Blog Archive

The climate is changing and it is already taking a measurable toll. One of the main drivers of climate change in the world is CO₂. While a certain amount of CO₂ is needed for life on earth to flourish, human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, have caused an imbalance: there is now too much carbon dioxide in the air. To reverse climate change, Climeworks is restoring a healthy balance of CO₂ by capturing CO₂ directly from the air using its direct air capture technology. The air-captured CO₂ can then either be recycled and used as a raw material, or…

We don’t think anyone has expected to stay at home this long, isolate ourselves, and keep each other safe by staying away from each other. But here we are, experiencing these all amid the coronavirus pandemic. Because of the self-quarantine measures and travel bans, some sectors are impacted heavily, and they are facing losses in the workforce. 

To deliver an effective project plan, you need quality, targeted base cost and duration estimates. Cost estimating and scheduling use many techniques to translate project scope deliverable information into solid, integrated “base” estimates of time, costs and resources. However, all plans are uncertain and, at early scope definition phases, so too is the scope. So how are you going to deal with all the uncertainty? This is what Risk Quantification helps you with. 

Benchmarking is widely used by Engineering and Construction firms in order to assess the performance of projects. As a project controller, are you also applying this method or are considering applying it in order to maximize your profit? If so, are you sure that you are doing it right? Here are some common pitfalls you should avoid in order to ensure a successful implementation of benchmarking.

Technical evaluations are often linked to a checklist with all the requirements, and once this is approved, the economic comparison of the equipment offers are executed. But is this evaluation just a ranking of the best price?

Different methodologies could be applied to perform a cost estimate. When detailed information on a project is available, it is possible to develop a detailed unit cost estimate, which is a bottom-up estimate at work-package or task level and it includes quantities, unit costs, labor rates, etc.  However, in most of the cases, especially in early stages of a project, there is a lack of detailed information. This article will discuss how composites can help you create reliable and accurate cost estimates in these situations.

We are excited to visit Canada, Indonesia, and Scandinavia in September for new implementations of our software, Cleopatra Enterprise and for a well-rounded Roadshow.

Cost models, based on historical data, are great tools to aid high-level factor estimates. Cost models are computer models which take as input the relevant cost drivers of an object (such as a piece of equipment or an entire project), perform a calculation and return a cost estimation for that equipment or project.

Each project that you carry out requires one or more of your resources to complete. For large projects, this can mean a considerable amount of your resources. Especially in that case, it makes sense to spend time determining the correct amount to help forecast when exactly those resources are needed. This will provide you with a cash flow to manage your expenditures and revenues accordingly. Here we pose the question: how do you make a cost estimation for using resources?

In the field of cost engineering and cost management, project cost estimation plays a central role. What is project cost estimation and why is it so important?

Especially for large projects, it is common to have at least one risk analysis session. In such a session, different stakeholders and experts try and identify events that might impact the performance of the project. It is also determined how to mitigate or even prevent these potential problems from occurring.

Cost Engineering and Witteveen+Bos hosted the seminar ‘The Future of Project Controls’ which focused on the infrastructure projects. The aim was to increase the awareness of the changing landscape of project controls and the need for total cost management in the industry.

Setting up a cost management plan is an extensive process. It provides the basis for scope management, schedule planning, cost estimating and budgeting, resource planning, value analysis and engineering, risk management and procurement planning. Here are 3 tips to help guide your way:

Let’s look at one of the challenges of the cost engineer: estimating construction costs. Generally, direct project costs include construction work, material supply and equipment. Often, construction costs prove to be the most difficult part of the estimate.

Estimating the surface area of a room or the number of marbles in a jar is relatively easy and can be done quite accurately with simple rules of thumb. However, estimating the total costs of an offshore LNG platform or a high speed railroad is a little more complex. Luckily, there are numerous methods and techniques that can help you estimate those costs throughout the different phases of such projects.

Any project, however big or small, or regardless of the industry that is undertaken, needs to be performed and delivered under certain constraints. Cost is one of those constraints that project management needs to effectively control. Cost can be the driving force or an impeding factor in determining the future of a project. Therefore, one can easily spot the need for applying thorough cost estimating processes and techniques to ensure that a project can be viable

The world knows many great projects, both in a positive and negative way. Here are 4 of the most challenging projects carried out in recent history:

When facing a new project it is important to choose the correct estimating technique. There are several estimating techniques but the effectiveness of each of them depends on the type of project and in which phase the project is in. In this article we will discuss what the best options for each case are, but let’s first look at some basic definitions.

“To know the future we need to be aware of the past.” This is a very popular quote that is ignored time and again. In the case of cost engineering, cost control and/or cost management it is actually half the story since being aware of the present is equally important. For this example we imagine to be a cost controller caught in the middle between the cost estimator and management.

Chemical companies have invested billions in automation and information technology. These investments have increased reliability, reduced costs and created greater operational efficiency in production and supply chain management. The next frontier of value creation in the chemical industry can be reached by the digital revolution that has only just begun.

For a cost engineer every project presents a new challenge: how to estimate the total project cost. The most difficult part is not the known parts of the scope, but what is still unknown. All costs have to be found; otherwise you cannot deliver a proper figure to management for decision making. How do you know your estimate covers the full project?

There exists a wide range of different estimating techniques available to the cost estimator. Which are the 4 best you can use? The technique you will use will determine the reliability of the figure that comes out. However, as we will see, not all techniques are possible in each phase of the project.

Although there are many things you need to pay attention to when creating a project cost estimate, the following 6 steps provide a guideline when creating such an estimate:

Keeping your project within budget and completed on time can be quite a challenge. To help you out, here are 5 tips to secure your project costs:

In our previous blog, we discussed several cost drivers that have a major impact on the estimating process within the oil & gas industry. Those are: exploration, drilling & completions, production facilities and regulatory & political environment. In this article, we will highlight the implications of these factors on four different cost types.

Over the past two weeks, Cost Engineering has been on a roadshow through the United States and Canada to talk about Total Cost Management and how our software Cleopatra Enterprise can serve as the supporting tool for all cost estimating and cost management processes. We have spoken to many interested people and organizations and we think it's great to see everyone's enthusiasm about the advantages of a TCM approach. The same excitement was also omnipresent at the AACEI Annual Meeting 2016 in Toronto.

