An Empirical Study of Delays in Large Engineering Projects: An Indian Experience

This article analyzes factors responsible for delays in two large projects undertaken by an Indian organization over a period of 7 years. The research work critically examines the reasons for delays using questionnaires in four core areas of project work. An in depth analysis has identified 10 factors, which cause delays, viz., inept project planning practices, inadequate and inexperienced consultant personnel, recurring stakeholders interactions, incomplete understanding of the client’s requirements, unfamiliarity with documentation needs in the client country, subsequent client and inspection agency-driven change requirements, incomplete preparation at the hook-up yard, and delays in vendor mobilization/inadequate vendor expertise. The original contribution of this research is in the areas of analyzing and understanding delays due to doing work in offshore locations, doing project management work using documents in offshore country language, understanding offshore country laws and regulations, in-depth understanding of the root causes of delays using detailed, segmented questionnaires and analysis of the sequential nature of project management work.