Project Management and Sites

Project management strategy is the key to project success. To take advantage of opportunities, projects must be more than just tactical operations. Building market share, extending product lines, increasing revenue, satisfying customers, and products of the future are more important measures of project success.

Whether it’s a brownfield or greenfield project, Project management is an active element in the implementation of a company’s strategic intent and increases the company’s competitive advantage.

It is an overachieving set of guidelines used by the project team in making decisions and taking action in alignment with business operational strategies.

However, depending on the type of sites (brownfield or greenfield) the project management approach varies. You cannot apply the same management style to both types of projects. So, it is crucial to understand the difference between Greenfield and Brownfield Project Management.

What is Greenfield Project ?

Greenfield is a commonly used word to describe a new project. A greenfield project is one that lacks constraints imposed by prior work on the site. Typically, what a greenfield project entails is development on a completely vacant site.

A greenfield project is constructing on unused land where there is no need to remodel or demolish an existing structure. Some examples of greenfield projects are new factories, power plants or airports which are built from scratch.

Greenfield sites are undeveloped areas within or outside a city, typically on agricultural land. They are often sought after for the construction of manufacturing plants and other commercial projects because they are uncomplicated and straightforward for construction.

The advantages of greenfield investments include increased investor control relative to investing in an existing local business, as well as the opportunity to form marketing partnerships and avoid intermediary costs.

What is Brownfield Project?

Brownfield projects refer to project of expansion or revamping or services on an existing facility. A brownfield project is one that carries constraints related to the current state of the site. It is a property that is either contaminated or that people think might be contaminated. Common examples of brownfields include former gas stations, metal plating facilities, and dry cleaners.

Brownfield development includes land that has previously been contaminated or used by industrial waste that has now become vacant and unused.

Brownfields are abandoned, underutilized, or contaminated properties. Redeveloping these properties into productive projects mitigates environmental impacts, provides tax revenue, and improves the social foundation of these communities. However, brownfields may take longer to develop and could involve more risk.

Advantages and disadvantages to Project Management

There are advantages and disadvantages to greenfield and brownfield project management. The site chosen will depend on the scope of your project, the client’s budget, and whether you have a group of experts on your team that understand how to design for each. Here are a few things to consider when choosing your project management strategy:

Advantages to Greenfield Project Management

• Design flexibility for meeting project plan requirements
• Room to expand for future change in project requirements
• Requires no additional resources for demolition
• No pre-work management required
• Construction timelines are typically faster

Disadvantages to greenfield Project Management

• Installation and commissioning work are huge
• Location is usually away from the city and its services
• Longer commutes for workers and resource unavailability

Advantages to Brownfield Project Management

• Existing, usable infrastructure already in place
• Reduces destruction of greenspace
• Contributes to redevelopment of a city section
• Improves brand image by reinvesting and recycling

Disadvantages to Brownfield Project Management

• Development could be complicated by toxic contaminants
• Generally longer construction timelines
• Older structures may not meet structural requirements
• Higher risk of cost overruns due to unexpected developments
• Potential space constraints

Universal Concept: Brownfield & Greenfield

The concept of Brownfield and Greenfield is not only limited to engineering & construction projects. It is also applicable to software & IT projects.

Greenfield Software project is like developing a brand-new software application, where the team gets to choose the architecture, the platform, and all other technologies. The team starts from the ground up with the discovery and scoping process and helps to strategize the appropriate technologies and design aspects. After working on developing new iterations to resolve operational issues identified in testing, and when the team has a final product, the team plan for the launch.

A brownfield Software project, however, begins with an end-to-end code audit to gather a full understanding of the basis from which the team is building. This research gives the team the information needed to determine the future path of the project to take the unfinished software to a point of completion. 

Conclusion

Brownfield and Greenfield project management approach varies and requires different project management styles. A greenfield project is one that lacks constraints imposed by prior work on the site. Brownfield projects refer to project of expansion or revamping or services on an existing facility.

Are you working on a Greenfield or Brownfield project? Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

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