In the period from 2010 to 2014, the oil industry enjoyed prices upwards of 80$ per barrel which allowed Oil & Gas companies to profitably develop even the most technically challenging deep water fields. Unfortunately, the industry is now in the midst of a price slump with the cost of Brent crude currently hovering around the 50$ mark. In such a scenario, Cost Engineering can assist E&P companies make their exploration projects economically feasible. This blog therefore intends to give the cost estimator or engineer with an interest in the E&P business a feel for the prominent cost drivers by…

Setting up cost estimates for construction projects can prove to be a complex and time-consuming task. On the other hand, for small maintenance tasks it might seem over the top to create a complete estimate report when you can simply order that new pump or send some people in the field to clean a piece of equipment. Still, in both of these scenarios it is vital to produce an estimate, as it is not just an administrative necessity but an actual deliverable of each project. Throughout the project’s lifetime, as short as it might be, there are 5 important reasons…

When you think about the term control, the first thing that might come to mind is the concept of authority. In the world of project and cost management, control has very little to do with telling people what to do. The term control is much more analogous to steering a ship through stormy weather. It is not about sticking to the path you plotted before you departed; it is about continuously charting and updating a course to get there, evaluating your location throughout the voyage, and keeping a watchful eye on what lies ahead.

In the early phases of a project, it is often hard to develop accurate cost estimates, since only little information is available. 4 tips on how to tackle this problem:

At Cost Engineering Consultancy we work together to provide a total solution for your cost engineering effort. What makes us stand out? Here are 4 major benefits of our professional services:

When I tell people I am a Cost Engineer I often get puzzled reactions. “What does that actually entail?” “What kind of work do you actually do?” So here I am, writing this blog trying to explain.

A few tips to help you on your way when setting up methods to control your projects for earned value, metrics, performance indicators and breakdown structures:

Too often cost estimating is underestimated (no pun intended…) as a profession within the overall project organization. Establishing the right budget is essential for the right decision making and selecting profitable projects. Of course, this is not the only factor of completing a project successfully within time and within budget. Proper cost control is also needed to keep the project within boundaries during execution. Without a good cost estimate, you are off to a bad start, so here are four tips that can help you improve your cost estimating results right away.

Why do we need dedicated cost estimation software? Why is Excel simply not good enough?

On January 14th, Cost Engineering organized a workshop hosted by Rich Plumery. During this interesting day, various topics were discussed on improving the performance of projects. From cost estimating and cost control to risk management. With participants from various backgrounds and industries, this resulted in a lively interaction and exchange of ideas.

In a world where technology becomes even more challenging, projects get bigger and competition fiercer, the profession of cost engineering gets more and more important. As a cost engineer, you are responsible for finding the optimum balance between costs, quality and time in order to achieve the maximum potential profit for every single project. Considering the various aspects a cost engineering has to take into account, he or she requires a lot of different competencies. In this article, we will highlight some of them.

Cost Engineering in South Korea Recently, Cost Engineering received an invitation from one of the professors at Postech University, located in Pohang, South Korea. Purpose was to introduce the concept of total cost management to his students. Always an honor, and we were certainly delighted to be invited.

Rich Plumery, leading expert in the field of cost engineering and project controls, will give a 1-day workshop in The Netherlands, on January 14th 2016.

Keep your resolutions – keep control of your project “This time I’m going to do it right”. Sounds familiar? Probably. We make good resolutions all the time: quit smoking cold turkey, lose those extra kilos before the summer takes off, visit granny more often. Sometimes we don’t even start. Sometimes we start off all right; it might even look as if it’s going to last. But then, somewhere along the way, there’s almost always a reason not to finish it. 

Last May, our biannual Cost Engineering event took place in The Netherlands. With almost 200 speakers and attendees from all over the world, we discussed this year’s theme ‘Cost Estimating and Project Controls: Closing the Loop’.

Cost Engineering Consultancy will be one of the exhibitors again at this year's AACE meeting in Las Vegas. We will be joined by our US partners Eos Group and Conquest Consulting Group. Of course we are hoping to see you there in person.

After months of preparation, the Cost Engineering Event 2015 was held last week. This year’s theme “Cost Estimating and Project Controls: Closing the Loop” was a great success. With more than 200 cost engineering professionals from all over the world and from different industries there was a very good atmosphere and a lot of interesting discussions. Closing the Loop At Cost Engineering Consultancy we have been advocating better communication and tighter integration between cost estimating and project controls. This year’s Event was a perfect example of improving the cooperation between the two disciplines and getting cost estimators and project controllers…

A lot of people ask themselves what the added value of a certification is to their CV. Of course there are several reasons. Depending on the country you live in or the company you work for this may differ. Still we have listed three universal reasons why it's worth becoming a certified cost engineer:

Estimating accuracy is the degree to which a calculation of an item varies to its actual value. As estimators, we want to minimize the gap between the estimated and the actual cost. Of course there are a lot of factors involved here. We have to take into account things like the scope of the project, the available information, its phase in the project lifecycle and turbulent market conditions. This article however provides you with three general tips to increase the accuracy of your estimates: 1. Create a cost database When it comes to the accuracy of your estimates, the information…

Being able to reflect your skills and knowledge as a cost engineer becomes more and more important for clients and employers. Becoming a certified cost engineer gives people an immediate confirmation of your capabilities and as such is an added value to your career. After a very successful certification course last year, Cost Engineering has opened the registrations for this year's Cost Engineering Skills & Knowledge certification course. In 9 days, divided over 3 sessions, you will learn all aspects of cost engineering, including many practical examples and case studies. The course is specifically made to facilitate the successful completion…

Meet Cost Engineering at the AACE Annual Meeting! From June 30 - July 3, AACE International hosts the Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. As always, Cost Engineering will be attending together with our partners from Conquest Consulting Group. The Annual Meeting is a great event to meet fellow cost engineers and exchange knowledge and experiences. We therefore hope to meet you in person at the Annual Meeting at our booths (nr. 415 & 417) to talk about cost engineering.

