, WBS, cost and schedule baselines, procurement plan, procedures and KPIs — before mistakes become irreversible.
How it is bought
- Format
- A standalone Managed Service, or inside a PMC contract
- Fee
- Monthly team rate
- Who it is for
- Owners with their own team but a gap in one competence
- Projects
- 2 projects
We reply within 1 business day. A commercial proposal follows within 5 business days of the scoping meeting.
In substance
What Project Start-up is
Most troubled projects were troubled from the outset: quantities unverified, a schedule drawn to fit an announced date, a budget assembled without a cost structure, procurement not planned around long-lead equipment. Start-up is the cheapest point at which to change a project's outcome.
When you need this service
The schedule was drawn to fit a date
The completion date was announced before it was calculated. Logic, resources and critical path were never tested.
Quantities and budget are unverified
The estimate was built from analogues or an earlier design stage, with no cost breakdown structure.
Long-lead equipment has not been identified
Items with 6–18 month lead times are neither identified nor ordered, although they determine the start-up date.
What we do
Quantity and budget verification
We check bills of quantities and the estimate, build the cost breakdown structure and record assumptions and exclusions.
WBS and baseline
Work breakdown structure, a Primavera P6 baseline schedule with logic and resource validation, and a baseline budget.
Procurement plan and long-lead items
Long-lead equipment identified, order dates back-calculated from installation readiness, procurement strategy set.
Risk and KPIs
Risk register with schedule and cost impact, response plan, project KPI framework and reporting format.
Procedures and kick-off
Responsibility matrix, change control, document control and reporting procedures; kick-off with all project participants.
Deliverables
Deliverables
The specific documents, reports and management products that remain with the client.
- Project Execution Plan (PEP)
- Project WBS and CBS
- Approved schedule (Primavera P6) and cost baseline
- Procurement plan and long-lead register with award dates
- Risk register and response plan
- KPI framework and reporting templates
- 90-day priority action plan
Client outcomes
A realistic date from day one
The completion date is derived from logic and resources, not imposed from above.
A budget with structure
Costs map to the WBS, which makes later plan/actual control and forecasting possible.
Procurement stops driving delay
Long-lead items are ordered on time because dates are back-calculated from installation readiness.
Control from the start
Procedures and reporting are working at launch rather than introduced during a crisis.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Not answered here? Write to us and we will respond on your case.
Typically 4–8 weeks depending on project size and the quality of the input data; up to 10 weeks for large industrial facilities.
If construction has been running for under 6–9 months and no baseline exists, Start-up remains effective. Where the slippage is deeper, a project audit is the correct entry point.
The client. We prepare and defend the baseline, including assumptions and risks; approval remains the investor's management decision.
Related services
A5
Project Controls
Schedule, cost, progress and forecast: a defensible project status every month.
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A1
Technical Customer
We manage the project on the owner's behalf — from the land plot to commissioning.
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A1
PMC — Project Management Consultancy
Owner-side project management: an integrated team, international methodology, auditable reporting.
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A4
Design Management
Managing design: release schedule, interdisciplinary coordination, expert review, value engineering.
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Shall we discuss your project?
Tell us about the asset and the current stage — we will propose a working format and team composition. A commercial proposal follows within five business days of the meeting.
We reply within 1 business day. A commercial proposal follows within 5 business days of the scoping meeting.