Follow these steps to ensure the right systems integrator is selected and properly assimilated into your project team.
Richard Haugh, P.E., Director of Project Management for Tesco Controls, Inc., wrote an article for the May 2019 issue of Water & Wastes Digest magazine titled Integration Not Separation. Here’s a summary, click on the link above for the full text.
Haugh emphasizes the crucial roles a system integrator (SI) performs on water and wastewater capital projects. He promotes the idea of pre-qualifying SIs and elevating their influence to avoid these consequences.
Unfortunately, public works low-bid procurement methods can result in an unqualified control system integrator (SI) being selected, often accompanied by difficulties integrating the SI into the project team. The consequences can include a failed project, dissatisfied owner and a control system requiring expensive modifications after the project is complete.
Picking the Right Partner
However, on many public works projects there is no upfront qualification process for the SI and selections are made solely on price. Instead, the owner should engage the designer early to establish stringent requirements for SI selection. There are three common methods to do this, ranked successively as Good, Better and Best.
Method 1, Good:
Simply lists minimum SI qualifications based on characteristics such as company size, process experience, certifications, hardware/software experience and local staff, encouraging contractors to team with qualified SIs. But with this method, arguments regarding the SI’s qualifications can arise after the prime contract is awarded.
Method 2, Better:
The owner and designer conduct prequalification before bid opening of the main project to determine which SI firms are acceptable. Bidders must select from these firms, providing the owner reasonable control and avoiding disputes.
Method 3, Best:
Similar to Method 2, but the owner and designer preselect one or more SI firms before the main project is advertised and name them in the specifications. Even sole-sourced selections are possible if an SI has a long and successful history with the owner.
Common Issues on Design-Bid-Build Projects
Conventional design-bid-build (D-B-B) models represent the most common delivery method chosen by many owners and agencies, although alternate delivery methods are starting to gain popularity. However, the number of parties involved complicates communications and makes the SI’s work more difficult.
The typical communications structure of a design-bid-build project can hinder communications between the systems integrator and other entities.
Regardless of how the SI is selected on a D-B-B project, there are steps the owner can take to maximize SI effectiveness. To understand these recommendations, let’s first look at the most common challenges an SI faces on a typical large project:
- The misperception that control systems integration is not essential to project success
- Underdeveloped control system design
- The SI is a third-tier contractor or supplier and is removed from project management, project information and project decisions
- Lack of adequate and accurate information, particularly existing conditions and standards
- Operations staff are the ultimate customers of the control system, yet they are typically not well represented on the project until near the end.
Coordination, Cooperation & Communications
A proactive and front-loaded project management approach embodying coordination, cooperation and communication is advocated by Haugh.
Once the right SI is selected, the owner should advocate early and often for a high-quality design and implementation process. The owner should insist on workshops throughout the control system development life-cycle with participation by all the key project stakeholders. The owner and the designer must work with the selected SI to establish control system configuration, programming and other standards, and to ensure these standards are met.
Whenever control system issues arise, the owner should insist upon the inclusion of the SI in all related communications. In many cases, the SI can suggest improved technical designs, but this requires the owner to trust the SI and to be open to technological and procedural alternatives.
Haugh concludes:
Control system design and execution on water and wastewater projects are critical to success. To ensure a well-qualified SI is chosen, prequalification requirements should be added to control SI selection, and the owner may wish to consider alternative procurement methods.
The SI is responsible for procuring, configuring and coordinating various components and services on a project to produce a complete and integrated control system. More than most other project participants, the SI needs information on owner standards, preferences and existing facilities to perform its work effectively and efficiently. The owner’s staff should advocate early in the project to elevate the importance of control system issues and the role of the SI throughout the project life-cycle.
