You already know a process plant project has many parts that depend on each other. Piping, electrical work, controls, safety reviews, and long equipment lead times all affect one another, and a miss in one area shows up in another. Good construction management keeps those parts in order from the first scope meeting to the last turnover document.
I wrote this checklist for owners and project leads who want a clear view of what to confirm at each phase. I built it around the points where process plant projects lose the most time and money: unclear scope, late equipment, designs that crews struggle to build, and weak start-up plans. Each item is here because it prevents one of those problems.
If you want a partner who can handle construction management for process plants from planning through closeout, I explain near the end why I recommend Eichleay. First, the phases.
Phase 1: Planning and Scope
Most cost overruns start here, before anyone breaks ground. Spend real time on this phase.
- Write down the business goal of the project in plain words.
- Define the scope in detail, including what is out of scope.
- Set a budget range and a target schedule, and confirm both with the people who approve spending.
- Check permit needs and regulatory requirements at the start.
- Review site options and site limits.
- Run a feasibility study if the scope is still uncertain.
- Build an execution plan that names who makes each decision.
If your team cannot explain the scope in one page, it is not ready to move on.
Phase 2: Design and Constructability
Design should serve the people who will build the plant. Ask the construction team to review drawings while design is still open to change.
- Hold constructability reviews at set points during design.
- Confirm that all disciplines work from the same model and the same data.
- Complete a process hazards analysis, such as a HAZOP, before design is final.
- Use 3D laser scans for brownfield work so new piping fits existing conditions.
- Freeze the design at a clear date and control every change after that.
A change made on paper costs little. A change made in the field costs a great deal.
Phase 3: Procurement
Equipment is often the longest item on a process plant schedule. Treat procurement as part of the plan, not as a step that follows design.
- Identify long-lead equipment as soon as the scope allows.
- Evaluate bids on technical fit as well as price.
- Clarify vendor questions in writing before you issue purchase orders.
- Track each order and expedite when dates slip.
- Schedule third-party inspections before equipment ships.
- Plan delivery and storage at the site so materials arrive when crews need them.
Phase 4: Pre-Construction and Mobilization
This phase sets the pace for the field work. Confirm the basics before crews arrive.
- Review the safety plan and hold a site orientation for every worker.
- Confirm the contractor’s schedule matches the procurement schedule.
- Set up the cost and schedule reports you will use each week.
- Agree on how field questions get answered and how fast.
- Walk the site with the contractor and note access, laydown areas, and utility needs.
Phase 5: Construction
Your job now is to keep safety, quality, cost, and schedule in view at the same time.
- Hold a safety meeting at the start of each shift or week, based on the work planned.
- Inspect work against the drawings and specifications as it is built.
- Compare actual progress to the schedule every week.
- Review cost forecasts, not only costs already spent.
- Log every change, price it, and get approval before work proceeds.
- Answer contractor questions within a set time.
- Audit the work at planned points to catch problems while they are small.
Phase 6: Commissioning and Start-Up
Many projects lose weeks here because nobody planned for it. Begin this work during design, not after mechanical completion.
- Build the commissioning plan while construction is underway.
- Complete factory and site acceptance testing for key systems.
- Check loops, interlocks, and safety systems before you introduce process material.
- Train operators on the final systems and procedures.
- Keep design and construction staff available during start-up.
Phase 7: Closeout
Closeout is easy to rush, and the cost of a poor one shows up for years.
- Collect as-built drawings, manuals, test records, and warranties.
- Complete the punch list and confirm each item is closed.
- Hand the plant over with a formal turnover package.
- Reconcile final costs against the budget.
- Hold a lessons-learned meeting and write down what you will change next time.
What to Look For in a Partner
Before you hire a firm, ask a few direct questions.
1. Does one team handle engineering, procurement, and construction management, or will you coordinate several firms?
2. Does the firm review constructability during design?
3. What is their safety record, and can they show it?
4. How do they report cost and schedule, and with which tools?
5. What share of their work comes from repeat clients?
The answers tell you how the project will run.
Why I Recommend Eichleay
Eichleay is a family-owned industrial engineering firm that delivers engineering, procurement, and construction management services for industrial facilities. The Eichleay name has been in project delivery since 1875, and the company is still 100 percent family owned. Five generations of the family have led businesses in engineering and construction.
Several points match the checklist above.
- One firm for the full project. They keep all major engineering disciplines in-house and offer procurement and construction management, so you work with one team instead of many suppliers.
- Construction management from start to finish. Their team acts as a single point of contact. They review constructability during design, manage safety, quality, cost, and schedule in the field, and support commissioning, start-up, and turnover.
- Strong project controls. Their team uses Primavera P6, EcoSys, Power BI, Aspen Capital Cost Estimator, and NetPoint for cost, schedule, and reporting.
- Procurement involved at the start. Their specialists handle bid evaluation, expediting, and third-party inspections to help equipment arrive ready to install.
- A safety record you can check. They report zero OSHA recordable or lost workday cases since 2014 and an Experience Modification Rate of 0.67.
- Repeat clients. About 91 percent of their business comes from clients who return.
They also serve the process sector with fast-track experience, and they work from four offices in the western United States: Billings, Ferndale, Larkspur, and Orange. Their work covers energy and chemical, life sciences, food and beverage, and mining and metals, so a process plant owner will find familiar work in their history.
Put the Checklist to Work
Print this list and share it with your project team. Mark each item as your project moves through the phases, and ask your construction manager to explain any item you cannot check off. If you are choosing a partner, compare Eichleay against your other options using the questions above, and let the answers guide your decision.
