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pand the capacity to make this product available project management team are prioritised for the
for an increased number of end users. The model success of the project and road map towards an
selected for the implementation of the project was operative, cohesive and collaborative working
an engineering, procurement and construction ma- team.
nagement (EPCM) contract. A basic design was
developed in-house by Evonik and hinged on a
challenging and aggressive schedule aimed to start The execution plan
during 2021. The PISA project is based on multiple distinct su-
Wood, in its capacity to provide a diversified port- bunits, which represent the successive steps of
folio of services and highly skilled in the preferred polymerisation of the product, geographically and
construction management approach of Evonik was technologically separated. Some of these subunits
awarded the new contract to deliver EPCM servi- where handled in the joint scope with Wood. The
ces for this major project. engineering and process resources sitting in the
Wood and Evonik’s partnership in this project is set Milan office were split in operating groups, one for
on a shared vision and integrate teams to draw on each subunit, functionally reporting to a dedicated
the knowledge, experience, and strength of both engineering manager, responsible to achieve spe-
organisations. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder like cific outcomes in terms of detailed design accor-
this achieves results that neither can do in isolation. ding to the project schedule established upfront.
At the same time, the single discipline engineers
Wood and Evonik’s partnership belonging to the subunit groups hierarchically re-
in this project is set on a shared ported to the discipline leader, responsible to as-
sure the consistency of the documentation and the
“vision and integrate implemented solutions through the entire project.
teams to draw on the Basically, it is a matrix dependence organisation by
means of which both single subunit objectives and
knowledge, experience, and uniformity of design are assured. Moreover, all the
strength of both organisations. engineering managers in turn were coordinated by
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder a principal engineering manager, responsible for
the harmonisation of the decisions and the right
like this achieves results that balance of the priorities, once again reinforcing the
neither can do in isolation concept that the progress in each subunit cannot
go to the detriment of the others.
Similarly, the engineering and drafting team in
Compliance and due diligence measures were put Chennai has been arranged following the same
in place to comply with Evonik’s technical stan- concept and mirroring the organisation established
dards, support the demands of a complex build in Milan. As in Milan, also in Chennai each subunit
and assure the economic suitability of the venture. design group was coordinated by an engineering
Wood’s team in Milan, Italy, has been identified as manager and the respective key discipline leaders,
the main design centre while the high value engine- transversally acting as focal point for their engine-
ering hub of Wood’s team in Chennai, India, sup- ering branch, were appointed to pursue uniformity
ported with a full range of engineering and drafting and consistency. Moreover, a direct Italy-India peer
activities. The combination of expertise and flexibi- to peer daily communication protocol was imple-
lity to implement the complex engineering project mented to coordinate all activities and aligned them
solutions was considered by Evonik as a winning to the overall plan according to the defined objec-
proposal to move ahead with the ambitious plan. tives and priorities. In order to avoid duplication of
Nevertheless, the cultural distinctions, the langua- indirect resources and provide the project with a
ge barriers and the geographic distances were clear and accountable guidance, all the manage-
challenges to be factored in when designing an ef- ment functions were sitting in Milan, addressing
fective working programme. Moreover, it has also unique guidelines and interfacing the client.
to be considered that inside each team, in Ger- Particularly important in this context was the assi-
many, Italy and in India, different nationalities and gnment of the construction engineering crew since
professionalisms were present producing a multi- the beginning of the project. As matter of fact, in line
ethnic and composite environment much wider with the typical Wood approach and Evonik request
and ample than the simple combination of three of a construction-driven execution, a continuous
nations. As largely recognised, despite a common and vigorous injection of construction inputs into
and sufficiently long permanence in a homoge- engineering and procurement development phase
neous cultural setting, the origins, the personal be- has allowed to anticipate characteristic issues of
liefs, the education, the own formation in the long the erection and has contributed to conceive tailo-
run can mark some differentiators that, if from one red solutions to simplify and facilitate this stage. In
side contribute to enrich and develop the human particular, the organisation of various sessions of
background from the other side can influence the constructability and the open discussions exchan-
communication and the capacity of a team to pro- ged around the several analysed hypotheses have
duce consistent results. made possible the finalisation of a construction
A solid and reliable execution plan and a defined strategy based on a mix of ideas. According to

Impiantistica Italiana - Gennaio-Febbraio 2021 41