工程管理专业英语1 The Owners Perspective.docx

工程管理专业英语1 The Owners Perspective.docx

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工程管理专业英语1TheOwnersPerspective

1.TheOwners'Perspective

1.1TheProjectLifeCycle

Theacquisitionofaconstructedfacilityusuallyrepresentsamajorcapitalinvestment,whetheritsownerhappenstobeanindividual,aprivatecorporationorapublicagency.Sincethecommitmentofresourcesforsuchaninvestmentismotivatedbymarketdemandsorperceivedneeds,thefacilityisexpectedtosatisfycertainobjectiveswithintheconstraintsspecifiedbytheownerandrelevantregulations.Withtheexceptionofthespeculativehousingmarket,wheretheresidentialunitsmaybesoldasbuiltbytherealestatedeveloper,mostconstructedfacilitiesarecustommadeinconsultationwiththeowners.Arealestatedevelopermayberegardedasthesponsorofbuildingprojects,asmuchasagovernmentagencymaybethesponsorofapublicprojectandturnsitovertoanothergovernmentunituponitscompletion.Fromtheviewpointofprojectmanagement,theterms"owner"and"sponsor"aresynonymousbecausebothhavetheultimateauthoritytomakeallimportantdecisions.Sinceanownerisessentiallyacquiringafacilityonapromiseinsomeformofagreement,itwillbewiseforanyownertohaveaclearunderstandingoftheacquisitionprocessinordertomaintainfirmcontrolofthequality,timelinessandcostofthecompletedfacility.

Fromtheperspectiveofanowner,theprojectlifecycleforaconstructedfacilitymaybeillustratedschematicallyinFigure1-1.Essentially,aprojectisconceivedtomeetmarketdemandsorneedsinatimelyfashion.Variouspossibilitiesmaybeconsideredintheconceptualplanningstage,andthetechnologicalandeconomicfeasibilityofeachalternativewillbeassessedandcomparedinordertoselectthebestpossibleproject.Thefinancingschemesfortheproposedalternativesmustalsobeexamined,andtheprojectwillbeprogrammedwithrespecttothetimingforitscompletionandforavailablecashflows.Afterthescopeoftheprojectisclearlydefined,detailedengineeringdesignwillprovidetheblueprintforconstruction,andthedefinitivecostestimatewillserveasthebaselineforcostcontrol.Intheprocurementandconstructionstage,thedeliveryofmaterialsandtheerectionoftheprojectonsitemustbecarefullyplannedandcontrolled.Aftertheconstructioniscompleted,thereisusuallyabriefperiodofstart-uporshake-downoftheconstructedfacilitywhenitisfirstoccupied.Finally,themanagementofthefacilityisturnedovertotheownerforfulloccupancyuntilthefacilitylivesoutitsusefullifeandisdesignatedfordemolitionorconversion.

Figure1-1:

 TheProjectLifeCycleofaConstructedFacility 

Ofcourse,thestagesofdevelopmentinFigure1-1maynotbestrictlysequential.Someofthestagesrequireiteration,andothersmaybecarriedoutinparallelorwithoverlappingtimeframes,dependingonthenature,sizeandurgencyoftheproject.Furthermore,anownermayhavein-housecapacitiestohandletheworkineverystageoftheentireprocess,oritmayseekprofessionaladviceandservicesfortheworkinallstages.Understandably,mostownerschoosetohandlesomeoftheworkin-houseandtocontractoutsideprofessionalservicesforothercomponentsoftheworkasneeded.Byexaminingtheprojectlifecyclefromanowner'sperspectivewecanfocusontheproperrolesofvariousactivitiesandparticipantsinallstagesregardlessofthecontractualarrangementsfordifferenttypesofwork.

IntheUnitedStates,forexample,theU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineershasin-housecapabilitiestodealwithplanning,budgeting,design,constructionandoperationofwaterwayandfloodcontrolstructures.Otherpublicagencies,suchasstatetransportationdepartments,arealsodeeplyinvolvedinallphasesofaconstructionproject.Intheprivatesector,manylargefirmssuchasDuPont,Exxon,andIBMareadequatelystaffedtocarryoutmostactivitiesforplantexpansion.Alltheseowners,bothpublicandprivate,useoutsideagentstoagreaterorlesserdegreewhenitbecomesmoreadvantageoustodoso.

Theprojectlifecyclemaybeviewedasaprocessthroughwhichaprojectisimplementedfromcradletograve.Thisprocessisoftenverycomplex;however,itcanbedecomposedintoseveralstagesasindicatedbythegeneraloutlineinFigure1-1.Thesolutionsatvariousstagesarethenintegratedtoobtainthefinaloutcome.Althougheachstagerequiresdifferentexpertise,itusuallyincludesbothtechnicalandmanagerialactivitiesintheknowledgedomainofthespecialist.Theownermaychoosetodecomposetheentireprocessintomoreorlessstagesbasedonthesizeandnatureoftheproject,andthusobtainthemostefficientresultinimplementation.Veryoften,theownerretainsdirectcontrolofworkintheplanningandprogrammingstages,butincreasinglyoutsideplannersandfinancialexpertsareusedasconsultantsbecauseofthecomplexitiesofprojects.Sinceoperationandmaintenanceofafacilitywillgoonlongafterthecompletionandacceptanceofaproject,itisusuallytreatedasaseparateproblemexceptintheconsiderationofthelifecyclecostofafacility.AllstagesfromconceptualplanningandfeasibilitystudiestotheacceptanceofafacilityforoccupancymaybebroadlylumpedtogetherandreferredtoastheDesign/Constructprocess,whiletheprocurementandconstructionalonearetraditionallyregardedastheprovinceoftheconstructionindustry.