Cost Engineering Event 2013From April 17 - 19 nearly 200 people from across the globe visited the 4th edition of the Cost Engineering Event in Hotel Ara, Zwijndrecht. With interesting presentations from experts speakers, participants were able to gain knowledge about estimating, planning, cost control, value engineering and much more. Of course, there was also time for an informal chat, for instance during dinner or lunch. Once more, the excellent weather and beautiful location provided a great setting for the Event. 

The 4th edition of the Cost Engineering Event takes place April 17th & 18th. With only a few months to go, more than 150 people have already registered. If you would like to join the event and learn from experts speakers like Shell's Vice President of Project Services - Hans Mes, don't wait too long, as there are only few seats left. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on workshop about Earned Value Management (April 19th) hosted by Lance Stephenson.

Cost Engineering Intensive - October 2012 From 8-11 October, the Cost Engineering Intensive course was held at Cost Engineering's offices. With delegates from Japan, Saudi-Arabia, Mauritania, Kazakhstan, USA, Tunisia, Suriname, The Netherlands and Germany you can honestly say this was a special group. Not only because of their very diverse backgrounds, but also for their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn!

More information EVM Workshop at the Cost Engineering Event For the upcoming 4th edition of the Cost Engineering Event, taking place at 17 & 18 April, an additional workshop is organized about "Project Performance Measurements using EVM". This workshop will be hosted by Lance Stephenson and takes place at the third day of the Event (19 April). This highly interactive and intensive training course provides attendees with the latest practices, tools and techniques.

Cost Engineering at the AACE Annual Conference in San Antonio From July 8-11 Cost Engineering visited the yearly AACE Conference, this time hosted in San Antonio, Texas. As this is one of the largest conferences about cost engineering in the world, this is an event we would not want to miss.

CCT certification course open for registration!September 5, 2012 Cost Engineering will kick off with the Certified Cost Technician (CCT) course. This unique program prepares you in 5 sessions for the official CCT exam by the AACE International. For everyone looking to expand their cost engineering knowledge and to be certified according to internationally acknowledged standards, this program is a unique opportunity.

Cost Engineering Training Course in Malaysia Cost Engineering provides training courses all over the world. From May 21-23 Ko des Bouvrie and Stefan Bakker travelled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to conduct a training course named Cost Estimation Methodologies Throughout The Life Cycle For Oil & Gas Projects. The course was organized by UniStrategic in the Royale Chulan hotel, a perfect venue for a training course with a typical Malaysian atmosphere.

New Cost Engineering Magazine by DACE Recently, the Dutch Association for Cost Engineers (DACE) released a new magazine named COSTandVALUE. Cost Engineering would like to congratulate the people at DACE responsible for this initiative, with their achievement. The goal of the magazine is to provide an independent view on the cost engineering profession and to share knowledge about the latest developments in the field.

Cost Engineering @ Twitter You can now stay up-to-date about the latest developments within cost engineering, tips and recommended practices, new technologies, etc. Furthermore, you will receive regular updates about our activities, like events, software releases and cost engineering courses. Follow @CostEngineering at Twitter and stay ahead of the competition!  Related articles Manage your project: add points of control Oil & Gas: Cost factors and the implications for estimating White Paper: Scope Development Problems in Estimating 5 reasons why you can’t do a project without cost estimating Embracing the digital revolution

Cost Engineering Academy – CCT course In our Cost Engineering Academy we share our knowledge to educate and train the next generation of cost engineers. Our latest addition to our course program is specifically targeted towards young professionals who pursue a career in cost engineering or project management.

LinkedIn Community reaches 3000 members! We are proud to announce that the Cost Engineering LinkedIn community reached a milestone of 3000 members. It shows that cost engineering is a growing profession all over the world. We hope to have your continued support and many valuable discussions! Not a member yet? Or do you know a colleague who may be interested? Join the group! Related articles Manage your project: add points of control Oil & Gas: Cost factors and the implications for estimating White Paper: Scope Development Problems in Estimating 5 reasons why you can’t do a project without cost estimating…

Cost Estimating Essentials course open for registration! Cost Engineering is proud to announce our latest addition to our Academy, the Cost Estimating Essentials course. Registrations for this one-day course are now open! The course will take place at March 28 so make sure to register fast, because the number of available seats is limited.

Recently, Cost Engineering traveled to Romania for an in-house Academy Intensive course. Spread over three sessions of four days each, more than 25 people were trained in the profession of cost engineering and cost estimating methodologies.

The team at Cost Engineering wishes you a merry Christmas and a happy new year! 2011 has been an exciting year for us. We have executed some challenging projects and came to satisfying results for our clients. We have learned a lot from our clients and we hope we have been able to increase their knowledge in the field of cost engineering as well.

DACE asks for your help The DACE (Dutch Association of Cost Engineers) is known for publishing the 'DACE Prijzenboekje' (Price Booklet). The DACE Price Booklet provides cost data for capital projects in the process industry. They are looking for your help to optimize their services.

Ko des Bouvrie keynote speaker in Iceland Recently, co-founder and technical director of Cost Engineering Ko des Bouvrie was invited to open the annual autumn conference of the Project Management Association in Iceland. The keynote speakers on the project management conference were cost engineering experts from Germany, the Netherlands and Iceland.

Free AACE membership! Participating in our Cost Engineering Academy Intensive course is now more attractive than ever. Not only will you get an advanced four-day training course on cost engineering by experienced trainers, once you have completed the Intensive course you will get a free one-year AACE membership!

Cost Engineering qualified as AEP Cost Engineering has been officially qualified by the AACEI as an Approved Education Provider (AEP)! This qualification is only given to educational providers who live up to the standards set by the AACEI. The AEP certification is a provider approval system with standards that ensure quality education programming.

Engineering Knowledgebase Cost Engineering Consultancy offers a wide range of standard cost data that can be used as a solid base for your cost estimates. The latest addition to our extensive cost database is the Engineering knowledgebase.

Estimating of Engineering Cost Engineering Consultancy is proud to introduce the latest addition to our Cost Engineering Academy courses. The 1-day Estimating of Engineering course focuses on the cost of the actual engineering work.

