Advanced Work Packaging – What is it?

Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) is all about improving project productivity.

As well as better productivity it also brings greater predictability, increased safety and lower project costs

  • Construction-driven process
  • Supports the path of construction
  • Align the different elements of a project for improvement
  • Provide a disciplined and rigorous process for detailed construction planning
  • Ensures work is executed in a safe, organized, sustained, and effective manner
  • Assure Construction as its customer allowing the field to receive drawings & material in correct sequence thus allow for a more efficient build, commission and start-up/handover

COAA Construction Owners Association of Alberta

Journey / Path of AWP

2005 – Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) recognized it as a best practice. The purpose of the development of WorkFace Planning (WFP) was to overcome the challenges facing in executing and construction its Oil Sands projects. Those challenges are manifesting in cost overruns including in front end planning, design, procurement, organization processes, construction, etc.

2009 – Construction Industry Institute (CII), an American non-profit consortium of more than 100 leading owner, engineering, contractor and supplier firms, initiated a Research Team (RT) aiming to develop an executable model of enhanced work packaging based not only on WorkFace Planning but also on other industry work packaging practices. Following a review of industry and trade literature and in conjunction with the development of case studies, the team developed a lifecycle execution model for work packaging with an emphasis on field implementation.

2011 – CII Research project RT272 Phase 1 Released – focusing on the development of an execution model for the project life cycle with an emphasis on field implementation along with a set of industry case studies and collection of benefits evidence.

2013 – Joint CII / COAA Research project RT272 Phase 2 Released – Extending the execution model of Advanced Work Packaging with consideration of implementation challenges documented through surveys and expert interviews in North America and globally.

2019 – 1st London AWP Conference

Benefits

Potientally 10% more tool time is nearly 25% improvement in productivity. Labor is typically 40% of TIC = AWP Provides Up to 10% Reduction in TIC.

Costs

Typically a project must dedicate 1-2% of project costs to increase planning by having cross-functional engagement, training and developement and dedicated construction personnel.

Next steps

Gain further knowledge about AWP / WFP

Stuart Block from Fluor is leading on ECI’s involvement in Advanced Work Packaging.  Get in touch to find out more.