Top 3 Reasons to Engage Commissioning Early

We’re going to review the top three reasons to engage your commissioning project manager earlier in your project, particularly during your FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) processes. You often hear commissioning professionals advocating for earlier involvement in the project—here’s why:

1. Start with the End in Mind

Just like Stephen Covey emphasizes in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Habit #2: Start with the End in Mind), the same principle applies to major capital projects. When you’re starting a project that costs millions or even billions of dollars, you need to have a plan for a strong finish so you can stop the cash outflow effectively.

Your commissioning project manager will help you define what a successful project completion looks like. At the beginning of your project, you’re naturally planning your design and construction activities. Equally important, however, is planning your commissioning activities from the outset. This ensures a smooth, well-structured completion, and that’s where your commissioning project manager comes in—they help define the finish line right from the start.

2. Risk Mitigation

As we discussed in a previous episode, your commissioning project manager is your best resource for risk mitigation. They have the foresight to understand what’s required to successfully complete a major capital project. By identifying potential risks early, they help you avoid costly mistakes that could derail your project later.

Your commissioning project manager works closely with your project, design, and construction managers to foresee and manage risks, preventing them from turning into expensive issues down the line.

3. Save Time and Money, and Deliver Reliable Systems

The third reason to involve your commissioning project manager early is to save time and money while ensuring the delivery of high-quality systems that will operate reliably for years to come. A project is pointless if, at the end, the systems you’ve built are unreliable.

We’re building critical assets that power our society, provide essential resources, and run systems we all depend on. If these systems aren’t dependable or usable, the project has failed to meet its objectives. Your commissioning project manager keeps the end goal in sight, ensuring that everyone works toward delivering systems that will operate effectively for the long term.

In Summary

The top three reasons to engage your commissioning project manager early in your project are:

1. Start with the End in Mind – Ensure a strong finish for your project.
2. Risk Mitigation – Save time and money by managing risks early.
3. Deliver High-Quality Systems – Achieve reliable operation for the life of your facilities.

To learn more, visit icxa.net.