A capital project can be busy and still lack a clear decision path. Scope grows, estimates change, schedules become commitments, and the people accountable for the outcome may not have the authority to act.
These articles examine development and capital projects from the owner’s side: how work is defined and funded, how teams and contracts are chosen, where cost and schedule exposure builds, and what needs to be carried through delivery and handover.
When a project is over budget, cutting cost may be necessary. That doesn’t make every cut value engineering. Originally published August 2012. Updated October 2026
The final punch walk should confirm the quality you’ve been managing throughout construction—not reveal it for the first time. Originally published June 2012. Updated September
The titles can overlap. The more important question is who the person represents, what authority they have, and what they are responsible for. Originally published
The decision starts with what the organization needs to accomplish, what an outside provider can do better, and who will remain accountable for the result.
Contractor prequalification isn’t about asking every possible question. It’s about finding the risks that matter to your project before you award the work. Originally published
The schedule can slip even when the architect, contractor, and consultants are doing exactly what they are supposed to do. Originally published March 2012. Updated
By Garry Brinton, Contributing Columnist At the beginning of the PSMJ Project Management Bootcamps the attendees usually list the traits of a good project manager. The
An efficient floor plan isn’t just about fitting people into the available square footage. It should reflect how people, information and work actually move through
