Classification, prioritization, efficiency, and change management of EPC projects in Energy and Petroleum industry field using the TOPSIS method as a multi-criteria group decision-making method

Abstract

Nowadays, Energy supply is a key factor in defining the strategy of different countries. The Petroleum industry, as a major industry of energy production, has become a specialized field due to its diverse products. In this regard, many countries around the world seriously aim to find the best executive and contractual methods along with careful planning to carry out projects in production, extraction, and development of this field in the Petroleum and Energy industry. One of the low-risk methods for carrying out these projects is the implementation of projects in the field of Energy and Petroleum industry under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts, which transmits the lowest risk to clients. Scope, time, cost and quality are the main features of project management that affect its efficiency and any project is analyzed and evaluated by these factors. Accordingly, the purpose of this research is to analyze, prioritize, rank, and manage efficiency of EPC executive projects in Energy and Petroleum industry of Iran, using the TOPSIS method as a multi-criteria group decisionmaking method. The results show that engineering is the most important factor influencing project. In addition, the construction phase has more influence on productivity than the procurement phase. The results of this research and analyses obtained from TOPSIS show that 'poor planning and sequencing of modeling, design, plan, and layout preparation', 'weakness in project planning and control during execution', and 'defective product performance made with project specifications' have more impact on the failure of EPC projects in the energy and Petroleum industry of Iran.