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Fenis, S M, Diekmann, J E and Huang, P-Y (1995) A GIS-based pipeline planning system. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2(03), 227–38.
Hammarlund, Y (1995) Environments of construction. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2(03), 209–25.
Lansley, P R, Luck, R A C and Lupton, S (1995) The organization of construction research in British universities. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2(03), 179–95.
Merrow, E W and Croker, W H (1995) Invited paper: Improved business results through benchmarking. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2(03), 167–78.
- Type: Journal Article
- Keywords: benchmarking; project management
- ISBN/ISSN: 0969-9988
- URL:
- Abstract:
Chevron has successfully used benchmarking to improve the performance of our project management system. For many years, we at Chevron believed that we were managing our capital projects very well and that our performance was probably significantly above average for our industry. This perception was based solely on our internal comparison of projects. We routinely compared each project with the previous one we had done and, if we met the cost, schedule and start-up requirements, we thought we had performed our responsibilities with excellence. Even if we did not meet all the requirements, we attributed the deviations to special causes that were unique to the project circumstances and were not caused by our project management system. But when we analysed these assumptions carefully, we realized that completing a project within the budget and the schedule was not very significant unless we compared our results with our best competitors. Internal comparisons are based solely on how well our system performed compared to targets determined by the same system. A comparison was needed to tell us how our system was performing in relation to the best competitors in the industry. This revelation, coupled with our desire to contribute to our corporate goal of becoming 'Better than the Best', inspired us to benchmark the performance of our project management system against the best in the industry. In mid-1990 we conducted our first benchmarking studies. Before we describe Chevron's experience with benchmarking, let us understand whether there is room for improvement in our industry and exactly what is benchmarking. The paper will then cover the results of the Chevron benchmarking, the changes to our project management system, our progress to date, and the requirements to achieve a step change in system performance.
Perry, J G (1995) The New Engineering Contract: principles of design and risk allocation. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2(03), 197–208.