Planning when working for owner, EPC. and construction?

You plan the part of the work your party will be doing. If you intend to plan other party’s work, expect some arguments from the other party.

Let’s say a major oil company has awarded a contract for the expansion of a refinery to a major EPC company who also will award the different work packages to different sub-contractors to execute the work on site.

If you are working for the OWNER (the oil company) what will be your responsibilities as a planner/scheduler?

If you are working for the EPC COMPANY what will be your responsibilities as a planner/scheduler?

If you are working for one of the SUB-CONTRACTORS what will be your responsibilities as a planner/scheduler?

1. for Owner - Conceptual Planning / Basic Engineering

2. for EPC Contractor - Design Development Planning / Procurement Planning / Definition of Deliverables (Packages) / Overall Construction Planning

3. for Sub - wait for 1 and 2 to complete their Planning, otherwise never take the job!

Fernando,

EPC contracts can be lump sum fixed price, cost plus or some variation on those two extremes. If it is a cost plus you are at his mercy, though not necessarily for bad. You got to start by reading the contract.

If working for the Owner, depending on the contract and on how you are directed to manage excusable delays, EOTs (Extension of Time), Contractor’s and Owner’s Delays your responsibilities can be very relevant. You might be required to validate, accept or reject the Contractor’s CPM schedule. If you do not analyze in details all submissions the Contractor might manipulate the schedule in his favor.

A file comparison utility such as Digger will be handy but not enough. You also will need to know how to apply delay analysis into CPM scheduling.

Best regards,
Rafael