There are many organizations that can and will help an operating organiza­tion build up the necessary skills, recommend their optimal business and professional infrastructure, and assess the performance of the organization over the lifetime of the plant. In addition, current members of some of these organizations, usually who operate similar plants to the one that the new operating organization has built, have formed ‘owners groups’ with the purpose of exchanging detailed operating information and experience. Some have set up arrangements whereby they manage common research and development projects on behalf of their members. These owners’ groups have proven to be very valuable in broadening knowledge as well as in reducing operating costs.