| dc.description.abstract | The objective of this thesis is to investigate successfulness in implementation of a project tool
called the Contingency Breakdown Report (CBR), which is a key document for project approvals
at ConocoPhillips. The CBR is a document compiled in Excel and holds all the relevant cost, risk
and schedule data for a project. In addition to investigating successfulness in the completion of
the CBR, the processes leading up to the CBR inputs are also evaluated. Risk management and
cost estimation are the essential processes, within the project, that provide the required CBR
input. This study is based on two analysis methods, qualitative and quantitative analysis. The
main analysis is a qualitative analysis and has been carried out by in-depth interviews and
questionnaires. The quantitative analysis is a statistical analysis, of the data held in the CBR,
supporting the qualitative analysis. The analysis results are presented individually.
This thesis provides a description of the CBR and the associated processes. Composing this
description was a great help in understanding what the CBR is and why it is a tool that has been
focused on greatly in ConocoPhillips. As well as providing a greater understanding this basis has
also contributed to building an interesting and relevant interview guide and questionnaire.
Understanding the CBR was important in figuring out where the most essential data, that could
provide an answer to the problem statement; Has the implementation of the CBR been
successful for ConocoPhillips Norway up to this point?, was and thereby the focus areas for the
statistical analysis. This thesis is primarily based on the analysis results, which are gathered with
the help of ConocoPhillips staff in Norway, and is complemented with relevant literature and
articles. Information about the CBR, cost estimation and risk management is confidential
ConocoPhillips material.
The study uncovered that, for the organization as a whole, success is achieved. However,
successfulness has not been achieved considering user satisfaction and intentional use of the
CBR versus the actually purpose it is serving. Implementing the CBR has meant successfulness
for ConocoPhillips Norway since the CBR has become a more integrated, trusted and important
tool to use in connection with the projects approvals than expected. The main reason why the
users are unsatisfied and actual use and intentional use are not aligned, are the numerous and
extensive changes that the CBR format has undertaken. Early on, while performing this study, it became clear that there exist shared and strong
opinions regarding the CBR. However all the CBR users in Norway Capital Projects agreed on the
fact that the CBR needs to undergo strategic changes. Strategic changes with the aim of
improvement and simplification are absolutely necessary for the project tool. Strategic changes
or improvements that makes it easier to use, easier to understand, easier to complete,
motivates the users and that adds value are: first a simplification of the CBR template followed
by stability in the CBR template and a clarification of the CBR intention. Such strategic changes
in the CBR are beneficial for ConocoPhillips in order to achieve successfulness. ConocoPhillips
must also, regarding the CBR, focus on the most important issue, which is the contingency. | en_US |