Ownersmustrecognizethatthereisnosinglebestapproachinorganizingprojectmanagementthroughoutaproject'slifecycle.Allorganizationalapproacheshaveadvantagesanddisadvantages,dependingontheknowledgeoftheownerinconstructionmanagementaswellasthetype,sizeandlocationoftheproject.Itisimportantfortheownertobeawareoftheapproachwhichismostappropriateandbeneficialforaparticularproject.Inmakingchoices,ownersshouldbeconcernedwiththelifecyclecostsofconstructedfacilitiesratherthansimplytheinitialconstructioncosts.Savingsmallamountsofmoneyduringconstructionmaynotbeworthwhileiftheresultismuchlargeroperatingcostsornotmeetingthefunctionalrequirementsforthenewfacilitysatisfactorily.Thus,ownersmustbeveryconcernedwiththequalityofthefinishedproductaswellasthecostofconstructionitself.Sincefacilityoperationandmaintenanceisapartoftheprojectlifecycle,theowners'expectationtosatisfyinvestmentobjectivesduringtheprojectlifecyclewillrequireconsiderationofthecostofoperationandmaintenance.Therefore,thefacility'soperatingmanagementshouldalsobeconsideredasearlyaspossible,justastheconstructionprocessshouldbekeptinmindattheearlystagesofplanningandprogramming.

1.2MajorTypesofConstruction

Sincemostownersaregenerallyinterestedinacquiringonlyaspecifictypeofconstructedfacility,theyshouldbeawareofthecommonindustrialpracticesforthetypeofconstructionpertinenttothem.Likewise,theconstructionindustryisaconglomerationofquitediversesegmentsandproducts.Someownersmayprocureaconstructedfacilityonlyonceinalongwhileandtendtolookforshorttermadvantages.However,manyownersrequireperiodicacquisitionofnewfacilitiesand/orrehabilitationofexistingfacilities.Itistotheiradvantagetokeeptheconstructionindustryhealthyandproductive.Collectively,theownershavemorepowertoinfluencetheconstructionindustrythantheyrealizebecause,bytheirindividualactions,theycanprovideincentivesordisincentivesforinnovation,efficiencyandqualityinconstruction.Itistotheinterestofallpartiesthattheownerstakeanactiveinterestintheconstructionandexercisebeneficialinfluenceontheperformanceoftheindustry.

Inplanningforvarioustypesofconstruction,themethodsofprocuringprofessionalservices,awardingconstructioncontracts,andfinancingtheconstructedfacilitycanbequitedifferent.Forthepurposeofdiscussion,thebroadspectrumofconstructedfacilitiesmaybeclassifiedintofourmajorcategories,eachwithitsowncharacteristics.

ResidentialHousingConstruction

Residentialhousingconstructionincludessingle-familyhouses,multi-familydwellings,andhigh-riseapartments.Duringthedevelopmentandconstructionofsuchprojects,thedevelopersorsponsorswhoarefamiliarwiththeconstructionindustryusuallyserveassurrogateownersandtakecharge,makingnecessarycontractualagreementsfordesignandconstruction,andarrangingthefinancingandsaleofthecompletedstructures.Residentialhousingdesignsareusuallyperformedbyarchitectsandengineers,andtheconstructionexecutedbybuilderswhohiresubcontractorsforthestructural,mechanical,electricalandotherspecialtywork.Anexceptiontothispatternisforsingle-familyhouseswhichmaybedesignedbythebuildersaswell.

Theresidentialhousingmarketisheavilyaffectedbygeneraleconomicconditions,taxlaws,andthemonetaryandfiscalpoliciesofthegovernment.Often,aslightincreaseintotaldemandwillcauseasubstantialinvestmentinconstruction,sincemanyhousingprojectscanbestartedatdifferentlocationsbydifferentindividualsanddevelopersatthesametime.Becauseoftherelativeeaseofentry,atleastatthelowerendofthemarket,manynewbuildersareattractedtotheresidentialhousingconstruction.Hence,thismarketishighlycompetitive,withpotentiallyhighrisksaswellashighrewards.

Figure1-2:

 ResidentialHousingConstruction（courtesyofCaterpillar,Inc.）

InstitutionalandCommercialBuildingConstruction

Institutionalandcommercialbuildingconstructionencompassesagreatvarietyofprojecttypesandsizes,suchasscho