Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) relies on a clearly defined Path of Construction (PoC) to improve construction efficiency and predictability. Creating the PoC early, encouraging cross-functional collaboration, refining it throughout the project life cycle, and keeping execution simple are key fundamentals for getting the most value from AWP.
Understanding AWP’s Path of Construction in Capital Project Planning
Advanced work packaging (AWP) is designed to improve construction efficiency and is particularly well-suited for capital projects that often have complex deliverables and timelines. It breaks down a project’s entire scope of work into smaller increments (the work packages) and plots them along a beginning-to-end project timeline.
These are outlined in a Path of Construction (PoC) document that details how to build the project using the right people, with the right tools, in the right place, at the right time.
There’s often a perceived complexity about AWP and PoC. When learning a new process there are always unfamiliar things to digest, but AWP also requires a positive paradigm shift in how projects are completed. To get the most out of AWP and its PoC, it helps to first understand some basic fundamentals about the Path of Construction.
1. Start the Path of Construction (PoC) Early in Capital Projects
For the Path of Construction to make a difference, it must be created early. If you have a nearly complete engineering-designed plan or building information modeling (BIM) design, or if construction has already begun, it’s too late.
Why does this timing matter so much? Because the goal is to identify, control and potentially remove as many productivity-derailing constraints in advance as possible.
For example, it gives engineering a chance to nail down the design before shovels hit the dirt. By exploring design and material options ahead of time, and therefore limiting the number and degree of design changes further into the project, it helps reduce the potential for rework — which in itself introduces its own set of cost and scheduling risks.
Procurement needs enough lead time to do its job more effectively. Being aware of what materials are required at each stage of the build ensures materials are purchased and available for site crews according to the schedule.
For instance, if a specialty item has a two-year production backlog, early PoC planning allows teams to determine whether it can be ordered without impacting the work package schedule. If not, engineering, procurement, and construction can collaborate to either adjust the schedule or identify alternative material.
Ironing out these decisions and potential glitches up front paves the way for a smoother, constraint-free build process.
2. Make the Path of Construction a Collaborative, Cross-Functional Process
The PoC aligns everyone’s efforts and promotes a consensus approach to planning. In traditional work packaging approaches, construction has often been left out of the planning stage, leaving managers within the discipline to figure out execution challenges in the field.
Advanced work packaging flips that script. While the AWP process and the PoC are construction-driven, engineering and procurement must be equally active participants for the approach to succeed.
Collaboration helps eliminate common challenges found in non-AWP processes, including:
- Design documents that lack construction-ready detail
- Delay-causing RFIs
- Longer punch lists
- Increased risk of rework
When engineering understands what details construction teams need, those details can be incorporated into design documents earlier. Likewise, when procurement understands construction sequencing and work package needs, teams can develop more accurate estimates and reduce material-related delays.
All stakeholders have a vested interest in the project’s success, making early alignment around AWP’s value and the importance of a solid PoC essential.
3. Continually Refine the Path of Construction Throughout the Project Life Cycle
Having defined the PoC, though, doesn’t mean it’s actually done and over with. Continual refinement is expected and encouraged throughout the project’s life cycle. Think of it as a define-and-refine process. The PoC is meant to be flexible as new information becomes available.
This can be anything from unanticipated issues with design or materials, to early assumptions about the project that are later proven to be incorrect. Continuing the multi-team approach to planning and decision making allows that refinement of the PoC to develop from the shared expertise that each discipline brings. It’s all part of making processes better, and therefore becoming smarter about how to manage and execute projects.
4. Use Simplicity to Overcome Complexity in AWP and PoC Planning
The best way to overcome complexity is to keep things as simple as possible. Smaller scopes of work require less planning, which is the foundation of Advanced Work Packaging. By breaking work into manageable packages, teams can allow the PoC’s sequencing to dictate execution priorities, including:
- What construction needs from engineering
- When procurement should order materials
- When construction activities can begin
If the process starts to feel overwhelming, it’s important to stay grounded in the fundamentals of sound project planning and execution rather than becoming overly focused on the mechanics of the process itself. With a clear understanding of AWP’s long-term value, teams are more likely to gain the collaboration needed to achieve successful project outcomes.
InEight supports AWP-driven project planning and execution by helping teams connect the Path of Construction with integrated planning and project controls software. Solutions like InEight Plan enable project teams to structure and sequence work packages more effectively, while InEight’s project controls capabilities help track progress, manage cost and schedule performance, and maintain visibility as conditions change. Together, these tools support more informed decision-making and greater predictability across the project life cycle.
Updated On: December 15, 2025
