Con-way Client Story

Abstract

For years, the global transportation sector has been synonymous with low returns. Even during the past decade of strong economic growth, the sector’s total return on assets hovered at just around 1 percentage point above its cost of capital (Bloomberg, 2001). In this competitive environment, managing an operation the size of Con-way while remaining profitable is a daunting task.

Con-way must manage dozens of disparate capital development projects within budget and schedule constraints while meeting the company’s business goals. As such, Con-way’s challenge was to effectively manage a complex development process that involves:

1. Several concurrent active projects
2. A diverse group of project types– no two projects are alike (e.g., new service centers, additions, remodels, fuel islands, scales, etc.).
3. Geographic diversity and location – projects are dispersed throughout the United States.
4. Project team diversity – teams include Con-way employees, consultants, contractors, and vendors.