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What We Are Expert At​

At ePPM we pride ourselves in providing professional, commercial, contract management and project controls services to both public and private sectors.

  • Project leaders with the understanding that the best developed plans are likely to require change. Considered advice to support client decision making in the face of changes, is essential to success.
  • ePPM provide a wealth of delivery experience with the understanding at all levels for the enormous challenges and complexities associated with current infrastructure projects.
  • ePPM project delivery support can be provided in various ways: as a standalone project delivery team, or more commonly, as part of an integrated client/advisor delivery team. Our advice can be provided on an ongoing basis, providing continuity of knowledge throughout the delivery of the project, or can be retained to address specific project needs.

In regard to the majority of construction and engineering bids and projects, the implementation of rigorous, robust yet practical commercial, contractual management procedures is critical to success. Our commercial and contractual Management Services include:

Bid / Tender Phase

  1. Provision of experienced and competent human resources during bid and negotiation phase,
  2. Preparation and drafting of Memorandum of Understandings, Teaming Agreements, Joint Venture Agreements, Tender Services Deeds and similar
  3. Review / Preparation of Head Contract terms and conditions, including specifications
  4. Preparation of Commercial Risk Profiles in line with corporate reporting requirements
  5. Drafting of Mitigation measures and/or Contractual and Commercial qualifications
  6. Review of Supply Chain qualifications and drafting responses
  7. Preparation of Tender documentation including Risk and Opportunity Management Schedules
  8. Cash-flow Forecasting and Analysis
  9. Appointment of Design Consultants and Sub-consultants including Design Joint Ventures

Delivery / Construction Phase

  1. Provision of experienced and competent human resources throughout the delivery phase
  2. Functional advice on commercial team structure, responsibilities and competency framework
  3. Procurement advice, preparation, evaluation, recommendation and award
  4. Budget setting, Work Breakdown Structure development and advice, Cash-flow Forecasting
  5. Commercial Risk and Opportunity Management and Coordination (see below)Preparation and implementation of contractual and commercial administrative systems including Change Controls (Corporate and Project specific)
  6. Preparation and implementation of contractual and commercial administrative systems including Change Controls (Corporate and Project specific)
  7. Drafting of contractual and commercial correspondence (Head Contract and Supply Chain)
  8. Commercial training and development at Project or Corporate level
  9. Variation identification, valuation preparation, submission and negotiation
  10. Representation at contract and commercial progress meetings
  11. Contract and commercial management of sub-contractors and suppliers
  12. Project Reviews and Reporting procedures
  13. Insurance claim preparation, negotiation and settlement
  14. Final account management.

Cost Management

  1. In the search for leaner delivery of projects, disciplined cost planning, forecasting and management are essential. ePPM manage the cost of projects, assisting clients to meet project objectives more cost efficiently. 
  2. The cost management services offered are include the following:
    • Project cost management, cost estimating, budget and forecast cost preparation and value engineering advice
    • Preparation of risk adjusted estimates for capital cost and whole of life costs for projects from feasibility through to delivery phases
    • Independent reviews of estimates, including independent estimator role for Alliance Target Cost Estimates and competitive or sole sourced delivery processes
    • Forensic analysis of estimates in support of claims.
  3. Our capability is underpinned by professionals with extensive experience of competitive tendering and managing cost on infrastructure projects. This allows us to assess cost from a first principles basis using real time resource costs and achievable productivities tailored to recognise the requirements of each project. Our practitioners have knowledge across a wide range of infrastructure and resource sectors covering civil, mechanical, mining and electrical engineering disciplines.
  4. We provide accurate project outturn cost estimates using an appropriate combination of first principles estimating, risk-based estimating and cost planning methodologies for all phases of the project lifecycle from feasibility to delivery, allowing our clients to make informed decisions.  
  5. Cost Management Services include:
    • Budget and forecast cost estimates
    • Strategic and final business case estimates
    • Whole of life estimates
    • Benchmarking
    • Independent estimate reviews and due diligence
    • Whole of life estimates
    • Risk & contingency modelling
    • Cost escalation
    • Cost management and financial reporting
    • Cost planning
    • Cost change management and value engineering
    • Assessment and negotiation of variations
    • Assessment of progress claims
    • Final account preparation and agreement

Risk Management

  1. Identification and measurement of risk is a well-studied subject. However, effective planning and management of risk in real-life application to projects requires expertise from those who have real construction experience, responsible for mitigating risks, and leading recovery when risks eventuate.
  2. ePPM’s senior people managed high-risk infrastructure
  3. The skills and experience gained enable us to help our clients identify, understand and manage risks while also identifying project opportunities. We are experienced in qualitative and quantitative risk management across programs, asset portfolios and projects.
  4. We assist clients put in place risk management within project teams – building a culture of effective risk and opportunity management.
  5. Our capabilities include:
    • Risk environment and context establishment
    • Risk management framework
    • Risk criteria matrix development
    • Risks and opportunities workshop facilitation
    • Qualitative and quantitative risk analysis (including Monte Carlo simulation)
    • Enterprise risk management
    • Risk management training
    • Risk register development and management
    • Risk control and treatment
    • Cash flow modelling
    • Schedule risk analysis
    • Control effectiveness reviews
    • Contingency management

