These days there are many kinds of software solutions in the market for EPC lifecycle management in construction projects. When it comes to what used to be called ‘turnkey’ projects, the company can come under tremendous pressure and risk because they are responsible for the entire gamut of activities from initiation to final handover and commissioning, and in some cases maintenance and operations as well. But these days with the many changes in the many factors involved in large-scale construction projects, from new or booming markets to new verticals in old industries to new sources of manpower and manpower management (like offshoring and work-from home), not to mention the changes caused by emerging technologies and geopolitical movements, it is no surprise that we are seeing both kinds of contracts flourishin today the super-specialised players who take on only one aspect (like the design engineering aspect only or the contracting aspect only) and the EPC contractors or full-range players who take on the entire project from concept to delivery along with a full array of stakeholders, partners, and vendors required to deliver that project.

It goes without saying that in the modern world, digital technology solutions are the only answer to both scenarios, because only a digitized system of data management is flexible yet robust enough to cater to both without loss of productivity or quality. On the other hand, the wider acceptance and availability of such EPC management software solutions creates a new set of problems, and the foremost is ‘which digital system to invest in?’.

The huge array of choices at every price point doesn’t help. So how do you know which is the right fit for your organisation? How do you know which features of engineering procurement construction software to look for?

This is a difficult question to answer because all organisations are different and the  right EPCM system should be customized to your company and your work process, but that said, there are a few standard things to keep in mind.

1. Will our EPC system speed up work and ensure timely delivery across all groups? Project companies are process driven. Depending on the state of digitisation embraced by any particular organisation, the level of manually-driven processes will differ. What has become evident over the last few years is that digitisation works best when applied to the entire business process as a whole, it is far less effective when applied in silos or to one aspect of the process at a time. Integrating the process and then digitising it shows the best outcomes and saves the most manhours across the board. Thus, software that enables integrated procurement and construction is the ideal to strive for.
   
2. How will it impact our cash flow and budget? Today’s EPC projects have multiple participants across multiple locations and this can increase both the risk and opportunity when it comes to controlling project costs and financing. There are penalties and liabilities to consider with multiple groups working on the same deliverables. In this context a good engineering procurement construction software will have specific functions and features built in to help the company balance risk and reward according to its specific requirements and these must be considered when selecting a digital EPC system.
   
3. How will it affect the project stakeholders? Although market awareness of the value of integrated solutions for the management of engineering procurement and construction has increased in some companies there are still many that do not understand exactly how such systems will be useful to them, beyond a standardised data management or spreadsheet software. In such cases making the case for an enterprise-level software will entail highlighting the real-world savings that ensue from integrated engineering procurement and construction across the project lifecycle, something possible only with a digital EPC system.
   
4. Will it be easy to use? New technology always comes with a learning curve and working with a new system’s features of engineering, procurement, and construction can be challenging, however with an integrated system the transition is smoother because the data is usually centralised and data-access mechanisms have been most likely digitized and/or automated to a large degree and so the reliance on human effort is minimal and day to day work can proceed without overburdening the users. So an advanced and integrated system that has been designed to manage data across the engineering, procurement, and construction cycle will be the best fit for the organisation with a global workforce.

In conclusion, there is no one-size fits all solution for EPC projects but by keeping in mind some broad factors common to all EPC organisations, some of the more common pitfalls can be avoided in the selection of an enterprise-wide EPC management system.