The overall duration of the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) intensive projects can be reduced / controlled considerably by the application of agile best practices during the following phase / activities;
Pre-project phase
- Assigning a task force to conduct preliminary studies
- Studying the users requirements
- Defining the technical specifications
- Studying how to secure funds
- Estimation of the project cost and duration (budgetary)
- Approval of the project cost
- Determining the technical specification of the materials
- Studying the impact of the project on safety and health
- Establishing criteria for the selection of project location
- Establishment of milestones
- Describing the responsibilities and authority of the parties involved
- Establishment of a change control process
- Establishment of design criteria for structural specifications
- Conducting a feasibility study of the proposed project
- Site preparation / readiness
- Getting all the clearances required
- Establishing the construction areas and path of construction
Site preparation
- Land acquisition
- Re-rehabilitation
- Getting all the clearances required
- Ensuring site readiness
Project phase
- Basic design phase
- Documentation for tendering and contracting
- Specifications for procuring equipment
- Regular design and specification review meetings
- Detailed design phase
- Qualifying of design professionals
- Performing technical and financial analysis of offers from competing contractors
- Selecting the design team
- Providing inputs to design on time
- Monitoring and controlling the design progress
- Updating design documents
- Reviewing design documents
- Ensuing design quality and adherence to technical standards
- Tendering
- Preparing the specifications and agreement conditions
- Preparing bill of quantities (BOQ) and estimating the contract value
- Issuing tender documents
- Holding tender briefing meetings
- Receiving bids and evaluating them
- Recommendations are made for the successful contractor
- Awarding of the contract
- Execution or construction phase
- If detailed designs are not provided as part of the tender document, the contractor proceeds with the detailed design and drawings and follows it up with construction
- Regular progress monitoring
Closure or completion phase
- Snag lists
- Punch lists
- Completion certificate
As we can see, these are the areas where multi disciplinary communication and coordination is required maximum. The biggest culprit for delay in most of the infrastructure projects is in getting clearances. By bringing in agile project management (APM) best practices to these areas of projects, the overall delay of the projects can be controlled effectively.