Effective Project Alignment for Construction Success
CII chartered Research Team (RT) 310, Improving Engineering and Procurement Alignment in Coordination with Construction, to explore improvements to project alignment and coordination for successful construction execution. In its review of alignment for construction success, RT 310 identified three areas for improvement: 1) project execution planning (PEP) (as a basis for alignment in the field); 2) project procedures (to ensure effective execution); and 3) supplier engagement (to increase the likelihood of successful execution). The research team collected data on each area and found many opportunities for improvement in typical implementations.
The data the team collected on project execution planning indicated broad agreement on which elements should be included in plans, to increase the chance of successful field execution. The findings also indicated that these elements are not fully included in execution planning documents on a routine basis. Similarly, although companies include aspects of alignment in project procedures, the results show that they commonly fail to consider alignment in fundamental areas such as team building, information dissemination, and continuity across phases.
These results on project execution planning and project procedures were complemented by findings on supplier engagement. These findings identified opportunities for increased engagement of suppliers in project planning, and show shortfalls in common practices (e.g., adequate scope description and clear requests for supplier information in RFQs and POs). Overall, the data indicated that the industry has difficulty accomplishing basic alignment with common practices—from FEP through construction.
Collectively, the research suggested a need for a “back to basics” review of provisions for alignment throughout the project life cycle. RT 310 members were surprised by the research data showing many fundamental gaps and shortcomings—including those found in detailed reviews of their own companies. Thus, RT 310 general recommends that organizations review their internal procedures and provisions for alignment. The research team’s specific recommendations regarding project execution planning, alignment procedures, and supplier engagement are detailed in this document. These recommendations are presented as practical guidance in Implementation Resource (IR) 310-2, Effective Project Alignment for Construction Success, in five sections:
- Project Execution Planning
- Alignment Procedures
- Supplier Engagement
- Alignment Behaviors
- Automation
The team included additional resources, such as checklists and audit tools to facilitate implementation. After conducting its research, RT 310 concluded that “alignment doesn’t just happen,” and recommends that, for construction success, the industry should revisit and reinvest in its provisions for alignment.
