Information Flow to Support Front End Planning

The research identified a strong link between early application of construction resources and the impact on project success. Respondents to a survey agreed that construction expertise during FEP resulted in decreased overall project cost, decreased overall schedule, and increased overall safety awareness.(RR241-11, pp. 31, 42)

The micro level diagrams provide the detailed logic flow diagram for each of the information flow activities at the task level. When the information flow activities diagram is combined with the micro level diagrams, the project team will know each step needed to adequately plan a typical EPC project. By following these diagrams, project teams may better utilize time and effort when planning projects. This constitutes an original contribution to the construction industry. The detailed Information Flow Activities Diagram is provided in the research report. (RR221-11, p. 114)

To improve the flow of information through front end planning, the project team should focus particularly on six information flow activities identified as being critical to effective and efficient front end planning. (RR211-11, p. 148)

• Identify/Select Project Alternatives
• Establish Image and Public Relations
• Define Start-Up Requirements
• Address Quality and Safety Issues
• Develop Preliminary Execution Plan
• Develop Utilities and Offsite Scope

Through the statistical analysis performed by this research, it was identified that successful projects executed front end planning differently than less successful projects with respect to information flow activities. These differences include more time spent and more resources utilized while planning EPC projects. (RR211-11, p. 152)