Today’s major projects are complex, often involving joint ventures, many years of development, and requiring significant capital investment. Adding to this complexity, projects involve multiple delivery teams including contractors, vendors, suppliers, and internal engineering centers which leads to more interfaces, more documents, and more information to be shared. Each layer of complexity adds a layer of risk; the greater the number of delivery teams and interfaces, the higher the ambiguity and uncertainty. Formal collaboration and coordination between delivery teams (i.e., interface management) becomes essential to help ensure success and reduce risk.
Project owners have realized that interface management processes are critical. Methods used in the past – typically spreadsheets – are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of these complex projects.
So how do you know if your project needs interface management? Complexity plays a major role, with many factors contributing to the complexity of a project. Here are just a few examples of project characteristics that lead to the need for interface management:
- Project location: remote, unconventional, and hard-to-develop areas
- Project executed as multiple scopes of work
- Technical scope complexity
- Global EPCs/contractors/engineering centers
- Multiple contracting strategies
- Modular construction
- Fast-track project; compressed schedules
- Tie-ins to existing facilities
Does your Project Need Interface Management?
Wondering if you really need an interface management solution for your next major capital project? Industry trends are saying you do. Here are some quick stats and information to help you with your decision.
