HomeSituationsProjects & contractsTechnical interface problem
TN/SIT/27
Edition 2027 · effective 1 January 2027
Projects & contracts · Technical interface problem
Two systems, two contractors, one interface that does not work.
Interface disputes are technical before they are legal. An independent technical expert can answer the question and keep the project moving.
§ 01What it looks like
Recognise it early. The earliest moment is the cheapest.
What you notice first
Small, and easy to explain away.
- Each contractor blames the other
- Testing fails at the boundary
- The client is caught between
- Commissioning is delayed
What waiting can cost
Usually more than the original issue.
- Delivery date
- Performance and safety
- Cost of rework
§ 02The Neutral route
Usually: Expert Determination.
Expert determination of the technical question, by an expert both trust, unlocks the rest.
Expert Determination
The expert decides the defined question.
Also used · AdvisoryNeutral Evaluation
You decide. The evaluator advises.
Also used · ConsensualFacilitation
The group decides. The facilitator owns the process.
§ 03The steps
What a good process looks like.
- Define the technical question preciselyBefore anything else01
- Agree an expertThe moment independence enters02
- Facilitate a joint technical workshopWhere the work is done03
- Agree who pays once the answer is knownSo it holds04
§ 04Prepare and avoid
What to bring. What to leave out.
(Bring)
01
Specifications and interface documents
02
Test results
03
Correspondence
04
Programme
(Avoid)
✕
Arguing liability before understanding the cause
§ 05Your version
Every situation is different. Describe yours.
§ 06Related