When companies first come to us with interest in adopting Advanced Work Packaging (AWP), they  are often overwhelmed at the work involved in transforming their approach to capital project development. Some are looking for a consultant who will write an AWP manual for them, and others have tasked someone inside their organization with creating a manual from scratch.

Either way, this is no easy task. An AWP manual must offer step-by-step guidance on all aspects of project development, from concept to handoff as it relates to Advanced Work Packaging. It must address the needs of everyone from engineers to contractors, and capture all reasonably foreseeable scenarios. It’s an important document that will live inside your organization for years.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to develop your first AWP manual from scratch in the space of a few weeks — not if you want a high quality document. A more effective approach is to take our standard manual and use that time to adapt it to the unique needs of your organization. Concord^®’s turnkey AWP Procedures Manual is based on more than a decade working with the world’s largest capital project organizations, and provides a step-by-step guide from early definition through detailed engineering, construction, procurement, information management and more. We use this document as a starting point for our work with our clients — and now, you can, too. 

Here are three tips for configuring the standard AWP Procedures Manual to your organizational needs.

Tip #1: Don’t Touch Your Existing Project Management Body of Knowledge

Resist the temptation to open up your existing procedures manual and start adding and changing the content to reflect your new construction-driven approach to project execution and delivery.  Why? Because your AWP systems and practices are not yet mature, and AWP isn’t yet an established process inside your organization as a whole. 

Instead, adopt Concord^®’s standard AWP Procedures Manual as a supplemental manual dedicated to your AWP trial projects. As you work through those projects as a team, modify the manual to reflect the practices and procedures that work best for your organization. Once you’ve adapted and refined the manual and used it successfully on several projects, simply annex it to your existing body of knowledge. This approach to change, while slow, is practical and sustainable and sets your company up for success.

Tip #2: Don’t Waste Your Resources Reinventing the Wheel

Don’t squander your time and money on building an AWP Procedures Manual from scratch. You’ll get much better results if you start with a proven manual, build on what works, and focus on fine-tuning systems and practices to fit your unique needs. You can work with a consultant, or do it on your own. That’s the best way we know of to minimize the startup costs associated with implementing Advanced Work Packaging.

Tip #3: Don’t Confuse the AWP Procedures Manual with the AWP Plan

The AWP Procedures Manual explains how your company will use Advanced Work Packaging to execute projects. It is used by your entire organization and shared with partners and contractors throughout the project lifecycle, setting expectations and establishing guidelines for the operations as a whole. The AWP Procedures Manual is a foundational document that will serve many projects, teams and leaders. It will grow and evolve with your organization.

The AWP Plan is a separate and very different document that explains how you will apply that manual to a single, specific project. It is highly contextualized, and a reflection of how your team will adapt your AWP Practices Manual to this unique project. As we often say, the sum of your pilot projects does not equal transformation. Keep your AWP Plan separate from your AWP Procedures Manual!

The Concord^® AWP Procedures Manual

Don’t reinvent the wheel — start with a proven, effective AWP Procedures Manual and invest your resources into refining and customizing to suit your needs. If you need support or assistance through the process, the Concord^® team is standing by ready to help.