55th Annual Meeting AACE From June 19-22 Cost Engineering visited the AACE 55th Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. Cost Engineering actively participated during this event, by giving a presentation about the DACE Labor Norms, and showcasing Cleopatra Enterprise.

Chapeau Award 2011 At the recent Cost Engineering Event 2011, the ‘Chapeau Award’ was handed out for the first time. This initiative was made to reward one person who highly contributed to the knowledge of the cost engineering profession.

Release Cleopatra 4.0 Cost Engineering, the industry leader in the field of cost estimating and cost management software is proud to announce the release of Cleopatra Enterprise 4.0.

Academy in Kazakhstan From the 25th-28th of April 2011, Cost Engineering went to Kazakhstan to train the people from Agip-KCO in the profession of Cost Engineering.

Cost Engineering Event 2011 On April 13th and 14th 2011 Cost Engineering has successfully hosted the 3rd edition of the Cost Engineering Event.

The Cost Engineering Event 2011 will take place over a month. The Cost Engineering Event is a leading event in the field of cost engineering with an international set of speakers. Valuable knowledge will be shared and it is a great opportunity to meet peers.

On April 13th and 14th 2011 Cost Engineering will be hosting the 3rd edition of one of the leading cost engineering events in Europe. For this we have arranged an international set of prominent and experienced speakers who are willing to share and exchange their knowledge and ideas on important topics in the field of cost engineering. These speakers have made significant contributions to the profession, either by participating in organizations such as AACE, ACostE or DACE or by providing a visionary role within leading industrial companies. To mention a few: John K. Hollmann PE CCE CEP - Making Better Capital Investment Decisions     Owner…

Cost Engineering Consultancy is proud to announce its alliance with Conquest Consulting Group (CCG) as the exclusive United States reseller of the Cleopatra cost estimating software and detailed knowledgbase. Conquest Consulting Group is a professional estimating and cost engineering consulting company dedicated to serving the needs of process industry owners and engineering firms that work in the process industry. At CCG, one of our primary strengths and passions is cost estimating and we are committed to helping our clients achieve reliable, accurate, and cost effective estimates. It is for this reason that we are proud to partner with Cost Engineering…

  From October 4th till October 7th another edition of the Cost Engineering Intensive will take place. The Cost Engineering Intensive is one of the leading European courses in the field of cost estimating and cost management specifically aimed at the oil and gas industry, but also applicable for many other industries. In four days it addresses all facets of cost engineering starting off with the position of cost engineering in an organization and teaching estimating, factor estimating and cost control. This course is taught in English and combines both theoretical knowledge with a practical approach on subjects that cost engineers encounter in their day to…

On April 13 and 14 2011 Cost Engineering will be hosting the 3rd edition of one of the most important cost engineering events in Europe. The event will cover a broad range of topics such as creating early type estimates, performing cost management in complex projects, scheduling, risk analysis, challenges in estimating turnaround work, estimating of CAPEX and OPEX, managing maintenance work based on unit-rate contracts, parametric models for process equipment, software tooling, project cost metrics, reporting for management and much more. All Topics which have one thing in common: how are they of added value to the daily business?…

Our technical director Ko des Bouvrie has been awarded the “ICEC Region II Award” for his excellent contributions he has made during the past decades in the field of Cost Engineering. Being part of the special interest group “Cost Engineering Process Industry” he made significant contributions to the DACE Price booklet (prijzenboekje), which despite the Dutch language is known all over the world! The last couple of years he has been the driving force behind the DACE Labour Norms publication and data set. A great achievement and since he is a firm advocate of sharing knowledge this version was also…

A group of 23 people gathered in Kuala Lumpur by the end of February, for a workshop on effective estimating and cost control for Oil & Gas projects. Cost Engineering was honored by the number of people that had expressed interest for the workshop. And even though Cost Engineering normally teaches smaller groups, the eagerness of the participants more than compensated. Participants evaluated the workshop as meaningful and offered them many eyeopeners. Subjects discussed included many different types of estimates, showing everything between factor estimating and detailed estimating and the related issues a cost engineer can come across. Other subjects…

Cost Engineering has visited the 7th International Cost Engineering Council World Congress & The 14th Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors Congress in Singapore about Sustainable Cost Management. The DACE organization has asked Cost Engineering to represent them at the ICEC World Congress at the beautiful location of the Resorts World of Sentosa. We accepted this honor and gave a presentation about how the DACE succeeded in publishing labour norms. Cost Engineering is participating in the DACE workgroup about globalizing and harmonizing these labour norms for the industry to create and set new standards for owners and contractors and avoid and…

Cost Engineering Consultancy is proud to announce its allianceCost Engineering has visited the 54th annual meeting of the AACE congress at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Atlanta, GA, USA. We have been a well know visitor of the AACE congresses but for the first time we also participated as an exhibitor and showcase with a stand at the exhibitor area.  During this showcase we had an overwhelming audience were we presented the latest developments of Cleopatra Enterprise 4.0 with live practical examples for making different class type estimates for the industry. At the end of the demonstration we concluded with…

Cost Engineering, industry leader in cost estimating and cost management services and software, is proud to announce the release of our 2010 cost knowledgebases! 2010 is only one month old. We have worked hard on making a new release of our Cost Engineering Knowledgebase available. This data is based on the industry standard DACE. Naturally all information has been indexed according to the market developments in 2009. Moreover, we have added the following: Enhancement of unit-rates with post weld heat treatment and pre-heating (piping install) Extension of unit-rates for NDT Marked prices for piping supply Enhancement of piping Bill of Quantities rates Improvement…

From Sunday, June 27, 2010 thru Wednesday, June 30, 2010, the AACE organizes their annual meeting in Atlanta. It is already their 54th annual meeting. It is an event that we can definitely recommend to any person who has a passion for the cost engineering field. It has lots of interesting presentations on cost, schedule and management. New ideas and theory, but also practical tips are being addressed: pitfalls of early estimates, how to avoid cost overruns on mega projects and how to leverage historical cost data to future. These are just a small grasp of the topics you can attend.…

