Refurbishment management practices in the shipping and construction industries — lessons to be learned

The management of refurbishment work in both sectors is complex, highly specialized and contains elements of works which are unique to refurbishment and which are different from new work. Ship refurbishment clients are better informed and more knowledgeable about refurbishment processes and products than construction clients and are more involved in the planning and decision making process. The authors claim that there is very little evidence of formal or structured processes of managing risks and uncertainty in refurbishment, in both sectors, especially the quantification and evaluation of risks. There is also an urgent need for educators and refurbishment organizations to address the issue of under-provision of refurbishment management courses.