2018 was a busy year at VMS. We led over 100 Value Engineering studies, 26 Design Charrettes/FACDs, 17 Business Process Improvement studies, 13 Project Controls projects, 8 Risk workshops, 6 Trainings, and 2 Cost Estimating projects. And this was in addition to multiple service projects!
VMS also began development on a suite of software tools and expanded our team from 22 to 44 personnel. As the year ends, VMS looks back on some of the memorable moments that helped make this another successful chapter for our company:
- VMS rang in the New Year by earning the Project Planning & Delivery Services contract for King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division.
- Our risk team completed a Sound Transit capital budgeting risk analysis totaling $10 billion.
- With the growth of our team, VMS established new physical offices in Portland and Seattle and moved its Southern California office to a larger space in San Marcos, CA.
- VMS performed a comprehensive review of the project control processes for the US State Department’s Overseas Building Operations (OBO) and developed recommendations and actions that could allow them to better deliver capital projects.
- In June, VMS attended the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACEI) Conference in San Diego and presented technical papers. More than 400 attendees stopped by the VMS booth to learn about our company. We also started a corporate AACE membership this year to further support our team’s professional development.
- VMS developed a unique and innovative process, support structure, and methodology for performing Portfolio Management. This is just one component of a comprehensive suite of tools we are developing to help clients make informed value-based decisions for the management of capital portfolios, programs, projects, and the required resources. In addition, VMS is further enhancing its VMSPro® software platform to support portfolio management activities.
- In September, VMS staff came together from all over the country for our annual company meeting in Portland, where we aligned on corporate values and discussed the future of VMS.
- VMS conducted a process improvement study for Caltrans to optimize the design task work flow for projects that have relatively low risk and few complexities – “non-complex” projects. VMS lead a multi-functional team comprised of several subject matter experts representing Headquarters and the Districts for three workshops to brainstorm, evaluate, and develop a new process for “non-complex” projects. The team also identified other streamlining opportunities to improve the delivery process and shorten the project schedule for all projects.
- VMS assisted in Seattle Public Utilities development of the Ship Canal Water Quality Mega-Project, including developing estimates, schedules, risk analyses and technical recommendations to improve the organization’s project delivery.
- VMS finalized the development of formulas for the capital cost estimates for King County’s Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) program. VMS is also leading and managing a cutting edge CSO technology pilot program that could revolutionize how wastewater is treated, potentially cutting future capital expenditures in the Puget Sound Region by billions of dollars.
- VMS supported multiple infrastructure project delivery Risk Workshops and comprehensive Risk Analyses for Sound Transit, King County, USACE, and the US State Department.
- VMS developed strategic plans for a number of Caltrans Districts and Divisions. For example, VMS worked with Caltrans District 10 to develop a 5-year Strategic Action Plan through 2023. The plan was the hard work of committees comprised of District, Central Region, and Headquarters functional groups, and outlines priorities and associated action plans with 1-, 3-, and 5-year targets. We facilitated workshops that illuminated the District’s strategic issues, shaped the District’s priorities, and ultimately provided the roadmap of action items in the plan.
- VMS conducted two VMF-1 and two VMF-2 Value Methodology (VM) training courses in 2018. VMS taught a dozen U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Value Engineering Officers advanced techniques in VMS.
- VMS led VE Studies on several transportation mega-projects for a variety of clients. Notable projects include the West Seattle Ballard Link Extension (light rail project) in Seattle, WA; the Brooklyn Queens Expressway Reconstruction project (highway structure) in Brooklyn, NY; and the I-5 Managed Lanes project in Orange County, CA.
VMS would like to thank all its team, clients and contractors for their hard work and partnership. We look forward to working together to make 2019 an even better year!