A group of enthusiastic participants gathered in Dubai the end of April, for the workshop on effective estimating and cost control for Oil & Gas projects. After the first two workshops were we focused on the Asian region we thought it was time to expand to the Middle East and paid a visit to the exiting city of Dubai.   The attendees traveled from different parts of the country to contribute in the workshop, were topics were interactively discussed about the basic principles of cost engineering, different techniques of factor estimating and cost control. There were a lot of valuable open…

Cost Engineering, the industry leader in the field of cost estimating and cost management software is proud to announce the release of Cleopatra Enterprise 3.5. This is a major release which includes availability of a complete new module: Project Analysis.   Cleopatra Enterprise’s new Project Analysis module allows your organization to learn from your past projects. You can compare multiple projects or multiple estimates within projects. It is also possible to compare your current estimates with your historical data. Your comparisons can be made from a global overview, but can also focus on the details to analyze your scope development.…

  Last November a team of Cost Engineering visited their reseller FB Management in Sweden. They are the latest reseller who joined Cost Engineering. Besides a visit and training at the office of FB, Cost Engineering also visited some companies who are interested in the products and services of Cost Engineering. Several companies have been visited during their stay in Sweden. Cost Engineering notices that many of their potential customers work with Excel. In some cases this is sufficient, but most of the times it is time consuming and not the best option for efficient cost engineering. For example Cleopatra Enterprise…

THE HAGUE – Interview with Aziez Mohamedhoesein, member of the REP-team working on the preparations for realization of the extension of the refinery in Suriname, and the cooperation with Cost Engineering. Cost Engineering is assisting Staatsolie Suriname with the feasibility study, validation of the 10% and 20% estimates. The aim of this new refinery is to double the production to 15,000 barrels per day. With this quantity Suriname should be able to fulfill in their own needs and it will also leave some for exportation. The FED3-phase is nearing the end and the Detailed design, Procurement and Construction (EPC) will…

On the 30th of September and the 1st of October  the 20th EACE workshop took place at the ESTEC office in Noordwijk. EACE stands forEuropean Aerospace Working Group on Cost Engineering.The theme of this meeting is “Cost Engineering for Cost-effective Programmes”. Off course this theme stands for what the EACE is practicing, but they also embrace the possibility to review and discuss cost engineering in a wider perspective. ThereforeMr. Ko des Bouvrie, Technical Director, of Cost Engineering Consultancy was invited to give a presentation about cost engineering related to the petrochemical industry. Cost engineering in the aerospace industry is based on parametric cost…

PRM YAZILIM has joined forces with Cost Engineering to become the official reseller for Cleopatra Enterprise in Turkey. PRM and Cost Engineering will cooperate to provide cost estimation and analysis solutions and services for engineering and construction companies.PRM YAZILIM is the Primavera reseller for 8 years and it is solely focused on project management software. PRM offers solutions to diverse range of industries including, engineering construction, energy, oil&gas and manufacturing. Cleopatra Enterprise will be a complementary solution for their existing offerings and  strenghten their commitment to deliver value adding quality products to their customer community. This month PRM YAZILIM will…

PetroBehboud Baravard Pars develops knowledge and skills of cost engineering in Iran in cooperation with Cost Engineering Consultancy. “Tehran Polytechnic University; Seminar Location" Event at a GlanceTime: 18~21 August 2009Place: Tehran Polytechnic University, IranParticipants: 40 Iranian Engineers, Experts, Managers and ResearchersEvent Key Speakers: Ko des Bouvrie, Babek Hossaini, Leendert De Geus, Martin van VlietEvent Manager: Aryan AghiliEvent Coordinator: Mohsen Arefi Seminar Brief Report: PetroBehboud Baravard Pars is developing its activities more than ever in Iran and other parts of Middle East region. After one year of activity as the official representative and reseller of Cost Engineering in this region, PBBP has started developing cost engineering and…

On November 2nd the latest update of the knowledgebase for Cleopatra Enterprise is available. The original knowledgebase is based on the labour norms developed by the DACE. These norms consist of 600 items. The newest update is improved on various levels. The number of unit rates have been multiplied by ten, and herewith increased from 600 to 6000! The newest update is future proof and suitable for further expansion. Major improvements have been made on the side of Electrical & Instrumentation. The biggest lack in the former cost library is solved, in the supply-level material rates and equipment rates are added.…

Petro Behboud Baravard Pars is going to present Cleopatra Enterprise on the 5th International Project Management Conference which is going to be held in Tehran on 26th and 27th October 2009. In this conference great experts like Prof. Rodney Turner and Mr. Adesh Jain and many other international and domestic speakers are going to give speeches on project management. The main topics are Strategic Project Management, Project Organizing and Project executing management.  Management School of Lille and Paris, Aryana Project Management Institute, Tarbiat Modarres University, Mapna Group, Iran Water & Power Resources Developmentand some other companies are the sponsors and facilitators of this conference.…

FB Management AB has joined forces with Cost Engineering to become the official reseller for Cleopatra Enterprise in the Nordic countries. One of FB Management’s visions is to help its customers to do the right things the right way. Integrated management of cost, time, resources and risk is a very important area to be able to complete this vision. Cleopatra Enterprise will be FB Management’s choice for creating best practices for cost and scope control throughout projects, programs and portfolios. FB Management is part of the FB Group, one of Sweden's leading engineering groups. Its focus areas are industrial, infrastructure…

  The Cost Engineering Intensive is the flagship of the Cost Engineering Academy. In four days it addresses all facets of cost engineering starting off with the position of cost engineering in an organization and teaching estimating, factor estimating and cost control. Last couple of months we have been working hard on further improving our courses. Making sure that our latest knowledge about the field of cost engineering is reflected in the courses. New practical examples have been included to easily relate theory to your own work. All is aimed to effectively estimate and control technical projects! This course is specifically aimed…

Cost Engineering is proud to announce a partnership with Cost Data Online to offer the Richardson cost data as a knowledgebase for Cleopatra Enterprise. For Richardson cost data users, this means that they can now make estimates quicker using the 220.000 items contained by the Richardson cost data package. Richardson has been a household name for cost data since the start of the company some 47 years ago. Ever since that time, Richardson has been meticulously monitoring the markets and surveying projects to be able to deliver the most up to data cost data for industrial projects. It has been…

