AACE Bulletin
Bulletin Section News for June 2025
AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the June 2025 Source, submissions were received from the Seattle section.
Seattle Section
AACE Seattle Hosts Engaging Technical Presentation on the Pitfalls of CPI and SPI
On May 15, the AACE Seattle Section welcomed professionals from the local engineering and construction management community for a highly successful in-person technical presentation. The event featured an insightful and engaging presentation by Onur Yazici, P.Eng., CCP EVP, a seasoned project controls and commercial manager at AXIOM.
In his talk, “Mission Accomplished? Not Quite. SPI and CPI Say Yes, Reality Says No,” Yazici challenged traditional thinking around earned value management metrics. Drawing on over 20 years of international experience with major infrastructure projects, he unpacked how widely used indicators like the Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI) can sometimes paint an overly optimistic picture of project health.
From front-loaded progress curves to misleading level-of-effort activities, the presentation shed light on scenarios where CPI and SPI may suggest positive performance while projects drift off course. The session also briefly touched on the growing use of artificial intelligence in data-driven decision-making within project management. Attendees were particularly engaged by Yazici’s practical remedies and actionable strategies for identifying red flags early—insights that resonated deeply with seasoned professionals and emerging project managers.
The event was marked by strong attendance and enthusiastic participation, reinforcing AACE Seattle’s commitment to delivering high-value, thought-provoking content to its members and guests. The evening served as a testament to the importance of critical thinking in project controls and the value of community-driven professional development.
