Project Controls Are Essential, Not Optional

Here's something that might surprise you: most organizations treat project controls like they're the accounting department's awkward cousin. You know, the one who shows up to family gatherings with spreadsheets and asks uncomfortable questions about budgets. But what if I told you that this "back office" function could be the difference between project success and spectacular failure?

I've been in the project management space long enough to see brilliant ideas crash and burn because companies didn't have proper project controls in place. And recently, I've watched with fascination as the US Army made a game changing decision that every business should pay attention to.

The US Army Gets It Right

The US Army Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville just did something revolutionary. They moved project controls from a support function to the backbone of their entire operation. We're talking about an organization that manages over $2 billion in annual programs, handling some of the most technically complex projects you can imagine.

According to their recent strategic framework, they recognized that "project controls are no longer just a back office function, they are integrated into the core business strategy." This isn't just military jargon. It's a fundamental shift in how they approach every single project.

The Army's approach centers on six critical questions that project controls must answer for every initiative: What work needs to be done? What's been done? How are we performing against expectations? What remains? What trends are emerging? And are our corrective actions working?

Think about that for a second. These aren't afterthoughts or monthly check ins. These questions drive daily operations and strategic decisions. That's what happens when you put project controls at the core of your business.

The Staggering Cost of Getting It Wrong

Here's where the numbers get scary. The Project Management Institute's Pulse of the Profession report consistently shows that organizations waste $97 million for every $1 billion invested in projects. That's nearly 10% of every dollar going straight down the drain.

But it gets worse. According to McKinsey's research on large projects, 45% of construction projects experience cost overruns, and 7% experience schedule delays. For infrastructure projects, the numbers are even more alarming, with cost overruns averaging 20% and some projects exceeding their budgets by 200% or more.

Why does this happen? In my experience, it's almost always because project controls are treated as an afterthought rather than a core business function.

What Happens When Project Controls Are Actually Strategic

Let me paint you a different picture. When project controls operate at the organizational core, magic happens. Well, not actual magic, but results that feel pretty magical when you're used to project chaos.

Real time visibility becomes your superpower. Instead of finding out about problems three weeks after they started, you catch issues as they develop. Your teams can actually respond to challenges instead of just documenting disasters.

Resource allocation gets strategic. You're not just throwing people and money at problems. You're making data driven decisions about where to invest your limited resources for maximum impact.

Risk management becomes proactive. Rather than hoping for the best and planning for disaster, you're identifying potential issues before they become real problems.

I've seen this transformation firsthand. One client went from experiencing cost overruns on 60% of their projects to achieving budget compliance on 85% of projects within 18 months of implementing formalized project controls as a core function.

The Framework That Actually Works

So what does this look like in practice? Based on what the Army is doing and what I've implemented with successful clients, here's the framework:

Planning Integration: Project controls aren't just checking boxes on someone else's plan. They're actively involved in creating realistic, achievable project plans from day one.

Measurement Standards: Every project has consistent metrics and reporting standards. You can actually compare performance across projects and learn from what works.

Communication Protocols: Information flows efficiently between all stakeholders. No more surprise discoveries in monthly status meetings.

Risk Management Systems: Potential issues are identified, tracked, and addressed systematically rather than reactively.

As project management expert Harold Kerzner puts it, "Project management is not just about tools and techniques. It's about changing the culture of the organization." That cultural change starts with recognizing project controls as strategic, not administrative.

Making the Transition

Here's the practical part. You can't just flip a switch and suddenly have strategic project controls. The transition requires deliberate steps:

Start by elevating the conversation. Project controls professionals need a seat at the strategic planning table, not just operational meetings. They need to be involved in project initiation, not just execution.

Invest in standardized tools and processes. Every project should use consistent methodologies for planning, tracking, and reporting. This isn't about micromanagement; it's about creating organizational learning.

Train your teams to see project controls as enablers, not obstacles. When done right, good project controls make everyone's job easier by providing clarity and early warning systems.

The Competitive Advantage

Organizations that get this right don't just avoid disasters. They create competitive advantages. They can bid more accurately because they understand their true costs. They can deliver more consistently because they catch problems early. They build reputations for reliability that translate directly into business growth.

The companies I work with that have made this transition consistently outperform their competitors. They win more bids, complete more projects on time and on budget, and build stronger client relationships.

Your Next Steps

If you're reading this and thinking about your own organization, ask yourself: When was the last time project controls influenced a strategic decision at your company? If the answer is "never" or "I'm not sure," you've got work to do.

The US Army figured out that managing billions in complex projects requires project controls at the core of their operation. Your projects might not be quite as complex as theirs, but the principles remain the same.

Don't wait for the next project disaster to make this change. Start now by evaluating how project controls function in your organization and what it would take to move them from support to strategic. At Capstone Project Services, we've helped dozens of organizations make this transition successfully. The results speak for themselves: better outcomes, fewer surprises, and projects that actually deliver what they promise.

Ready to transform how your organization approaches project controls? Let's talk about what strategic project controls could look like for your business. Because in today's competitive environment, treating project controls as back office support isn't just inefficient, it's a recipe for getting left behind.

References

1. Project Management Institute, Pulse of the Profession report: https://www.pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/pulse

2. McKinsey, How to run a successful construction project: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/how-to-run-a-successful-construction-project

3. US Army Engineering and Support Center Huntsville, Strategic Framework, official publications and news: https://www.hnc.usace.army.mil/ and https://www.army.mil/

4. Harold Kerzner, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, Wiley, latest edition.