Interface Management Basics

Interface Management
Basics

Session 1: Interface Management Basics

Session 2: Interface Management Planning
Session 3: Interface Management Implementation

Presented by: Kelly Maloney

Senior Product Manager, Coreworx
 Agenda

• Interface Management – Definition and

Challenges
• Project characteristics driving the need for
Interface Management
• Common Tools and Methods Used
• When to start Interface Management
• Critical Success Factors
• Q&A
About Coreworx

50
countries

600
projects

70,000
users

$500 Billion
project value
 Interface Management

• Definition:
– Project interfaces managed in a structured,
accountable manner through information sharing,
collaboration and stewardship

• What is an Interface?

“The boundary between two

parties involved on the project”
 Interface Management
for Capital Projects

• Projects have evolved to be ever larger and more

complex
– Multi-billion dollar in cost
– Multi-year in duration
• Multiple Scope Packages/Multiple EPCs
– Globally dispersed
• More documents and information to share
– Mega projects have complicated communication matrices
between functional areas, contractors, business, local
government, etc.
• Logistics and regulatory requirements
 Interface Management
for Capital Projects

• Projects have evolved to be ever larger and more

complexAs of 2012, 78% of mega-projects had been over budget by
33% and over schedule by 30%, and 65% had experienced
– Multi-billion dollar in cost
long-term operational difficulties
– Multi-year in duration
• Multiple Independent
Scope Packages/Multiple EPCs
Project Analysis, Inc. (IPA) reports 14 of the
– Globally dispersed
industry’s largest projects have experienced 46% cost growth
over project sanction.
• More documents and information to share
– Mega projects have complicated communication matrices
between functional areas, contractors, business, local
In offshore
government, projects, interface issues have long been identified
etc.
as accounting for up to 20% of total installed cost.(1)
• Logistics and regulatory requirements
 Do I Need Interface Management?

✔Complex Project

✔Multiple Scope Packages

✔Multiple Contractors

✔Globally Dispersed Project

✔Varied Contracting Strategy includes LSPB,

LSTK, Reimbursable, etc…
✔Total Install Cost > $500 M

 Balancing Project Needs

Need... Also Need...

Centralized Information Global Operations

Transparency Confidentiality

Standard Practice Unique Project

Contract Commitment Interface Accountability

 Benefits of Interface Management
• Increased awareness and coordination between contractors, projects and existing facilities
• Ensure EPCs understand interface issues, and their obligation to manage them
Mitigate • Identify and document project interfaces early (front end planning) and manage through to
close-out
Interface
• Reduce cost overruns with well defined scopes of work related to interfaces
Related Risk

• Offers real-time visibility to interface issues in support of a deadline driven project

environment
Real-time • Monitor and control interfaces in real-time
Visibility and • Eliminate ambiguity on roles and responsibilities related to interfaces
Oversight

• Achieve timely communication, coordination and cooperation - empower your interface

management professionals with workflow-driven, collaborative tools
Improve • Reduce uncertainties
Project • Adapt lessons learned and acquire best practice work process to manage interfaces
Execution
 Current Methods

• Email
– Disconnected and insecure
• FTP
– Unstructured and hard to audit
• Excel
– Difficult to maintain; not a
collaborative tool
• Document Management systems
– Not designed for interfaces
 Current Methods

• Email
– Disconnected and insecure
• FTP
– Unstructured and hard to audit
• Excel
– Difficult to maintain; not a
collaborative tool
• Document Management systems
– Not designed for interfaces
 Project Lifecycle - Where does IM
Fit?
• Implementation and use starts during FEED
– Pre-planning tool
– Contractor scope of work
• Related to all project phases, from initial site surveys
through commissioning to operation and final plant
acceptance
– Interfaces become part of the project hand over package

Interface Management

Commissioning &
FEED Design Construction Operations
Startup
 Critical Success Factors

The Business
The People The Tools
Process
 The Business Process

• Interface Management Master Plan

– ‘Rules of Engagement’
– Ensure clear understanding of objectives and goals
– Ensure there are no interface gaps or overlaps
• Gain Alignment
– Ensure all stakeholders have a clear understanding of
expectations
• Mitigate Interface Related Risk
– Ensures proactive identification and resolution of
interface issues
– Roles and responsibilities are defined
 The People

• Ensure the Right People are in the Right Positions

• Identification of all Key Stakeholders
• Promote and Regulate Communication
• Alignment
– Ensure all parties understand and acknowledge their role
– Ensure clear understanding of project objectives and goals

“Alignment is the condition where appropriate project participants are

working within acceptable tolerances to develop and meet a uniformly
defined and understood set of project objectives. Aligning the project
team involves developing clearly understood objectives for all team
members and gaining the commitment to work toward those goals.”

Construction Industry Institute Best Practice

Summary: 1.02 Alignment
 Primary Roles & Responsibilities
Develop &
Monitor, Control
Manage IM Review & Approve Initiate & Respond
& Approve
Program

Ian Alex James Angela

Interface Project Project Engineer Contractor – Interface Coordinator
Manager Manager / Project Engineers

Interface Management Monitor Performance Develop & Submit

Assist and Respond
Master Plan Across all Scope Packages Interface Agreements

Report Summary Data Respond to Requests from

Manage Interface Register Review & Approve Stuff
to Stakeholders Other EPC’s

Liaise with Project Manager, Identify & Qualify

Observer Ask Questions
Lead Engineers Risk

Control Risk to Scope,

Report Progress Report Progress
Cost & Schedule

Facilitate IM Program
 The Tools

Requirements Tools
Single, central source of information Interface Register
Accessible from any global location Online Portal via Browser
Enables full information sharing and Interface Register
collaboration
Regulates business rules and processes Forms and Workflows
Applies defined roles and responsibilities Forms and Workflows
Alerts stakeholders on milestones and • KPIs and Alerts
issues • Escalation and Notification
Keeps team aware of progress and status Dashboards and Reports
Identifies high risk interfaces during Schedule Integration
planning
 Concluding thoughts….

• As the average project size grows the amount of data

to aggregate and the need to coordinate across
delivery teams becomes tremendous
• Treat interface management as a core project
management discipline
– Capturing, recording, tracking and collaborating make the
practice of Interface Management less complex.
• Process, People and Tools
– Interface Management can improve overall project
performance, but success hinges on all parties being
aligned with the projects’ interface master plan
Questions
 Thank You!

Kelly Maloney, Senior Product Manager

kmaloney@coreworx.com

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