Built on a strong foundation

During the past 15 years of operation, Enthalpy's international experience has resulted in a strong foundation of project data being accumulated.

In response to an international need for valid, proven benchmarks, Enthalpy has now embedded this data in its Minimum Standards for Studies and Projects.

The result is a series of benchmarks that clients across many sectors and countries can access.

Enthalpy now holds benchmarks for a number of issues. They include:

• Costs for studies
• Project capital costs per capacity unit
• Ratios of directs, indirects and owners' costs
• Proportions for contingency and preproduction
• Unity measures for special issues such as man-hours per unit, spares and owners' costs

As well, Enthalpy has completed a number of consulting assignments to benchmark specialised areas, including project capital costs for a specific resource sector, sustaining and replacement costs, unit construction, hourly rates for contractors and contingencies.

Defining benchmarks

Enthalpy has developed unique in-house structures to ensure any benchmark presented is clearly defined. These structures include proformas, such as an industry-standard glossary of terms and abbreviations.

The time when benchmarks are used can also determine their effectiveness. For that reason, Enthalpy recommends the best value will be obtained from benchmarks during the pre-feasibility and feasibility phases of projects.

The organisation's experience shows that it's these periods that yield the greatest valueadding from benchmarking - and stand the greatest risk of poor practices creeping in.

Independent thinking

Any benchmark can be influenced by a number of input factors.

Enthalpy insists that any benchmark adapted by an organisation needs to be the result of the creative, common sense of senior staff, rather than based on computer analysis. That way, the benchmark reflects the organisation instead of a computer-based thinking.

Fair cost estimates

One unique feature of Enthalpy's benchmarking capacity is the ability to produce Fair Cost Estimates to support:

• Commercial evaluations
• Sole source negotiated outcomes
• Board recommendations
• Self-performed projects