Part 2 of this 3-part article focuses on the benefits a robust and clearly coordinated Cx Process can give the Construction Team. A CxP is another qualified resource for information during construction that can be onsite more frequently to assist the Construction Team with clarity and confirmation system components are correct and properly installed. This can benefit the project manager, site engineer, and/or site superintendents by allowing open communication about system component needs. The CxP should be an extension of the Construction Team’s project management team and provide knowledge, insights, and tools to ensure proper installations are taking place at the right time. Once there is a good rapport established, the CxP can provide valuable information in real time for use by installation teams to minimize re-work on systems. Below are items that should be in the CxP scope to assist the Construction Team in getting the project outcome to match their intent.

Construction Team Benefits

• Clear bid documents = more accurate bids – If a project has had Cx performed during the design phase, the construction documents should be clearer and more coordinated. With more clarity in these documents, the construction team and subcontractors have more accurate information to base their bids on, which allows for more accurate bids. This minimizes clarifications and changes during construction, which improves efficiency for costs and schedules.

• Access to information – The CxP is knowledgeable about the systems within their scope and can share this information with the installation teams. Having the CxP available to help ensure proper installation and system operations allows the Construction Team to minimize re-work and costly mistakes that might damage newly installed equipment. This improves schedules and costs for all team members.

• Confirmation of system installations prior to completion – When systems have issues, professionals must be scheduled to return to the project site for corrective action. If this is noted during CxP site walks, the tradesmen are still onsite, and that corrective action can be better coordinated. The CxP information should allow start-up technicians to have information prior to arriving onsite, and better understand documents required for the project’s system start-up. This ensures system components are installed to allow each system to operate as intended once start-up and checkout is complete.

• Assistance to the Project Engineer and Project Manager – Pre-Functional checklists (PFC), or installation checklists, allow for better understanding of system installations for the Project Management and Site Management Teams. Having these system specific documents allows the installation team opportunities to realize when schedules are not aligned with progress and if specific components still need to be installed for proper system operation.

• Document Collection Assistance – Utilizing the CxP to ensure required documents are collected for each system can improve the final Operations and Maintenance Deliverable. Having this included in the CxP scope allows for the Construction team to have a dedicated professional to assist in ensuring this information is collected in a timely manner and information is accurate to the specific project.  Having the O&M ready for the training of staff is critical for the training to provide value to the end users.
  

  ·        Better Training = Happy Clients – When training coordination and participation is included in the CxP scope, it allows for more useful training to be provided to the end user facility team. Having training coordinated early, discussed often, and a CxP participating allows for questions and answers for each system that can enhance the benefit to the end user. With proper training, we can minimize warranty calls and issues due to lack of understanding of specific system operations. Proper training also allows for facility teams to ensure comfort to all building occupants through proper use of each MEP system.

• System Warranty Tracking – The CxP can ensure that equipment warranty information is completed and submitted for each system requiring a warranty. Having the CxP assist with documenting warranty progress allows the project team to be confident all required warranties will be provided to their client.  The CxP can ensure a transparent documented process of proper start-up and programming of each system to meet specification requirements.

• RFI Assistance and Clarification to Project Requirements – CxP’s are well versed in communicating with the Design Team, Owner, and Installation Team Members. We can assist with RFI drafting with the subcontractors to ensure the response times from the Design team are minimized and questions can be answered clearly and quickly. Having this service provided can minimize schedule time lost due to RFI’s being unclear and responses taking too much time.

Having a qualified CxP can provide efficiency and quality benefits to the installation teams and construction management groups. Utilizing the CxP to assist with items above and helping the installation teams better understand the intent of project documents is an understated benefit of the Owners’ Commissioning Provider.

If you and your Team have questions or comments about these benefits, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to our team for further information.