The structure and components of this book

Subject to this qualification, the base tier, level one, consists of the activities of detailed design, procurement of parts, delivery to site, construction, and commissioning, and all of these will be addressed. Inevitably in an integrating text such as this, most topics have to be discussed at a relatively superficial level, concentrating on those facets which are more essential, either to the interactions with the whole, or because of relatively high individual impact to the project and the plant. 

Not particularly addressed at level two, because of the focus of this book, are the methodologies of managing procurement, logistics, contracts, finance, and construction. The reader with greater project management aspirations is advised to refer to specialized texts on these subjects. We will, however, discuss the principal interfaces with engineering work and its management. 

At level three, we have a management system for the entire project. This is conventionally broken down into three or four components, namely management of scope, quality, cost, and schedule. (Scope and quality may be regarded as a single issue, a practice not recommended by the author.) Health and safety considerations may properly also be managed at this overview level, and must be included in any such text. 

The interaction between project strategy and engineering execution operates in two directions. It will be seen within this text that the adoption of project strategy - including for instance the structure of the relationship between client and contractor - has major implications for the way in which engineering is optimally conducted. In reverse, the best project strategy (for each party) is likely to depend on some of the engineering realities. 

The technical content of this book posed a particular challenge of selection and condensation. Nearly every topic could be expanded into several volumes, and must in practice be covered by specialist engineers with far more knowledge than is presented. The intentions behind the information presented are twofold. Firstly, to include just sufficient information for a generalist (the project engineer) to manage the specialists, or to assist the specialists to co-ordinate with each other and find the best compromises. Secondly, to include some of the author s own experience (spanning some 30 years) of simple but important items which do not seem to be conveniently presented in textbooks or standards, but which can prove important and costly. 

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