More focus on project planning needed in Gulf, says WSP exec
With several megaprojects in the pipeline, a structured delivery is necessary to avoid complications, says WSP’s Greg Kane
As development plans in the GCC continue to pick up steam, Greg Kane, a director at the engineering services firm WSP in the Middle East, has warned the construction industry about the dangers of having inadequate planning in place.
Speaking to Big Project ME, Kane said that with so many megaprojects in the pipeline, it is essential that there is a plan in place to ensure that they come out in a phased and structured manner.
“Planning from client organisations, planning from contractors and planning from consultants, is needed to ensure that we’re geared up to cope with the workload that’s going to be coming through,” he said.
One crucial component of this planning is ensuring that projects have adequate funding and finance in place before they break ground, Kane pointed out.
“All of these projects will have funding and finance issues, so making sure that the projects come in and that we all embark on projects that have the right funding model in place (is crucial). That way, we avoid any challenges – like payment disputes and so on.”
He also had some further advice for the consultant industry, calling for a slight refocus in the way that these companies think and are operated.
“I think that the industry would benefit greatly by focusing on value, as I think we tend to be a little too focused on cost. At WSP, we try to focus on the value that we bring to clients – costs are very important and not to be ignored, of course, but it’s not the most important thing. A focus on value would serve us all well,” Kane explained.
“I think there’s a huge amount of scope within this industry to collaborate better, right down the value chain.”