On the 22nd of June a unique agreement was reached between Cost Engineering and Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group. The partnership has made Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube group the first company whos prices are integrated in Cleopatra Enterprise. The well known Dutch Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group is an international industrial distributor of steel pipes, valves and fittings. The new Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube knowledgebase has been based on the products sold by the company and are priced based on the kilogram prices used by Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group. The major benefit for Cleopatra…

Today, Cost Engineering has released the latest version of Cleopatra Enterprise. With the launch of Cleopatra Enterprise 3.0, Cost Engineering has once again reached a milestone in estimating software. By adding allowances, escalation and contingencies to Cleopatra Enterprise 3.0, you can now cover all facets of estimating from within the program. And as Cleopatra Enterprise 3.0 now allows you to use factorized and parametric estimating, you can use Cleopatra Enterprise 3.0 even earlier in your project. An added benefit for you is that you can easily track the changes in your project estimates over time and the influence they have…

At the end of the two day Cost Engineering Event 2009, four lucky winners took home some incredible prizes. The winners were drawn from a quote competition which was run on both days of the event. Inspired by a quote received from a visitor of a previous edition of the Cost Engineering Event, the Cost Engineering team asked all participants to finish one of two sentences to make great quotes. The best quotes were then selected and two winners chosen per day. As all winners would receive a one year license to Cleopatra Entprise with Cost Engineering data, the interest…

After the sessions of the first day of the Cost Engineering Event 2009, the second day saw many of the participants join the event inspired and excited about the day to come. And none was disappointed. From a high level look at the similarities in the approach to value and risk, to a detailed insight in the factors that Heerema is dealing with in estimating, there was something of interest for everyone. Regardless whether the subject was estimating in Iran or at Fluor or the way to deal with strategic assets, the audience proved as inspired as on the first…

The sun threw its last blessings down on the many discussions on cost engineering that had taken place at the dinner tables as the first day of the Cost Engineering Event 2009 came to a close. And there was a lot to talk about. Inspiring speakers touched subjects as cost indices and dealing with economic volatility before lunch. After lunch life cycle costing, asset verification and project complexity kept the audience on their toes. Inspiring speakers were also found in the software sessions where cost engineering data was shown in combination with Cleopatra Enterprise. After lunch the opportunities found in a…

This month sees the official launch of the Cost Engineering Academy. By starting the new Cost Engineering Academy, Cost Engineering wants to offer you a place where you can find training not just in the theory of cost engineering methods, but also in the practice of applying them to your projects. The Cost Engineering Academy has compiled a well chosen and finely tuned set of courses for you to enjoy. Whether you are looking for background knowledge on cost engineering to support your management position, or whether you are looking to become a certified cost engineer, the Cost Engineering Academy…

Cost Engineering knows how important accurate cost data is for your estimates. For this reason, Cost Engineering is proud to present its new standard knowledgebases for Cleopatra Enterprise. These knowledgebases have been based on a combination of thirty years of cost engineering experience, and the information that was compiled by the Dutch Association of Cost Engineerings for their Labour Norms CD. Cost Engineering is proud to announce its partnership with DACE to bring you the best cost data on cost engineering standards in Europe. And to ensure your cost data is always up to date, Cost Engineering now offers its new knowledgebase data…

Starting at Monday the 9th of February through to Saturday the 14th, Reed Business has taken Cleopatra Enterprise to the Bouwbeurs in Utrecht. The Bouwbeurs is an expo where all sorts of companies from all over the Netherlands show the latest developments in building and connected issues. As Reed Business provides the data to many building contractors, the Bouwbeurs is a great place to meet with their current and potential clients. As Cost Engineering has partnered with Reed Business to bring the data from Bouwkosten.nl into Cleopatra Enterprise, information on Cleopatra Enterprise will be shared at the stand in Utrecht. As an added bonus, Bouwkosten.nl…

Petro Behboud Baravard Pars officially introduces Cost Engineering and Cleopatra Enterprise to the Middle East. "Cost Engineering Seminar Location" Seminar at a GlanceTime: 23rd, November 2008Place: Rayzan International Conference Center, Tehran, IranParticipants: 127 Top level Industry wide ManagersEvent Key Speakers: Ko des Bouvrie, Babek Hossaini, Martin van Vliet, Behrouz NateghiEvent Manager: Ehsan DavoudiEvent Coordinators: Pooya Shekarabi, Aryan Aghili Seminar Brief Report:Cost Engineering is developing its activities around the world. After successful joint ventures in the Far East, it is time to start sales and support activities in the Middle East. Petro Behboud Baravard Pars (PBBP), as the official representative and…

In 2007 Cost Engineering hosted the first Cost Engineering Event. Over 120 people attended the international gathering of cost engineers in the Rotterdam region. And next year it will happen again as Cost Engineering organizes the second Cost Engineering Event on April 15 and 16. And the 2009 edition will be even better. We are expecting great speakers from many different disciplines and with knowledge of all aspects of cost engineering. Most importantly, all speakers will come to this international event focusing on the value of good cost engineering for your organization. That is what cost engineering is all about.…

This survey assists them in their selection of potential new sites based on expected investment and operational costs for the different locations. A location factor is an overall total project factor for translating all of the project cost elements of a defined construction project scope of work from one geographic location to another. This factor recognizes differences in productivity and costs for labour, engineered equipment, commodities, freight, duties, taxes, procurement, engineering, design and project administration. A simplified overview of the location factoring method includes the following: selecting a detailed estimate for the base location; creating a parallel estimate by applying…

From June 29th through July 2nd, a total of 800 attendees came to Toronto, Canada, to exchange experiences in the field of Cost Engineering at the AACE International's 52nd Annual Meeting & ICEC's 6th World Congress on Cost Engineering.  Naturally, Cost Engineering participated in this congress that is at the heart of the cost engineering field worldwide. Both our cost estimating software as well as our indepth cost engineering expertise were shared with many of the visitors we met. Cost Engineerings' CEO, Ko des Bouvrie, showed Cleopatra Enterprise to many interested visitors. During the combined showcase with Kildrummy, the advantages of data sharing…

Cost Engineering obtains the EU domain web address! This is another big step forward for the company to act on the international market. From now on people can reach us at www.costengineering.eu It is also possible to send email to us using the @costengineering.eu address. Of course, the .nl address will be valid as well.

