Make large public works projects run smoothly
Rail Projects Victoria uses IBM requirements management SaaS solution in their massive Metro Tunnel Project
By Thomas Hollowell | 3 minute read | September 11, 2019
IBM’s requirements management solutions have been used for years to help organizations build software and hardware systems. And now, an IBM software as a service (SaaS) solution helps government and engineering/constructions projects to run smoothly. One particularly high-profile application of this solution is the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project.
The largest investment ever in public transport in Melbourne, Australia
Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) uses IBM’s technology to simplify the management of the delivery of the Metro Tunnel Project. This AUD 11 billion (11 billion Australian dollars) initiative creates a new underground pathway for trains to accommodate over 500,000 new passengers during peak hours each week. Construction involves the cooperation and collaboration of many different public and private organizations.
IBM’s DOORS® Next requirements management SaaS solution was implemented by the RPV team to provide a single, collaborative, secure environment to capture, trace, analyze and manage project requirements in real-time. And as it does so, it preserves the data privacy and intellectual property of the various organizations delivering the project.
Collaborators no longer need to gather updates from different companies’ systems. Instead, they use the IBM solution to obtain a single, reliable source of information. It’s securely controlled and selectively shared with each organization as needed. This improves project predictability, minimizes rework and increases communication.
IBM business partners in Australia—including Acmena—are supporting this project. Acmena, is supporting this project, and is using this solution as a platform to share requirements on large public works projects in New Zealand and Australia. Recently several large engineering/construction firms in the US and Canada have also turned to IBM’s requirements management SaaS solution for managing large public construction projects. One firm is a consortium developing rail and light rail transit infrastructure in Canada. Another client is one of the top five largest contractors in North America.
Read how Rail Project Victoria is staying on track with IBM
Three reasons construction firms choose IBM SaaS requirements management
- Increasing competition and greater project complexity are driving architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) firms and public entities to seek ways to reduce costs and improve project performance. For AEC firms, requirements are the basis for project planning, risk management and acceptance testing. They define what the stakeholders need and what the product must meet in order to satisfy those needs.
- The project development process often lacks identification, management and traceability of the requirements. IBM’s requirements management solution, DOORS Next, helps solve these gaps.
- Requirements management tools are not as prevalent in the construction industry as they are in the system and software world. The large number of diverse stakeholders in these large construction projects significantly increases complexity and makes coordination of effort difficult – hence the need for a requirements management solution to keep everyone on the same page.
Why software as a service?
Typically, an organization chooses a SaaS solution for a variety of reasons. These include the desire to lower overall cost, increase efficiency, improve productivity or enable flexibility. However, large engineering and construction projects are unique in that they often involve dozens of different organizations. A cloud-based solution allows these companies to collaborate without compromising corporate firewalls. Organizations can scale up and down depending on their involvement in various stages of the project. They don’t need to make a capital investment in hardware and software.
Learn more about how the IBM DOORS Next requirements management solution can help you keep your large construction projects on track.
Read these articles about the Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) project:
Rail Projects Victoria: Requirements Management
IBM keeping the AU$11 billion metro tunnel on track
Vic Metro Tunnel Project employs IBM tech
IBM and Rail Projects Victoria keeping the $11B Metro Tunnel on track