The opening might have been an utter shambles, but a lot can still be learnt from Heathrow's new £4.3 billion Terminal 5 (T5) - not least that megaprojects can be delivered on time and on budget, which is no mean feat. The success can be attributed to some innovative practices in project management brought together for the first time, according to research by Andrew Davies, a reader in innovation management at Tanaka Business School at Imperial College London. Here's a quick guide to good megaproject management.

The client bears the risk. Traditional construction contracts, which put the responsibility and costs for any problems that ariseduring a project on to the contractors, often result in courtroom arguments and missed deadlines. Under the T5 agreement, BAA - the client - accepted complete responsibility for any risks and this, in turn, led to better risk assessment and risk management throughout the project, Dr Davies says.

Integrated project teams. BAA, British Airways, key suppliers, designers and the principal subcontractors shared offices, information, ideas and resources. These mixed teams were better able to spot problems and tackle them more effectively.

Standardised project management. BAA were canny enough to recognise that while every megaproject is different, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. It proved possible to use standardised production, design and project management processes to deliver a unique outcome in T5 instead, Dr Davies says.

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A single-model environment. BAA and the integrated teams shared 3D models and other digital design tools, Dr Davies says. “So, you can order components, you can plan the process much more effectively from design right through to completion.”

Modern methods of construction. Parts of the terminal, such as the air-traffic control tower, were built, assembled and tested off site and then constructed on site very quickly.

Just-in-time logistics. The size and nature of the T5 site meant that materials and components had to be stored off site until the moment that they were needed. Managing the flow of goods required nous and logistics software.

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