During the commissioning phase, functional testing procedures are performed, interoperability problems are resolved, and energy usage is optimised for enhanced performance and efficiency. Here are five project commissioning best practices for you to consider, including planning, factory acceptance testing (FAT), mechanical completions, construction quality and schedule management. Click to know more: https://www.global-cxm.com/commissioning/

1. 5 Project Commissioning Best
Practices for You to Consider

2.  In project management,
commissioning is a crucial phase. For
the stakeholders involved as well as
the entire project team, project
commissioning is the only way to
ensure that the project is in
accordance with the regulatory
requirements and the design
document.
 During the commissioning phase,
functional testing procedures are
performed, interoperability problems
are resolved, and energy usage is
optimised for enhanced performance

3.  In a construction setting, building
commissioning firms need to ensure
that all facets of the project are
appropriately installed, designed,
maintained and tested.
 The tasks of a commissioning
engineer entail tracking progress,
troubleshooting potential issues,
carrying out tests, helping with
financial improvements, conducting
audits and preparing reports while
being a dedicated supporter of the
owner of the project throughout the
entire construction phase.

4.  During the project commissioning
phase, a single wrong step can lead to
regulatory and legal issues as well as
client losses.
 By and large, the effectiveness of the
commissioning phase relies heavily on
the expertise and experience of the
building commissioning firm and also
on how well the process is
implemented.
 Here are five project commissioning
best practices for you to consider.

5. 1. Planning:
Construction projects are highly
dynamic and comprise several moving
components.
The commissioning management must
stay on top of everything, and hence it
is utterly important to have a foolproof
commissioning plan in place.
Preferably, the owners of the project
should involve a building
commissioning firm prior to the design
phase and the operation phase.

6. This will allow the commissioning
engineer to act as an intermediary
between the contracting and design
team to ensure complete adherence to
the owner's project requirements
(OPR).
Such an early engagement ensures that
commissioning is part of the entire
project delivery plan.
Planning also includes defining the
commissioning schedule, scope and
budget as well as bringing in an efficient
commissioning team.

7. In the planning phase, the
commissioning team should also agree
on the distribution format, the system
and the documentation of problems.
The best way to do this is by having a
cloud-based commissioning
management system.
A design initiation meeting with the
whole project team will ensure that
everyone involved is on the same page
while being fully aware of the
commissioning and design plan
requirements.

8. The commissioning plan should
consist of a contingency plan to
handle unanticipated situations like
adverse weather conditions or
equipment failure that can delay the
commissioning phase.
Hence, it is important to develop
project commissioning checklists and
procedures well before the
commissioning activities.
2. Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT):
Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)
assesses pre-functional equipment as
well as checks if it is in accordance with

9. Being an important part of the
commissioning phase, it should be
performed soon after purchase and also
regularly once the use of equipment
starts.
Any failure to implement FAT
appropriately put off issues that can later
prove to be very costly to resolve and
can leave a more devastating impact.
For instance, poorly implemented FAT
for automation like failure to involve the
PLC logic design may lead to a giant
problem towards the completion of the

10. For HVAC systems, a test and balance
procedure is carried out as part of FAT.
FAT should ideally be part of the entire
project testing strategy.
It is therefore recommended to follow a
proactive approach to Factory Acceptance
Testing and resolve issues and fix errors
before it is too late.
3. Mechanical Completions:
In general, every mechanical completion
appears as simple as a subsystem.
But, things may turn complex as soon as
you throw in a couple of systems with
delivery sequences and milestones.

11. Complex handovers and missed
milestones can affect the successful
delivery of the project.
You should have appropriate
mechanical completions to smooth out
the handover process. Here is how you
can achieve this:
• Define every mechanical completion
beforehand:
Put out the expectations at the beginning
of the project while mentioning when
mechanical completions are supposed to
align with the commissioning activities.

12. • Define the boundary:
Commissioning and construction
activities usually overlap to enhance the
schedule of the project.
Mechanical completion documentation
outlines the areas that are under
construction (under the custody and
control of the construction team) and
also the areas that are under testing
(under the custody and control of the
commissioning team).

13. 4. Construction Quality:
The system quality obtained from the
construction team decides the success of
the commissioning phase.
The construction team should execute a
quality management system (QMS).
The QMS describes the quality control
(QC) role and quality assurance (QA) role
of the construction team and the project
owner, respectively.
Inspection test plans (ITPs) outlines
details of quality control. The QA further
makes sure that the contractor adheres to
the QC and ITP plans.

14. Below par installations that can’t be
assessed and are needed to be handed
over to the construction team signify a
faulty QMS with poor QC and QA.
Moreover, test procedures created at
the start of the project are a sure-fire
way to smooth out the commissioning
process and boost construction quality.
5. Schedule Management:
The schedule changes constantly and
requires regular update. Hence,
schedule management is critical to
successful commissioning.

15. To avoid turning schedule management
into a task, the schedule should just
include block activities representing an
outcome.
For instance, if there is just a week for
loop checks to be carried out on an
automated system, mark it as just one-
week activity. It’s not necessary to involve
minute details of every panel being
assessed, given that all are assessed
within a week.
Accurate schedule management is
important for mechanical completions.
The project team monitors progress while
sharing regular feedback to the

16. Productivity is said to be achieved if the
progress is satisfactory with respect to
predefined timelines.
If it is not achieved, remedial measures
should be taken or the impact of
commissioning control sequence
should be determined.
The project team should never be
notified of the probability of a missed
important milestone when it is due –
schedule management lets such an
event to be apparent well before time
for the development of a recovery plan
and figuring out possible options.

17. A Better Way to Oversee the
Commissioning Phase
Many commissioning engineers find it
challenging to handle the commissioning
process because they often rely on
obsolete methods.
Paper and spreadsheets might have
been the only options available several
years ago, but today, there are far better
ways to managing commissioning.
Project commissioning best practices
recommend using advanced
commissioning software to oversee the
whole process.

18. Using a cloud-based commissioning
management system helps streamline and
enhance the commissioning process, so
you could get it right the very first time.
With a powerful commissioning tool, it
becomes easier to perform
commissioning-related activities, like
following pre-commissioning checklist,
recording data by filling up test record, and
having your test scripts automatically
created by uploading your asset list.
An advanced project commissioning
software solution therefore, ensures clear
tracking, traceability and accountability for
every step of the commissioning process
for all your assets and systems.

19. CONNECT WITH US

20. WORK WITH US
https://www.global-
cxm.com/commissioning/
Global Commissioning Management and
Software Ltd
Unit 2, Chestfield Business Park, Whitstable,
Kent, CT5 3JB
+441227649087, +447580017944