Interface Management Terms

Definition of Interface Point

An Interface Point is a physical location - which might be quite specific (like a flange on a pipe), or might be a larger area (like a module of a facility). The interface point may have a range of parameters associated with it - like temperature or pressure. Crucially, it may also have several different scope packages (performed by different contractors) associated with it. It is associated with the 'large plant' project model.

Battery Limits in 'Distributed' projects are analagous to - but also very different from - Interface Points in 'Large Plant' projects.
See the blog post about Interface Point versus Battery Limit for further discussion on this.

Interface Point is also a term used by several of the vendors of IT software tools used for interface management. There is no single agreed definition, but an interface point is usually some way of grouping together related issues.
One vendor uses interface point as a kind of folder which contains issues that are related. The meaning of the grouping used for the 'folder' can be defined by the project.
With another vendor, interface point normally represents a piece of equipment, or module, which several different contractors may work on - in a 'large plant' project as explained in the blog.
For a third vendor, the interface point is very specific - for example the flange of a pipe to a valve. Precise data - like temperature and pressure or coordinates can be assigned to this point, and again, several different contractors may be involved.

In all these cases, Interface issues are contained within the Interface point.

If this description does not quite chime with your project then check out Battery Limit, which is used in the other type of project. As explained elsewhere, the type of project needs to have matching software. Pick the wrong software for your project at your peril!