A Project Discipline to Support Contractor Alignment
Learn the many benefits interface management provides projects as well as how to plan for and implement the process on your project.
Interface Management (IM) is a ‘must-have’ discipline when managing major capital projects. Over the past decade, major capital projects have become substantially bigger and increasingly complicated, requiring numerous work packages distributed across multiple contractors. Excel spreadsheets and email have long been the ‘go-to’ tools, but are no longer adequate for managing these projects. Experienced project managers and interface managers are looking for better ways to identify, record, monitor, and track all project interfaces – everything from flange connections between pipelines to complex tie-ins to existing facilities.
The Construction Industry Institute reported the average cost growth for projects without formal interface management is 18% . As such, projects are being pushed to effectively manage dependencies between contractors from early planning and Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) through construction, commissioning, and handover to operations in order to mitigate risks and deliver business value.
1. The Basics of IM & Project Advantages
- Definition of interface management and how it helps improve major capital project execution
- Which project characteristics drive the need for this discipline
- How project interfaces can be managed from front end planning through to commissioning
- Critical success factors of IM programs
2. Planning Your Interface Management Program
- What you will need for IM implementation, compliance, and governance
- Creating the Interface Management Plan
- Identifying stakeholder ownership
- How to track the right interface-related information
- How to ensure information gets to the right people
- Alerts and escalation notifications
3. Implementing Your IM Program
- Implementing an Interface Register to record, monitor, and track interfaces and status updates
- Early identification of Interface Points
- Ensuring ongoing success – importance of regular interface management meetings
- Importance of dashboards and reports
- How project schedule integration allows effective interface management
- Orderly closeout of interface agreements (including a complete history)
