Effective Practice Utilization Using Performance Prediction Software

A successful capital facility project requires effective usage of practices to satisfy the expected high level of project objectives. To provide an effective practice usage plan, the impacts of implementing practices need to be quantified and better methods or tools for practice usage plan and control are also required. Despite a number of efforts at quantifying the impact of practice usage, little interest has been shown in developing the tools and techniques for improved implementation of practice use. This paper develops performance prediction models for project cost and schedule performance using predictive discriminant function analysis (DFA). The models are integrated into an automated and practical software program named the $\mathrm{DFA}$ program that helps deliver effective and dynamic project planning. The $\mathrm{DFA}$ program has a user-friendly interface that project managers or field engineers can easily apply to their projects to predict cost and schedule performance and to allow for improvement where possible. An overall project performance improvement process using the $\mathrm{DFA}$ program application is provided.