Airport Terminal Facility Activation Techniques (2010)

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7Survey participants agreed that it is best for activation to be incorporated into the initial planning of a project and essen- tial for airport operations, maintenance, and management staff to remain engaged throughout the delivery of the new facility. This generally happens on smaller projects with short durations—airport operational and maintenance staff are often responsible for the delivery of the entire project and remain fully engaged from initial planning through design and construction to opening. On larger projects with longer durations, airport operations, maintenance, and man- agement is generally fully involved with the initial require- ments capture, planning, and programming, but often less involved during the final design and construction processes. The reason for this is that large projects are often delivered using a dedicated capital projects team. The capital projects team is responsible for managing the delivery of the new facility (planning, design, construction, and workstream) and an activation team is often established to lead the acti- vation workstream (see Figure 1). New facilities have been created for millennia and the process used to plan, design, construct, commission, and occupy new facilities is well-established. Generally, the owners or occupiers of the new facility are involved with the initial planning process and work with the planners and designers to establish the functional criteria for the new facility. Once the functional criteria are established, one of several delivery processes is used to complete the design and construct the facility. These delivery mecha- nisms include: • Bid–Design–Build: A fixed price is established before the design is complete. This process is more appropriate where functional criteria are well-defined and unlikely to change during the construction process. • Design–Bid–Build: A fixed price is established when the design is complete. This process is more appropriate where functional criteria are not well-established and are likely to change during the construction process. Various scopes of work are bid and then built when the designs are completed. Frequently, large airport projects incorporate combi- nations of these two processes. Scopes of work that can be accurately defined and contracted for at the end of the programming stage or early during the design stage are awarded on a Bid–Design–Build basis and scopes of work that require more end-user input and design are awarded at the end of the design stage on a Design–Bid–Build basis. Although the Bid–Design–Build approach appears to reduce financial risk (capital project team has “fixed price” early), it makes changes more difficult to manage and sac- rifices control over what is delivered. The challenge is that design–build contracts do not typically include complete designs; therefore, issues are left open for interpretation. Additionally, large complex projects often have long dura- tions during which functional criteria, technology, business processes, and staff change. The result is that new facilities are often received by staff that had little or no involvement in establishing the functional requirements, had little involve- ment during the design and construction, and may have adopted new technologies and business processes since the functional criteria were assembled. One way these problems can be mitigated is by keeping the airport operations team involved throughout the delivery of the project. This can be achieved by completing designs before bidding, assigning airport operations staff to the proj- ect delivery team, establishing a robust activation program, and/or delaying procurement decisions until the last respon- sible moment. This airport activation process has evolved to help orga- nizations successfully open new airport facilities. Although opening airport terminal facilities is similar to opening other large complex facilities [i.e., hospitals (see http://assets1. csc.com/health_services/downloads/Facility_Activation_ Planning.pdf), pharmaceutical plants, factories, etc.] it is unique because politicians and politics are often involved, it is very public, there are many stakeholders, and it is often very time constrained. The Airport Activation Workstream typically occurs con- currently with the Planning, Design, Construction Work- stream and incorporates the tasks that the airport operator must complete to successfully open and operate the new airport terminal facility (see Figure 2). Ideally, the Airport Activation Workstream is organized before or concurrently with the planning phase of the Plan- ning Design Construction Commissioning Workstream CHAPTER TWO NEW AIRPORT TERMINAL FACILITIES—WHERE ACTIVATION FITS IN

and is finished following handover/static completion of the new airport terminal facility. Chapter six discusses ter- minal activation policies, processes, and procedures (see Figure 3). Although the Design Construction Commissioning Work- stream and the Airport Terminal Facility Activation Work- stream are independent, they are closely related. • During the organizing, planning, programming, and design stages, it is important that the AEC team cap- ture requirements from the activation team and that the capital projects delivery schedule is coor- dinated with the airport terminal facility activation schedule. Progress against schedule is monitored throughout the project and the schedule updated as required. • Concurrent with the preparation of plans of operation, preparing for trials, developing recruiting and train- ing programs, etc., the airport terminal facility activa- tion team reviews designs, proposals (bids), contractor submissions, and equipment submissions to confirm that 8 they reflect operational requirements and advises the AEC team of any issues. • During construction, the airport terminal facility activa- tion team regularly visits the site to observe construction and become familiar with the new facility. • The activation team witnesses testing and commission- ing of the new facility and works with the AEC team to finalize the training program. • As construction approaches completion, the activa- tion team commences trials of the new airport termi- nal facilities and the AEC team commences handover of the facility. • Once handover is complete, the AEC team has gener- ally achieved static completion of the new facility; all systems work but the facility is not yet operational. • Concurrent with or following handover, the airport ter- minal facility activation team completes readiness and transition and achieves operational readiness. • AOD follows successful facility completion and achieve- ment of operational readiness. These activities are discussed in more detail in chapter six. FIGURE 1 Planning, design, construction, and commissioning workstream (Source: Arup 2009). FIGURE 2 Airport terminal facility activation workstream (Source: Arup 2009). FIGURE 3 Relationships between workstreams (Source: Arup 2009).