Olfa Hamdi shares her top five tips for building comprehensive, accurate and executable IWPs that drive on-time, on-budget project delivery
The Installation Work Package (IWP) is a key tool in WorkFace Planning, empowering crews with the information, tools, and materials they need to execute a specific scope of work in the field.
A properly constructed IWP helps to ensure that each crew on your capital project has everything they need — drawings, materials, scaffolding, instructions — at the right time, maximizing productive work hours, or time on tools. Building right-sized packages, effectively managing constraints, deploying the right people — all of these steps require professional knowledge, skill, and insight.
Optimizing the IWP creation process can become a priority as capital project organizations increasingly recognize the potential to reduce inefficiencies. In this article, I’ll offer five fresh strategies and best practices for both developing and managing IWP’s effectively. Let’s get started!
1. Define the scope, and know when to stop
Accurately defining and segmenting the scope of work is a critical first step in creating high quality IWPs. Each package must reflect what a specific crew is capable of doing in a given timeframe; this means that breaking down work effectively requires both knowledge of the crew’s capabilities, and a willingness to be both flexible and creative in developing the scope of work.
For example, if one crew is responsible for laying pipe while another handles welding, planners must assess the skills and capabilities of each crew and determine whether these tasks should be deployed in a single IWP, or separated into two. The goal is to ensure that each package optimizes productivity, ensuring the crew in the field is fully utilized, minimizing their down time.
2. Keep your IWPs concise and targeted
An IWP is a tool for clear communication, not an instruction manual. Use simple, direct language and bullet points to help crews understand what to do; ruthlessly eliminate redundant or irrelevant information and unnecessary reading. Think of your next IWP like an IKEA manual, but for capital projects: minimal text, maximum clarity.
For example, an IWP need only contain safety instructions that are non-standard and unique to the work package. There is no need to reiterate standard safety instructions, prioritize specific safety measures that are related to unusual hazards related to the specific IWP.
Think of your next IWP like an IKEA manual, but for capital projects: minimal text, maximum clarity.
3. Communicate, trust, and verify
The foundation of effective IWP management is clear, trust-based communication with regular follow-up and verification. WorkFace Planners should be checking in with field teams on the regular, gathering feedback to confirm that the conditions in the field are consistent with the assumptions that were made during the creation of the IWP.
Constraint management — the process of ensuring that all the required resources are available when needed — depends entirely on access to accurate information. It is therefore recommended that experienced WorkFace Planners go out into the field to verify removal of constraints and availability of the right materials, scaffolding, work layout access, warehouse inventory, and more. Engaging directly with the crew shows you’re committed to delivering solid, executable IWPs, and your presence builds rapport and reinforces the importance of accurate reporting.
4. Become a Certified WorkFace Planner
Becoming a Certified WorkFace Planner provides you with a strong foundation in best practices for IWP creation and management, and enhances your professional credibility. The Concord® WorkFace Planning Certification covers all critical aspects of IWP development, including constraint management, work package optimization, and resource allocation, equipping you with the knowledge and skills you need to tackle even the most complex capital projects.
Creating effective IWPs is an art and a science. By applying these five tips — defining an accurate scope, writing concise IWPs, using 3D models, fostering open communication, and pursuing professional certification — WorkFace Planners can significantly improve their efficiency and effectiveness in the field.
5. Leverage 3D modeling to improve understanding
Modern 3D models can be powerful visual aids in a good IWP, especially when the IWP contains complex structures and installations. Including multiple angles of your 3D model can help crews see the work in a spatially accurate way, which minimizes the potential for misinterpretation.
In my experience, it can be helpful to introduce a 3D model in a brief, hands-on orientation session. This helps to ensure that crew members understand the technology, feel comfortable using it, and understand how the 3D model integrates with the IWP. Resistance is often the result of fear or lack of understanding; these short, in-person sessions can help with buy-in around new technologies.
Contact Concord Today
If you’re serious about improving your field workers’ on-tool time, you need to implement WorkFace Planning and Advanced Work Packaging. The Concord® team is standing by to help, contact us today!
