MCKENZIE RICHARD ASSOCIATES LTD.: Project Consulting for a Chemical Engineering Client
This six-month engagement was a strategic consulting partnership between Croda International and MCKENZIE RICHARD ASSOCIATES LTD. to support a £27 million facilities expansion at Croda’s Hull, England chemical plant. The project required decommissioning outdated polymer reactors and installing new high-capacity reactors in compliance with regulatory, safety, and operational standards. My consulting role focused on overhauling Croda’s existing project plans, improving documentation, and guiding the organization through a globally disruptive period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
My Role
Project Management Consultant
Team
IT & Operations
Timeline
Jan 2020 - July 2020
My Responsibilities:
I conducted a full audit of Croda’s legacy project framework, introduced new project artifacts and governance models, and served as the liaison between construction contractors, chemists, mechanical and electrical engineers. I regularly reported progress to the project’s steering committee, ensured all documentation reflected the evolving scope, and supported adherence to safety and regulatory requirements.
Tools and Methodologies Used:
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I worked with both Microsoft Project and Primavera P6 to build Gantt charts, develop critical path tracking, and conduct scenario modeling. These models helped forecast risk impact across multiple shutdown durations caused by COVID-19.
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Agile techniques were used to compress timelines and restructure dependencies.
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I also utilized RAID logs to document evolving risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies, and collaborated with Croda’s in-house PM to design a seamless project handoff process.
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Stakeholder interviews provided insight into risk tolerance and were incorporated into mitigation strategies.
Challenges & Solutions
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The COVID-19 lockdown presented an immediate, high-impact risk. The plant’s complete shutdown halted all activity. In response, I led the development of three scenario models (1-month, 3-month, and 6-month shutdowns), allowing Croda to flexibly adjust resource allocation and scheduling once restrictions lifted. These scenario models proved instrumental in maintaining transparency and momentum.
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A second challenge arose with reactor testing timelines. Historically, reactors were tested sequentially due to proximity and safety heat constraints. While reviewing project constraints, I discovered documentation confirming the new reactors were to be installed at distanced locations—rendering the sequential testing constraint obsolete. This discovery allowed for parallel testing, cutting weeks off the testing timeline and saving £250,000.
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Additionally, Croda’s internal team had low trust in project consultants due to prior failures by two external firms. During our early engagement, we presented our academic framework for project delivery—rooted in research and proven methodologies. We positioned the engagement as a case study for future publication, adding legitimacy and mutual benefit. This helped rebuild trust, transforming disengaged teams into active contributors invested in the project’s success.
Key Outcomes & Metrics:
The removal of the outdated testing constraint and the introduction of parallel reactor testing led to significant time savings and an estimated £250,000 in avoided costs. Meeting participation and stakeholder collaboration increased measurably, with full attendance in risk-focused meetings. Our methodologies became the foundation for revised internal practices at Croda, and the partnership was included as a case study in an academic publication on independent project planning.
Lessons Learned:
This project solidified the value of applying academic rigor in high-stakes industrial environments. It taught me that project success often hinges on surfacing buried assumptions and validating every constraint. Most importantly, I learned the importance of stakeholder trust—earning it through transparency, well-communicated logic, and data-driven decision-making is now a central pillar of my project management approach. Navigating this project through a global pandemic was also a powerful reminder that scenario planning is not just strategic—it’s essential.
Project Artifacts
