Project Management

Flexibility On A Global Scale

CASE STUDY

Flexibility On A Global Scale

Hutchison Port Holdings Uses Project Management Institute Methodologies to Create a Global Port Management System

Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) is the world’s leading port developer, operator and industry leader in using technology to improve all aspects of port administration. HPH actively invests in the development of modern port infrastructure and is committed to playing a significant role in the development of the economies and the expansion of international trade opportunities for the countries in which it operates. In order to coordinate its many ports around the world, HPH created nGen, a scalable system that would facilitate port operations in many languages on several continents and across many different time zones.

Challenges

Each of HPH’s ports vary in size and are required to comply with differing sets of regulations contingent upon local trade and customs policies. They are also located on different continents, in different time zones, and with personnel who speak different languages. The project team would need to create a solution that could be used by each of HPH’s ports while accommodating all these variances. While the project team faced the challenge of coordinating logistics between geographically diverse locations, it also had to consider the interests of a diverse group of stakeholders that included terminal operations, operations development and information services. The project would need to effectively manage input from these groups. The scope of the project posed a challenge as well. The team would have to ensure that it allocated adequate time to complete each part of the project. Coordinating details and maintaining schedules and budgets over the expansive range of this project required a highly sophisticated level of project management skill to be successful.

Project Background

Today, HPH operates 236 berths in 40 ports around the world along with a...