Early and continual integration

Life punishes those who come too late with costs, deadlines and reduced quality.

In an era of rapid digitalisation and automation, the technologies for operating resources and processes often outpace the building requirements specified at the outset of the project. Alterations to the interfaces between technologies and the building then extend right into the later reaches of the construction phase. Requirements related to operation, servicing and maintenance can only be specified at a very late juncture, meaning that – from a planning and contractual viewpoint – these are frequently incomplete or have not been considered at all.

The usual quandary: the operating resources are not yet specified – it is not even clear exactly what technologies will be deployed and how everything is supposed to work together. Meanwhile, the building department wishes to progress and demands facts and figures regarding the type, location and dimensioning of media connections; regarding the structural design and surface finishes. The facility manager wants to know the requirements for the building management system and servicing works. What to do?

You can press pause on the build until a decision has been made regarding technologies and then complete the building at your leisure, whilst advancements in technology draw by anyway in the fast lane. You could also just build anyway, alter everything later and leave the operating expenses to take care of themselves. Neither requires rethinking or alterations. Cost increases, time schedule shifts, collisions in operating resources with the building, modifications in later project phases, complications in the commissioning and handover phase, and unchecked operating expenses form part of the typical project concept.

Should you nevertheless wish to ensure that – in spite of the integration of advanced technology during the design and construction phase for the launch of production – all requirements within the defined cost and time schedule frameworks have been fulfilled, that buildings and facilities have been handed over to the facility management providers and can be sustainably operated, then our recommendation to you is to prepare your team for this at an early stage and to get to work as a collective.

How to achieve this? With the aid of an Interface and Change Management system, which we have developed during our many years of experience in the control of complex industrial projects.

For our clients, we ensure that the necessary questions are asked, and responses received, in a timely fashion. Typical: Mountains of information have to be analysed, systematised and, under consideration of all implications, anchored in the correct place in the project. Because we are often asked for the highest degrees of flexibility and creativity, we work with agility.

With us, you’ll be on time. Get in touch with our expert for Interface Management, Armin Schenker +49 30/84176710.

We understand Facility Management

The times when facility management stood for occasionally filling holes in the roof with straw, or patching the floor with clay, are gone forever. In the era of Industry 4.0, information is to be processed from complex interconnections between the building and process technology; sensitive materials, state-of-the-art technology, equipment and systems are to be serviced and maintained. To make sure that this all runs smoothly, facility management requirements belong right at the beginning of the project. Unfortunately, this only happens very rarely…

Let’s look at an everyday example: The project is complete; now “real life” can begin. Production is up and running and targets are to be achieved. You can now either deal with increased operating expenses, information losses and ineffective adjustments, or you can secure your investment through sustainable servicing and maintenance and profit from optimised processes and low operating expenses.

If your preference is for the latter, you should define your facility management specifications at the earliest possible time so these can be integrated into the following design and implementation steps.

We will support you in this by pointing you towards the required strategic considerations during the preparation phase, helping you to integrate FM requirements into your project definition. In the process, these will be developed further over the course of the project, and implemented in the design, building processes and contracts.

In order to continue improving operational processes, even after completion, we will support the assumption of information in CAFM systems, or draw up dedicated and tailored application cases together with your FM team. Ultimately, you will be our ideal partner for running your business.

And the best part of this: You save money.

How do you save money in the process? Because we work with BIM. Using this method, data related to FM are collected centrally over the entire course of the project term. They do not therefore only become available at the time of handing over final documentation.

Correlations are becoming ever more complex and these result in opportunities and risks. If you want to know more about how we deal with this, give Martin Otte a call on +49 30/ 84176710.

Handover, commissioning and trial operation

The critical phase begins: Handover and commissioning can be one of the most active and interactive phases of your construction project.  As contractors and suppliers from different disciplines and industries near completion of their respective work, the reality of the final product quickly takes form.  The interfaces and interaction between these different aspects of the project now become the central focus.

