Delivering successful projects in the New Zealand process engineering industry

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the critical success factors that provide a focus to assist project managers in New Zealand deliver successful process engineering projects.

Possible critical success factors derived from the literature review formed the design of a semi-structured interview questionnaire to survey nine New Zealand project managers in the process engineering industry. Conclusions were drawn based on comparing the empirical data with findings and recommendations from the literature review.

The literature review highlighted the difficulty of defining project success. Distinction is made between project process success (the project is delivered to scope, on time and within budget) and project product success (the product of the process satisfies its various stakeholders). This distinction proved helpful in understanding the challenge that these project managers were facing when attempting to manage to achieve success.

Within identified limitations it is concluded that the critical success factors that provide a focus to assist project managers in New Zealand deliver successful process engineering projects are:

• Managing client expectations and perceptions in an ongoing manner such that the project, as delivered, meets those expectations and is perceived as a success. • Clear scope definition (that aligns with client expectations). • The ability to assemble the required resources within the budget. • The generic hard skill of project process management. • The generic soft skills of people management.