but even nuclear reactor designers need to control costs. so I wonder how they streamline things. Asking the relevant experts "ok so what happens if we don't do this step? with what probability?"
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Replying to @s_r_constantin
I'm sure nuclear reactor designers need to control costs, but do they have a way to control costs in practice? The decline of the nuclear industry suggests they might not.
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Replying to @aclough @s_r_constantin
The fact that similar nuclear reactor designs got more expensive over time implies to me that the problem is project management rather than design. (And it's not like railroad "designers" are responsible for cost overruns for the California HSR project.)
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And the fact that nuclear reactors got more expensive across several countries at a similar rate implies to me that this issue with project management is something that exists internationally in business.
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If you look at "what goes wrong" in project management, it's usually: - make a contract -> something needs to be changed -> this stalls or wastes work while changes are discussed -> the lawyers take over -> then it maybe goes to court
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When you look at under-budget on-schedule projects, often you find a good project manager and more fixed-price fixed-scope contracts than usual. But other PMs using fixed-price contracts makes things *worse* because their predictions of needs aren't good enough.
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I think a lot of the problem comes down to modern "international-American" business culture having become *worse* at hiring and perhaps incentivizing project managers.
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Replying to @s_r_constantin @aclough
I don't think you can make a simple global explanation of that kind of dynamic system evolution; it might be better to look at case studies, eg Boeing:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/11/how-boeing-lost-its-bearings/602188/ …
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But also...why not? Why do you assume people have incentives to hire good project managers? Why do you assume that interview processes work if people do care? etc etc There isn't a competitive market in most places, and economics' assumptions are often invalid.
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I don't think "this process works poorly" needs an explanation. I do think "this process used to work well, and now doesn't" needs an explanation. What changed?
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Replying to @s_r_constantin @aclough
Of course. My point is that maybe you should start by understanding why it *did* work.
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