Innovative Technologies and Management Approaches for Facility Design Standardization and Modularization of Capital Projects

Abstract

Recently, the emergence of new technologies has renewed interest in modularization and facility design standardization. However, the application of both facility design standardization and modularization is still limited in capital projects, especially in upstream, midstream, and mining (UMM) sector projects such as natural gas processing and compressor station projects or well sites projects. The purpose of this study is to identify innovative technologies and management approaches (ITAs) that support achieving higher levels of facility design standardization and modularization in capital projects. Specifically, the authors analyzed the impact and likelihood of occurrence of these ITAs within the next 5 years. The analysis results show that ITAs such as modularization and standardization, lidar, stakeholder engagement and alignment, and discipline to maintain standardization have high impacts and high likelihoods of occurrence in the next 5 years. Other results explore a cooperative culture to support standardization and industrial robots to be ITAs, with significant statistical differences, which elucidate differences in opinions between owners and contractors. The authors also conducted a case study analysis to benchmark real-life standardized projects and derive lessons learned from such projects pertinent to ITAs. This study will help industry practitioners identify ITAs for better project planning, management, and execution of standardized projects as well as serve as the foundation for future studies on the planning and management of ITAs. Furthermore, this study will help capital projects to achieve higher levels of facility design standardization and modularization with greater predictability, agility, and improved cost-effectiveness.