Cross-functional collaboration in the early phases of capital projects: Barriers and contributing factors

In early project phases, cross-functional collaboration is required to lead a capital project from an investment option to a full definition before its design and construction commenced. Given that many capital projects are large, complex, and take years to develop, for stakeholders to realize effective project definition and development it is important that they identify—in the early phases—cross-functional collaboration barriers and their contributing factors. The current study conducted a total of 20 interviews with experts from both the business units and project teams in owner companies and Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors. It identified 14 barriers to effective cross-functional collaboration and 43 associated contributing factors in the early phases of capital projects. To rank the barriers, researchers then applied the Delphi method with a panel of 12 subject matter experts (SMEs). The outcomes of this study can guide practitioners to improve the effectiveness of cross-functional collaboration in early project phases.