Over the past three years there has been a sharp rise in the number of mega projects in boom markets such as the Middle East, and Asia. This has presented the opportunity for US firms to play a leading role in some of the most ambitious construction developments ever undertaken.
WHITE PAPER: INTERNATIONAL PROJECT COLLABORATION
IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall PPrroojjeecctt CCoollllaabboorraattiioonn
How US Firms are collaborating on the world's largest projects
Introduction Over the past three years there has been a sharp rise in the number of mega projects in boom marketssuch as the Middle East, and Asia. This has presented the opportunity for US firms to play a leadingrole in some of the most ambitious construction developments ever undertaken.
A seemingly endless number of these billion dollar developments are being commissioned in places likeDubai and Macau, driven by high oil revenues and economic opening. Construction of these projects,which tend to be commercial, hospitality or infrastructure developments, can involve hundreds ofspecialized organizations. In many cases, project participants are not even on same continent, let alone1the same project site, as their fellow team members.
North American firms are playing a major role in providing skills and services to these projects. From2casino resort developers such as Las Vegas Sands and Wynn , to hotel operators like Fairmont andFour Seasons, to contractors and consultants such as Parsons Brinckerhoff, AECOM and KBR, US3firms have been quick to take the significant opportunities these thriving markets are offering.
Whereas this has opened up exciting prospects for new business, it has also presented an array of newrisks and challenges. One of the main ones being: how firms communicate when their project partners4are based around the world.
This is a considerable task as, even if they are headquartered thousands of miles from the project site,companies are expected to deliver the same high standard of service to a project in Dubai as theywould to one in Denver.
Collaboration between organizations is at the core of successful project delivery and depends largelyupon the efficient and accurate exchange of drawings, documents and correspondence between teammembers. On a mega project, this is made more complex by the fact that hundreds of thousands ofdocuments and project mails need to be managed between team members for the project to becompleted on time and within budget.
1 Russell, J.S. (2000). "Globalization: The New Reality" 2 USA Today (8/28/07). "World's Biggest Casino Bets on Macau"3 Construction Week Middle East (3/12/07). "Parsons Picks Up Purple Line Contract"4 Hitachi Consulting Corporation (2005). "Key Trends in Information Technology in the Engineering & Construction Industry" 1
wwwwww..aaccoonneexx..ccoomm To achieve this, US organizations are increasingly using web-based project collaboration tools to link themselveswith their international partners. These systems allow project teams to store and manage their information online inone secure, central platform that is accessible to authorized team members. This enables participants, from whereverthey are in the world, to view, distribute and track their files in real time.
This document will examine the growth of large-scale international projects, discuss the barriers tocollaboration and illustrate how web-based systems can facilitate the involvement of US firms on thesedevelopments. Selecting a collaboration tool vendor that has the capabilities to service a mega projectis crucial, so the key criteria around this process will be outlined.
The Growth of Mega More than ever, companies and governments are investing in ambitious and demanding large-scale Projects construction projects. Often dubbed 'mega projects', these developments are typically valued in the hundreds-of-millions of dollars (often in the billions), with 5-10 year lifecycles, and attract a high level5of public and political interest due to their size, visibility and economic and social impact. While occasionally undertaken in the established markets of Europe and the US, it is in fast growingeconomies such as in Asia, the Middle East and - increasingly - North Africa, that the mega project ismost prevalent today.
As Greater China's economy flourishes, so does the country's appetite for mega projects. Announcements of massive infrastructure projects, such as the $60 billion South-to-North Water Diversion Project and the $24 billion Three Gorges Dam, are becoming commonplace. China's spendingon infrastructure for the 2008 Beijing Olympics is expected to top $23 billion - which will easily surpas... [download for more]
