Key Tasks for Facility Standardization Work Process in Capital Projects

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to develop a work process for capital projects that can help the practitioners in developing a facility design standardization program. The goals of this paper are three-fold; 1) to identify and establish key work process tasks for facility standardization, 2) to evaluate the value and difficulty of implementation per each key task, and 3) to identify key parties/players responsible for implementing the identified tasks as well as timings of implementation. The study identifies 41 key tasks for the facility design standardization work process in capital projects. Also, the results show Define Scope and Standardization Approach (#10) and Validate Design Criteria to Standardization Design Envelope (#35) are the most valued tasks and Develop a Standardization Process and Work Process (#7) is the most difficult task to achieve. The results also show that the program lead/manager and project manager are the key responsible players for implementing the key tasks. Finally, the owner is the most accountable (85%), and most of the tasks (50%) must be performed early. The research method relies on a survey, extensive literature review, considerable industry experience of the participants and discussions. This study contributes greatly to facility design standardization strategy in capital projects and serves as a foundation for future research.