Project Management
Construction Management
Owners Representative
Success Stories
What We Do
Public utilities, manufacturing, construction, telecommunication, software, airlines, consumer goods, non-profits and financial services providers are some of the industries in our client base. We would be happy to discuss ways that the ASCEX can be helpful to you or answer any questions that you may have.
ASCEX has managed projects ranging from $2MM to over $500MM, with integral roles and recommendations throughout the process. The primary roles in which ASCEX serves are:
- Project Management
- Construction Management
- Owner’s Representative
Who is ASCEX?
ASCEX has a diverse background and skill set which makes it the optimum selection for the management of construction projects in Industrial, Commercial, and Real Estate Development Markets.
Our mission is to improve our clients’ ability to successfully and confidently define, plan and execute projects to their own satisfaction and that of their stakeholders.
ASCEX is comprised of seasoned professionals who began their careers in corporate environments before moving to consulting firms. We understand your needs and concerns; we have been field tested and bring our experiences as veterans to every engagement. Making available “Lessons Learned” from many different projects, we pride ourselves on the depth of our experience and our ability to achieve great results for our clients.
Project Management
ASCEX, LLC offers a range of project management services including process assessment, development and implementation of new project/program management processes and implementation of program management offices. ASCEX uses internationally recognized best practices and can benchmark against more than 500 best practices in project, program and portfolio management areas. These are practices recognized by the Project Management Institute (PMI®).
While implementing new processes or program offices we pay particular attention to the organizational culture and develop an Action Plan that will ensure adoption of the new processes. The most difficult part of the transition to the new way of operating is the change in culture. We involve stakeholders at every level in the organization using tested change management techniques. Your Action Plan will include activities to move your organization through these four steps: Awareness, Acceptance, Behavior Change and Commitment.
Our Specialties
- Enhancing project management competency by working with project teams and their sponsors
- Working at all levels of the organization – from operations through Senior Management
- Providing the right personnel and expertise to help you meet your business objectives
- Using guided application and education to develop excellent project management skills
Our Guiding Principles
- Honesty: Being truthful in all of our endeavors; honest with each other, our clients, suppliers and communities.
- Integrity: Saying what we mean and delivering what we promise.
- Respect: Treating one another with dignity and fairness, appreciating diversities, differences and unique qualities.
- Trust: Building confidence through open communication and teamwork.
- Responsibility: Being accountable for our actions and speaking up when questions and concerns arise.
- Citizenship: Obeying the laws of the areas in which we work and enhancing the communities in which we live.
Construction Management
ASCEX Construction Management is responsible for providing the estimates, budgets, strategies and the construction timetable for the client. We select subcontractors and seasoned professionals along with providing detailed explanations for the builders and other professionals associated with the project.
ASCEX also ensures the construction project complies with all building codes and any other legal or regulatory requirements. When delays or problems occur – as they always do – ASCEX is the project’s first responder, ready to make the changes required to move the project past the issue.
Construction
The functions of Construction management typically include the following:
- Specifying project objectives and plans including delineation of scope, budgeting, scheduling, setting performance requirements, and selecting project participants.
- Maximizing the resource efficiency through procurement of labor, materials and equipment.
- Implementing various operations through proper coordination and control of planning, design, estimating, contracting and construction in the entire process.
- Developing effective communications and mechanisms for resolving conflicts.
The Construction Management Association of America (a US construction management certification and advocacy body) says the 120 most common responsibilities of a Construction Manager fall into the following 7 categories: Project Management Planning, Cost Management, Time Management, Quality Management, Contract Administration, Safety Management, and CM Professional Practice.
CM professional practice includes specific activities, such as defining the responsibilities and management structure of the project management team, organizing and leading by implementing project controls, defining roles and responsibilities, developing communication protocols, and identifying elements of project design and construction likely to give rise to disputes and claims.
Owners Representative
ASCEX serves the role of Owner’s Representative to oversee Construction Management groups keeping the Owner’s economic and project goals at the top priority.
Traditionally, Owner’s Representatives have served as an extension of the ownership team, charged with the task of leveraging industry expertise and project management know-how. But as pressure increases on owners to cut costs and justify expenses, the Owner’s Representatives job is broadening to include expertise in construction economics, contract management and risk management.
Owner’s Representatives today look more like fiduciary professionals for all things related to facilities management, construction management and, in many cases, real estate as well. It also included a project management component involving contractor selection, procurement and oversight of cost, schedule and quality.
Owner’s Representatives are now being called on to negotiate project costs and schedules. If, for example, a claim for additional time and costs for an owner-driven scope change is filed, the Owner’s Representative is expected to administer the change and ensure that the highest possible value is maintained for the owner. Owner’s Representatives are also playing a greater role in project analysis for distressed assets. Increasingly, developers, investors and banks dealing with such assets are calling on Owner’s Representatives to help with the due diligence process.
Checks and Balances
Historically, there has been a degree of conflict between the role of an Owner’s Representative and a Construction Manager. While many industry professionals believe the conflict can be detrimental to the project, the two can coexist if roles and boundaries are clearly defined. This often results in an effective check-and-balance system for firms.
The prolonged economic slump and industry recession have taken a toll on all stakeholders. Owners who do not have the in-house expertise, resources and inclination to manage the design, Request For Proposal management, contract management and construction management of projects are increasingly outsourcing this role to Owner’s Representatives.
Success Stories
Strengthening the Transmission Grid
How do you safely and cost effectively increase and strengthen the electric grid in the United States when you are crossing state borders and working with multiple local and regional regulatory entities? You need to have a well thought through plan that can be understood and executed by the entire team and clearly communicated to the stakeholders. We can help you develop and execute your plan.
Adding experienced project controls managers, cost analysts, schedulers and other expertise to your team will not only help you meet your goals and execute your plan but will provide knowledge transfer to your organization as well.
How do you quickly, safely and cost effectively make improvements and perform necessary maintenance for power plants?
Using project management best practices, we helped a Fortune 250 electricity producer significantly improve outage performance. We cut outage costs by 20% and outage length by 15% while improving overall quality. Working at twelve of the company’s plants we introduced and reinforced industry best practices while developing and strengthening effective teams.
Management and teams worked together to develop “the plan” that was right for each location. The result-less downtime for the plants, all work achieved with higher quality and less frustration for everyone.
Manufacturer of Conveyor Systems Solutions
Sales account reps talking to the engineers about a product for a customer? Sales account reps as part of a project team? Unheard of! Bringing these groups together and showing the value of communicating and developing an integrated plan helped this global provider of conveyor systems solutions not only decrease waste and development time but increase customer satisfaction and shorten cycle time.
The ASCEX provided basic and in depth training for these groups and their management allowing everyone to work together to apply the new concepts, speak the same language and have the same goals.
