Patrick Vallerand, auteur sur Strategia Conseil

Defining the objectives of a construction project to maximize benefits

Corporate Real estate, Public and Parapublic

Did you know that your construction project and your next family vacation have several things in common? You can’t start a trip without knowing its destination. The same principle applies to projects. You need to determine what the project is seeking to accomplish and how its success will be evaluated (1). Defining these objectives properly is essential to the success […]

Case study: Time limits and cost overruns on a large-scale transport infrastructure project

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Public and Parapublic, Transportation

Three years after the Rapibus was commissioned, the Board of Directors of the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) mandated Strategia Conseil to conduct an independent review of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project built in 2013. The objectives of the mandate were: Clearly explain cost and time variances and their causes; Identify the strengths and weaknesses of project management and [...]

How can you improve the performance of your next industrial plant shutdown?

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Energy, mines and metallurgy

Are you planning to deploy a major asset maintenance program or replace major equipment? A planned shutdown of operations may be required to maintain, inspect, replace, or upgrade equipment, or to connect new plant units. If you have been involved in a major plant shutdown, it’s very likely that it didn’t go as planned. 40% of shutdowns result in cost or […]

A simple rule to facilitate corporate social responsibility in Québec

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Public and Parapublic

How can corporate social responsibility be encouraged in Québec? According to our experience this involves finding concrete courses of action that can be adapted to any type of company. In a recent blog, we addressed corporate social responsibility, especially in small and medium enterprises (SME). The objective was to share measures deployed at Strategia Conseil […]

What is BIM technology?

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Corporate Real estate, Public and Parapublic

Building Information Modeling (BIM) could be summarized as a 3D modeling technology. But in fact it is much more. It is a process that collects all the information on a project to create a complete data environment. For complex construction projects, this allows the design to be simplified on several levels. The models created are […]

Ensuring the sustainability of the cultural, social and real estate heritage (case study)

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Public and Parapublic

The Augustinian Monastery is a cultural heritage and wellness haven developed in the oldest monastic complex in North America. Completely restored and redeveloped, the Monastery offers visitors a unique comprehensive health experience and living contact with the Augustinian heritage. Summary of the project Transform and preserve a complex of buildings constructed between 1695 and 1958, […]

Corporate social responsibility: the experience of an SME

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Public and Parapublic

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) may seem to be a trend that only affects big business. However, it is much more than a trend. According to Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), 95% of Fortune Global 250 companies publish a sustainable development report. CSR is a subject of interest for big business. But what about small and medium […]

5 methods for resolving construction disputes

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Corporate Real estate, Energy, mines and metallurgy, Public and Parapublic, Transportation

How much time did you spend managing conflicts at work this week? A study conducted in the United States reveals that employees spend an average of 2.8 hours a week managing conflicts (ref). Now imagine that you are directing a major construction project, with a high level of technical complexity, that requires the cooperation of […]

7 practices to avoid construction cost overruns

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Corporate Real estate, Public and Parapublic

Construction cost overruns often make headlines. Between 2009 and 2013, $500 million was spent on excess costs for construction work on public projects, costs that could have largely been avoided with more rigorous management practices (reference). The cost overruns affect private sector construction projects just as much, for all countries combined. For the Chunnel, the […]

Investing in our municipal infrastructure, while keeping costs under control

Posted by Patrick Vallerand

Public and Parapublic

Like a domino effect, a cost overrun in a project inevitably cuts off the municipality’s ability to carry out other projects planned to improve and provide quality services to the public. Everyone loses when the bill is too high. Municipal infrastructures ensure the mobility of passengers and freight, supply quality drinking water, treat our waste, […]