by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Business Failure, Business Failure
The Big Dig No discussion of the failure rate of megaprojects would be complete without a careful look at Boston’s Big Dig, the largest and most challenging highway project in the history of the United States. Few megaprojects have been accused by so many of taking...
by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Business, Strategic & Project Planning
Complexity (The Big Dig) Part 2 The list of top megaprojects with mega-cost overruns reads like a who’s/who of construction’s biggest deals. The Suez Canal ran 1,900% over the original budget. The Sydney Opera House came in 1,600% over budget. The Boston Artery...
by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning
Why Megaprojects Fail Part IV Institutional Structure Our discussion over the past few weeks has centered on the failure of megaprojects to come in on budget or on schedule. Two more examples: High Speed 2, the United Kingdom’s planned train line that would run...
by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Risk Management
A Megaproject True Story You don’t have to look very far to find megaprojects to illustrate the causes of failure we have been discussing. The contracting team Purple Line Transit Constructors, building the Purple Line light rail in Washington D.C. announced plans...
by Simplar | Jan 14, 2021 | Organizational Change Management, Organizational Change Management
New Year’s Resolutions 2020 has been an unusual year to say the least. Starting with a growing construction market that was anticipating a huge infrastructure bill coming out of Congress and struggling with a critical shortage of skilled labor, the year was suddenly...