On April 15 and 16 Cost Engineering will host the second edition of one of the most important cost engineering events in Europe. As April is coming closer, we would like to invite you to register for the Cost Engineering Event 2009 through the registration form on this site. Under the title of “Cost engineering - The art of assigning value to that which has been or will be engineered”, the Cost Engineering Event will be considering the impact cost engineering has on organizations. However, in the true spirit of of our company, Cost Engineering not only wants to make…

With the launch of Cleopatra Enterprise today, cost engineers can obtain a new tool that can be their key to running a successful project. Regardless of the size or type of project, Cleopatra Enterprise makes sure you hold all the cards.  Cleopatra Enterprise is the logical successor to Cost Engineering Consultancy's successful range of Cleopatra products. However, it goes far beyond what cost engineers have come to expect from the Cleopatra line. Cleopatra Enterprise is centered around new technology using a database server to keep your information safe and secure. The new modular approach means that you are able to…

In September, Intratech and Cost Engineering have joined forces in South Korea. One of the results of this partnership was a seminar on cost engineering practices which was held on the 17th of September in Seoul.About 30 people gathered to hear more about the cooperation between Intratech and Cost Engineering and the field of cost engineering in general. The meeting started off with a general presentation to introduce Cost Engineering and Intratech to the Korean audience. This was followed by an introduction to the field of cost engineering by Mr. Ko des Bouvrie. This introduction showed some of the methods…

The Cost Engineering Event 2007 was a big success. Over 90 people visited the event which was hosted by Cost Engineering Consultancy over two days in April. It was a combination of experienced speakers, innovative software tools and a great setting to meet other cost engineers. Opening speaker Ko des Bouvrie set the theme for the event. Working together, exchanging knowledge, building relationships and making friends were at the heart of the event. During the event it became clear that these were no hollow promises. There were speakers on every aspect of cost engineering. Not only did they speak on…

In February CEC visited Shanghai to get to know their new business partner RXB. They had organized a busy schedule, meeting companies like AstraZeneca, SIPG Shanghai Investment Port Group, Intel, Macquarie Goodman and Royal Haskoning. In the mornings we trained the employees of RXB about Cost Engineering and our program Cleopatra Enterprise. They did also an excellent job with the translation of Cleopatra Enterprise, so we can now switch real-time to the Chinese version. We got a good feeling about the potential of the Chinese market and the cooperation with RXB. RXB is also visiting the Netherlands and attending the Cost…

Cost Engineering Consultancy is proud to announce the extension of our business into China. This step is one of many to come, to expand the network of Cost Engineering Consultancy around the world. “China for us was a logical market to expand into.”, says technical director Ko des Bouvrie. “The fast growth within China and the interest shown by foreign companies to invest in China make it a market in which cost engineering is a growing necessity.” With an estimated 60 billion dollars in foreign investment every year and a growing economy, the possibilities are endless. Cost Engineering Consultancy has…

1 and 2 November CEC was at the fifth anniversary seminar of Asset Management Control at Den Helder . Asset Management Control (AMC) is defined as a Life Cycle Management (LCM) approach to manage all the processes (specify, design, produce, maintain and dispose) needed to achieve a capital asset (e.g. a ship, an offshore platform, an aircraft, etc.) capable to meet the operational need in the most effective way.  The increasing complexity, cost and size of capital assets, in combination with a shorter economic life time of high-tech system components has stimulated the need for management tools able to analyze the system…

Cost Engineering has released the new 2.6 version of Cleopatra Enterprise. With many subtle improvements over the 2.5 version, most of the changes in Cleopatra Enterprise 2.6 can be found underneath the surface. This makes Cleopatra Enterprise 2.6 a better version of ourtool for cost estimation. And it can be immediately enjoyed by every Cleopatra Enterprise user that has a current maintenance contract. If you have not had the opportunity to upgrade yet, please do get in touch with Cost Engineering for your upgrade.

Cost Engineering Software is proud to announce that we are on schedule with the development of Cleopatra Enterprise. Cleopatra Enterprise will be officially released at the end of November 2006. You will be informed later about the official launch of Cleopatra Enterprise. In that version the modules estimate and Websharing will be present.  Cleopatra Enterprise is the latest development  of Cost Engineering Software. Cleopatra Enterprise is a powerful system to be designed by Cost engineer professionals for Cost Engineers. Created using client-server architecture to integrate fully with your corporate systems, Cleopatra Enterprise is scalable from a single project to your entire enterprise.  When you…

This release will contain the improvements the users voted on during last user days plus many more exciting new features. Due to the great responses of last year, we have decided to do the beta test program this year as well. Cleopatra 6 beta will be released during the Cost Engineering Event 2007,  If you like to participate in this beta test program, please register yourself by sending us an email. We are looking forward to your suggestions and hope you can help us improve the quality of our product!

Cost Engineering is proud to announce the release of Cleopatra Enterprise 2.5. This release extends the functionality of Cleopatra Enterprise and adds a number of new features. Current customers can download the new version as of today. Some highlights of this release are:- Replace from knowledgebase (also known as sizing) feature;- Role based security for reports;- Advanced search and replace + replace all;- Importing config data from previous versions;- Exporting and importing user preference templates;- Major performance improvements;- Exporting estimates to Excel;- Upgrade option for previous databases;- Removing of components from content keys;- Automatic refresh in multi-user environment;- Added easy personal logging capabilities in…

As a part of the “Project System Implementation Plan”, Uhde India Limited has deployed the application Cleopatra to create accurate and detailed sales estimates.  The initial implementation was a success and in order to use the software to its fullest potential, we’ve traveled to Uhde at Mumbai, India from 16th to 19th August 2006 to train the Uhde engineers. Uhde India Limited, a subsidiary of Uhde GmbH, Dortmund, Germany, are one of the leading engineering and construction companies in the field of chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, etc., and are involved in executing projects in India and abroad. 

