Interface Management advancement using Risk Assessments

• Author / Creator

  de Ruiter, Nathaniel

• Interfaces on construction projects expose owners to risks that often result in substantial impacts to project cost, schedule, and goals (e.g., management of quality and reputation). Interfaces arise from boundary points where interdependency exists, such as physical elements, phases, contracts, tools, people, and organizations. Interface management is the practice of identifying, monitoring, and controlling interface problems. There is still an open question among owners as to how best to address interface problems, and there is relatively little research available in the literature that explores the implementation of interface management. Therefore, this thesis draws from another field, risk management, in order to better understand interface management. The methodology involves mapping risk assessment data from Light Rail Transit projects onto an existing register of 47 interface problems and 6 summarizing factors. Based on this, severity values from the risk assessments are reflected within the interface problems and factors, allowing for the interface problems and factors to be sorted in terms of importance. The results suggest that the most important interface factor is the “management factor”, followed by the “bidding and contracting factor”, while the leading interface problems are “inadequate negotiation, communication, and coordination”, followed by “unclear contract details and poorly written contract”. The objective underlying this thesis is to inform project managers as to where they should focus attention and resources, since mitigating the top interface problems will help to improve overall project performance.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • interface management
  • risk assessment
  • construction

• Graduation date

  Spring 2023

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-9x57-3m67

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.