Northeastern University

Determined to improve its ranking as a national top-tier university, Northeastern University adopted a transformative agenda and launched a $1 billion development plan. This program comprised renovations to the Senior Leadership Administration building; a new Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering building, Digital Media Commons, 17-story East Village residence hall and teaching block, and Nahant Marine Sciences Program buildings; and $30 million of additional projects.

Arcadis was selected to provide project and program management and management consulting throughout the course of this project. Following a 90-day assessment, our team developed a series of recommendations for improving program and project delivery. We were then charged with assisting with the implementation of these recommendations, which included organizational change and new processes and procedures.

We also trained the Northeastern team to embed best practices for the successful adoption of a new project management system, which resulted in $10 million in savings and efficiencies. This web-based system offers project stakeholders 24/7 access to real-time project information, as well as cost savings, resource efficiencies and improved productivity. It also facilitates proactive decision making.

Although students and faculty remained on campus throughout the project, and many areas of construction were occupied, our team’s extensive communication with building users and visitors, due diligence, and support ensured that the project was completed safely and on time. Today, Northeastern University is ranked 47th among U.S. top-tier universities, up from 90th in 2007.