  1. A key component in project delivery success is effective use of project resources and time. This is achieved by the early development and progressive updating of the project schedule. The schedule then becomes a view to the future.
  2. ePPM’s schedule experts possess extensive hands-on experience allowing the application of logical and reasoned questioning together with practical knowhow during schedule development and ongoing management. We are able to draw on knowledge from delivery personnel with extensive infrastructure experience.  
  3. We identify key scoping, constructability, risk, interfacing, and activity interrelationship issues, making schedules as robust as possible. We establish processes for the early identification and management of issues that typically become evident later in the project lifecycle.
  4. A range of Project Controls and Program Management support services are aimed at reducing the time related risks and uncertainties inherent in construction projects.
  5. Our Project Controls and Program Management Services include:
    • Concept schedule development
    • Constructability reviews and execution planning assessment
    • Qualitative and quantitative schedule risk analysis
    • Schedule work breakdown structure and contract packaging development
    • Schedule change management, maintenance and reporting
    • Schedule analysis and critical path analysis
    • Schedule risk identification, constructability analysis and mitigation
    • Tender Scheduling
    • Design, Procurement and Construction Scheduling
    • Project Close Out and Systems Commissioning Scheduling
    • Schedule Narrative Development
    • Schedule Health Check Assessment
    • Schedule Logic Network Development
    • Work Breakdown Structure Development
    • Process Mapping
    • Planning Team Management and Training
    • Construction and Logistics Phasing Plans
    • Peer Reviews
    • Progress Monitoring and Reporting
    • Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Reporting
    • Project controls systems, reporting and forecasting
    • Earned value and other schedule performance analysis
    • Forensic schedule analysis

Claim Management

  1. ePPM’s claim management service involves the formation of a structured claims strategy and tactical advice on the measures to be implemented in order to successfully prosecute or defend claims. Our approach is to discuss the client’s specific objectives and desired outcomes and then formulate a recommended strategy to achieve them. Once a consensus is reached, the strategy is then implemented based on pre-agreed time-scales and resource levels.

Claim Preparation and Analysis

  1. One of ePPM’s core business activities is the preparation and analysis of construction contract claims on behalf of contractors and employers.
  2. Our claim preparation and analysis services include the follwoing:
    • Contractual health checks and claims strategies
    • Security of Payment Claims (and Payment Schedules in defence)
    • Extension of time and prolongation claims
    • Acceleration claims
    • Disruption and loss of productivity claims
    • Variation claims
    • Advice on termination and suspension and remedies in regard to payment default
    • Breach of contract and damages claims
    • Other monetary claims
    • Ex-contractual claims
  3. ePPM’s senior personnel are highly experienced in all forms of claims. In order to maximize the chances of success, our claim preparation process always adheres to the following distinct fundamentals:
    • Identification of events and circumstances
    • Identification of party liable
    • Establishment of contractual entitlement and basis of claim
    • Compliance with notice requirements and other procedural mechanisms
    • Establishment and particularisation of cause and effect
    • Preparation of delay analysis (for extension of time claims) using a suitable methodology
    • Compilation of substantiation and all pertinent evidence.
  1. The knowledge retained by our senior staff, combined with the rigorous forensics assessment and logical and reasoned questioning of the issues in dispute, ideally positions our business to provide expert opinion and advice on contractual disputes.
  2. Expertise includes quantum (cost), time, constructability and defects analysis and includes assessment of variations, delay, prolongation, disruption and acceleration. Our expert advice is based on the relevant contract terms and the factual circumstances of the case rather than relying on the application of formulaic methods.
  3. ePPM’s services include expert advice, expert witness and preparation of expert reports across a range of dispute forums.
  4. Our capabilities include:
    • Dispute avoidance strategy and facilitation
    • Dispute resolution negotiation
    • Quantum claims – preparation and review
    • Delay claims – preparation and review
    • Constructability and other claims – preparation and review
    • Forensic schedule and cost analysis
    • Commercial strategies
    • Negotiation strategy, leadership and support
    • Expert advicePreparation of expert reports
    • Provision of evidence in mediation, arbitration and litigation
  1. ePPM provides strategic advice to clients seeking to improve the quality of oversight and the effectiveness of decision-making for major capital investments.
  2. We assist clients to effectively prioritise and optimise their investments so their capital allocation aligns with the organisation’s strategic objectives.
  3. We work with clients at the earliest stages of their capital planning processes to perform strategic assessments of how their strategy, policy and governance settings should be structured to effectively manage the future delivery of their capital portfolios.
  4. Our capabilities include:
    • Investor project prioritisation
    • Investor capital allocation support
    • Project (Business Case) budgets from the investor perspective
    • Investment gateway assurance reviews
    • Value for money assessments
    • Portfolio evaluation (against best practice) and management
    • Program and project governance
    • Project and funding due diligence
    • ePPM also assists government clients to develop effective policy responses to issues identified during the delivery of existing capital programs.