SEEKING A CLEAR VIEW

Avinor, the state-owned aviation agency of Norway, has embarked on a seven-year, USD 720 million (NOK 7,2B) project to build a replacement for the existing airport at Bodø. The new Bodø Airport, designed to serve 2.3 million passengers a year, is expected to become operational in 2029. Its construction will require 3.5 million square meters of bedrock and earth to be moved – the equivalent of approximately 1,400 Olympic swimming pools. To manage the complex, multi-year project, Avinor selected Baseline, a Norwegian consultancy. Baseline, along with two partners, has responsibility for all aspects of project control.

The unique terms of the contract require exceptional levels of insight into progress. “The commercial model is based on shared risk,” says Mats Nyland, Managing Partner at Baseline. “Collectively, we set a target price. If the contractor comes in under budget, we share the savings; if they exceed the budget, we share the extra cost. To avoid surprises and enable us to make the right adjustments as we go along, it’s vital for everyone to have visibility of cost and progress at all times.”

Baseline knew the project controls software for the project would be critical to success, given the scale and complexity of the project. “For Avinor, a project of this scale is very rare,” comments Tomas Warnqvist, Senior Manager at Baseline. “Naturally, their toolbox was not ready for the challenge of managing between 500 and 700 subcontractors, all of which will need information about the schedule.”