Since I became a “company of one” this past January, I have been far busier than I had estimated when I wrote out my business plan. I guess that is a good problem, but it has taken me 10 months to get things under control and fit within my new five-days-a-week schedule (no more working Saturdays, Sundays, or evenings).
In the past, I have written about the integrated project delivery (IPD) process and my advocating it over design-bid-build, construction management, and/or performance contracting, but I’m troubled by the slow progress of IPD into the design, construction, and O&M business.
Refer to January 2010 B2B for an introduction to energy auditing and energy retrocommissioning. A good guideline for implementing an energy audit is the ASHRAE Procedures for Commercial Building Energy Audits manual.
Here, our long-time forward-thinking columnist uses a common hospital scenario to walk you through the shift from Design-Bid-Build to an Integrated Project Delivery approach. See how the job can get done with similar personnel on a considerably shorter schedule, resulting in a greater team investment in the project’s success and yet more time to get on to other work.
Some will say most engineering, construction, and O&M software offerings are “smart” because they are all programs built for computer applications, but I see that some software has added benefits beyond their program intent. To begin, computer programs are developed to provide a variety of technical features, such as performing energy calculations and system/equipment service that blends technical data with financial data. Even my own software programs have specific features for commissioning and air and water balancing. But what about the benefits a program can provide which maybe weren’t part of the intent?
In
recent “Tomorrow’s Environment” columns, I’ve talked about
the need for engineers to change from being a commodity and a
follower to recommitting their technical skills to engineer-driven
consulting services. I touched on some of the engineering initiatives
that are ideally suited for engineer-led teams. The heart of being a
leader of projects begins with three essential attributes: Positive
attitude, creativity, and a high energy level, followed by a need to
lead.