Just a few of the tasks are e.g.:

• Coordination of contract deliverables
• scheduling deliveries
• managing installation
• staging areas
• managing interfaces for both equipment and building

During this critical time of the project development it is essential to have clear and organized overview of the project progress and challenges. Due to the high level of interaction and typically tight time schedules, even seemingly issues can have a major impact on the progress of the project.

Through years of experience, OPM has developed methods and tools to specifically address the challenges face during the handover and commissioning phase:

The agile based project management approach facilitates a high level of communication between the various parties involved in the project.  This means that when a challenge or issue arises, it is identified and addressed right away.  Our project management tools and methods help to ensure that the right information is available and communicate to the right people.  Time schedules are set-up and managed so that the right people are on site at the right time.  Contracts and specifications are understood and managed, helping to verify that the deliverables are correctly and completely fulfilled.

But will the facility as a whole – building and equipment meet the requirements? OPM’s approach: Let’s try it!

Trial operation reduces risks

The trial operation phase is the link between the building’s erection, equipment installation as well as the following ramp-up of the production. The trial operation will be incorporated in the time scheduling in a way that there will be enough time left to notice possible issues early on and solve them before start of production.

For this purpose, the project team will be tightly linked to the suppliers. The prepared test programs will be trialled in cooperation with the future users and operators to solve issues directly. Moreover, the future user and operator gather first, important experiences in using the new facilities. In consequence, the start of production can begin with the smallest possible risks.

As demonstrated through countless examples and successful projects, OPM has the right experience, methods and tools to help ensure a successful handover and commission for your project. You want to know how? Armin Schenker and Gabriel Johnson will be happy to advise +49 30/ 84176710.

Swift and successful start of production

Imagine for a moment that you are the artistic director of a new opera house. The opening concert: The famous pin could be heard dropping in the sold-out auditorium. The expectations of the audience are high. Even the orchestra is unable to find the common concert pitch and struggles to come to terms with the acoustics of the room. Rehearsals, too, were hampered with difficulties, as orchestra members were replaced and some musicians were given new instruments. So far, it has not been possible to perfect the interplay to the point that it can be presented on stage. The first show is therefore a disaster. As a consequence, the disappointed audience takes to studying the concert plans of the competition and, in your concert house, numerous seats in the audience remain empty for the following performances. Such a pity; after you had hoped for a successful launch.

On the other hand, think how pleasing it is, when the path into the rehearsals and, ultimately, into the productive phase is a smooth run. It is exactly the same on building projects and, for this reason, the post-construction run-up to production fully deserves the attention it gets.

An artistic director’s worth is measured in terms of how regularly the auditorium is filled, whether customers are supplied on time; the operating concept is either right or it isn’t. In order to achieve success here, you must define the programme, set up and equip the team; ensure that the team is well practiced for the premiere, and that the performance is perfect. Now you are not an artistic director; now you are responsible for a complex construction scheme and, even so, there are a number of shared features and goals.

Good preparation is the be-all and end-all to achieving these. All aspects of the production process must to be considered during the project definition stage (URS), in order to then take them into account in the building design, in the layout of the operating facility, in personnel management and in logistics processes.

In order to achieve this dovetailing of the production process with the building and technical services designs, we integrate all involved parties right from the very outset. This is the only way to ensure that their experience is taken into account and you can focus your preparation on producing outstanding services in your project.

Once the crucial phase of commissioning tests begins, we will provide support with regular stand-up meetings (agile project management), to ensure that any outstanding matters are identified, addressed and dealt with as quickly as possible. In this regard, design team members, contracting firms, suppliers, users and facility managers work hand-in-hand ‒ just like the musicians, director, choreographers and artistic director, when they want to.

You think that will ever happen as there are often so many discrepancies in the test phase? Help is at hand: Take a look behind the scenes and discover our PMO instrument. In this regard, Armin Schenker is happy to provide assistance on +49 30/ 84176710.