This year Cost Engineering Consultancy organizes the Cost Engineering Event! It's an international event focused on promoting and distributing knowledge regarding the field of cost engineering. During two days the Cost Engineering Event 2007 offers many interesting sessions on various topics of the project life cycle. Guest speakers from all over the world will give you an inside look of how cost engineering is used. Moreover interactive workshops will be held and if you are curious about Cleopatra Enterprise, then the Cost Engineering Event 2007 is your ultimate chance to get a sneak preview of what we intend to release coming…

Cost Engineering Consultancy announces the release of Cleopatra Enterprise! Cleopatra Enterprise is a unique cost engineering tool supporting your full project life-cycle process, starting from identification up to and including the abandonment phase. Cleopatra Enterprise is a high-quality, high-performance and user-friendly product based on the latest state-of-the-art software technology.It is well suited for multinational companies as well as small companies and it is easy to deploy at low cost.         Cleopatra Enterprise has the ability to: Support all kinds of estimates, from factor to detail; Assist in management decision making; Provide detail cost information for EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) as well as…

Total life-cycle solutions can help engineering procurement and owner construction companies meet today’s business challenges. Pressure has never been greater for these companies to protect or improve market share and profitability, in a market place where they are required to undertake complex international projects and also work globally in alliance with other contractors. They are expected to take more risk with projects while also providing improvements of as much as 30% in total installed cost (TIC) or life cycle costs (LCC). To pay contribution to the concept of total life-cycle costing Cost Engineering Consultancy has developed a flexible interface based…

Cost Engineering has signed a new reseller for Cleopatra Enterprise in Seoul, Korea. After a time of careful preparation, Cost Engineering and IntraTECH Corp. have reached an agreement for the sales of Cleopatra Enterprise in Korea. Cost Engineering is enthusiastic about being in Seoul which is seen as the business hub for North East Asia. And as Korea has a fast growing industry sector, we see many opportunities within the country. To make sure we can support Korean businesses as much as possible, a Korean version of Cleopatra Enterprise will soon become available. IntraTECH has a wealth of knowledge of the…

After PDO paid a visit to the Netherlands and organized site-visits to Shell, NAM and CEC, they were convinced they should use our Cleopatra Estimating tool, to get more control over the gaps between the budget setting and the actual costs and to generate Benchmarks out of the detailed Cleopatra data. PDO is planning to make use of our detail-estimating solution Cleopatra, combining their high level budget-estimating program CapCost in creating a feedback loop from Cleopatra to CapCost.                  In order to make a realistic schedule and implementation plan, we visited the PDO location in Muscat, Oman. Few of the topics were to gather information from their…

On the 9th of February Cost Engineering Software organized it’s 9th Userday which was a great success. Almost all customers which were invited attended the event and seemed to be very pleased about the information they received regarding our developments. We thank you all for coming and we hope you enjoy the present you’ve received! Like previous Userdays, the Userday 2006 was not only instructive regarding the field of cost engineering, it also presented the visitors with a lot of new developments in our software: the new release of Cleopatra was presented and distributed and a sneak preview of the new product "Cleopatra Enterprise"…

In the second half of 2006 Cost Engineering Consultancy will release the first modules of a brand new software product that will get the name Cleopatra Enterprise. Cleopatra Enterprise will be a cost engineering system primarily focused on cost engineering activities such as estimating and contracting out, for both owner and contractors. Cleopatra Enterprise supports your full project life-cycle process, starting from identification up to and including the abandonment phase. The product will be modularly built and will be based on the latest state-of-the-art software technologies. Cleopatra Enterprise will have  the ability to: support all kinds of estimates, from factored…

Within a few months Cleopatra 5 will be released! This release will contain the improvements the users voted on during last user days plus many more exciting new features. Due to the great responses of last year, we have decided to do the beta test program this year as well. Cleopatra 5 beta will be released coming October,  If you like to participate in this beta test program, please register yourself by sending us an email. We are looking forward to your suggestions and hope you can help us improve the quality of our product!

As of today we are officially open to questions from international companies interested in reselling Cleopatra Enterprise. We are looking for partner organisations worldwide who have an interest and experience in consultancy or software sales in industries targeted by Cleopatra Enterprise. Requests for more information on Cleopatra Enterprise come in daily from around the world. These responses to Cleopatra Enterprise show that worldwide there is a lot of interest for Cleopatra Enterprise and cost engineering software in general. If you would be interested in reselling Cleopatra Enterprise, please do send us an email on sales@costengineering.eu. We would like to receive a…

Dutch civil engineering data now available in Cleopatra Enterprise. Reed Business is the owner of the Dutch civil cost databases bouwkosten.nl, gwwkosten.nl and beheerenonderhoudkosten.nl. These databases are continually monitored and adapted to the current situation in the Dutch market. Cost Engineering and Reed Business have now teamed up to bring these databases to Cleopatra Enterprise users. Through Cleopatra Enterprise’s new Reed Business interface the information from the civil databases can be easily and quickly imported into your Cleopatra Knowledgebase. Working with the Reed Business civil databases ensures that you are always using the latest current information on the market in your estimate. "Cleopatra Enterprise and Reed…

CEC’s revamped website www.costengineering.nl was activated on 1 July 2005. With the launch of a complete new website Cost Engineering Consultancy has further professionalized its organisation. Alongside the totally renewed structure, the website has been redesigned to have better information for our existing and potential customers available online.The support part has become an interactive information center, offering the possibility to take part in user groups and polls.  For direct assistance on line for our Cleopatra users, we have added a  frequently asked questions section. Currently we are working on finalizing the new website: we still have to add partner links to it. We hope…

On February 11th  2005, Cost Engineering Software released  Cleopatra 4.1. In this service release Cost Engineering Software improved some items in the Cleopatra 4.0 version. The users with a service contract did already receive an e-mail with the instructions to download and install this service release. For an overview of the improvements of the Cleopatra 4.1 service release click here.