Project Strategy

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

Our personnel are fully trained in the Front End Loading project philosophy.  The approach begins by working directly with facility leadership, end users, and maintenance personnel to help define the best approach to achieving the identified goals well before full design efforts begin.  The goal is to “think through” the facility; how will it be operated, what special features are desired, how will it be maintained, what level of equipment quality is desired, is back up power needed, how can the design be configured for energy efficiency etc.  Options are developed and analyzed at a high level to support the decision making process so that the desired strategy can be quickly identified to allow design activities to begin in earnest.
 
The goal of the FEL process is to ensure up-front understanding and definition of the envisioned new facility or facility modifications.  Having done so, a Project Design Basis is written as a roadmap to guide the design activities.  On-going changes are intentionally minimized (unless the client says otherwise) in order to minimize expensive changes in the field.

Strategy Overview - Step by Step

Phase 1: Define the Business Needs

The goal of Phase one is to define the operational needs, timing, and quality of the facility to allow strategies to be developed that are specifically tailored for the clients business needs.

Identify the features and/or improvements to be achieved
Define the specific objectives of the facility
 
Identify the timing and schedule needs to meet the business objectives
 
Establish the overall level of quality for equipment and materials
 
Identify the standard methods and procedures the client may prefer
 
Define the communication protocols to ensure an enlightened team
 
Assign responsibilities for identified tasks – including those to be performed by client personnel.
 
Prepare a “needs document” to help capture what services will be needed, what environmental conditions are to be maintained, what major equipment is involved, and what is the design approach to address the established needs etc.

Phase 2: Identify the Alternatives

The goal of Phase 2 is to flush out the alternative approaches to meeting the project’s goals.  Only realistic strategies are considered and of those, the best approach for the client is selected for implementation.  The identification of project needs and strategy evaluations/decisions are achieved before the full compliment design team is ever engaged.

Perform field surveys to confirm the implications of site conditions to be considered in strategy development

Identify potential strategies that will achieve the goals within the framework of the quality, schedule, and budget constraints.  Only feasible strategies are considered versus the constraints.

For the feasible design approaches, define the utility needs and how they would be achieved to support the alternatives.

Ensure the approaches identified are acceptable to client leadership, operations, and maintenance personnel.

Prepare a quick overview of the potential feasible approaches including the costs versus advantages of each and immediately eliminate any that do not meet the client’s desires or preferences.

Select the most desirable strategy for implementation

Having agreed on the scope and strategy, prepare a Project Design Basis to allow production design activities to commence from a unified perspective.

Phase 3: Implement Production Design

Production design is the phase in which the bulk of the design work is performed.  The previously defined needs and desired strategies are fashioned into a design package for construction.  Throughout the phase, progress is reviewed with Client personnel to ensure their understanding of the systems and that the targeted results are being achieved.

Prepare equipment arrangements indicating maintenance access and clearance needs

As appropriate, prepare Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID’s) to schematically convey the intended systems

Finalize all utility calculations, including heat loads, electrical services etc.
Select and specify all major equipment

Prepare structural design features for the building, equipment, and distribution systems

If desired, prepare check estimates to ensure the budget is on track

Prepare all piping, duct, electrical distribution plans and details

At key points, review the progress with the client to ensure the needs are being addressed as they envisioned

Finalize the design packages and specifications

Perform walk-throughs during construction to anticipate and solve issues
 
Prepare a turn-over package including drawings, specifications, and equipment data for the client’s future use.
 
If desired, provide NEBB certified Testing and Balancing services to support the facility’s start-up and document the achieved performance