Modern Building Services

MODERN BUILDING SERVICES JUNE 2021 11 FEATURE COMMISSIONING So where is commissioning management now? Prettymuch everymajor project (and quite a few smaller ones) now has a commissioningmanagement function involved, usually bolted on to themain contractor’s organisation. OK, so sometimes this is only because it gets the developer another BREEAMpoint, but it ismore often because the project team recognise that thewide range of systems in a building needs a particular skill set to pull themall together to provide the client with a properly co-ordinated building. The fact that the function does have a particular skill set not found across the building industry in general is underlined by the popularity of the Commissioning Specialists Association’s (CSA) “Introduction to Commissioning Management” training course that has been running for the last few years. This draws interest frommany facets of the construction industry, not just the commissioning industry. Today’s commissioningmanager needs an appreciation of many different types of equipment and systems – remember, the basic building environment is still provided by fans and pumps pushing air, chilled water and heating water around the building which is all operated by electricity running along cables to feed control panels and lighting. It is the way those basic systems are interfaced and controlled in an ever more sophisticatedmanner that is changed and the commissioning management role is perfectly placed to identify and deal with any gaps in the way those systems interact. Accepting all of that, where is commissioning management heading? The contention is that the following influences will affect the role over the next few years: 1. Breadth of Focus – more and more people in the building services industry are in roles where they have a very narrow view of the world. They have a specific work package to look after, and they must devote all their energy to getting those works completed on time and on budget – or as near as they can get! 2. Commercial Emphasis – it does not matter what form of contract is in place, be it JCT, NEC, etc., the importance of getting the money right will not diminish – see 1 above. 3. Bureaucracy – everyone hates paperwork, right? Correct. The drawback is that it is not going to go away. And it is not just that, it is the complexity of it. Plonking a stack of test sheets on the desk will not cut it anymore. 4. Building sustainability and energy efficiency will be ever more important, especially as governments introduce more stringent targets – are carbon neutral commercial buildings a realistic target? So, tomorrow’s commissioning manager must: a) Have a holistic viewof the different systems and be fully aware of the ways inwhich they interface.Yes, it doesmean taking time to identify those interfaces, being aware of their importance in proving systems and acting as a co- ordinator between the narrowly focussed packagemanagers so that the right bits of the systems come together at the right time tomeet the project requirements, but no one else is going to do it. b) Have an appreciation of the commercial aspects of the work packages, but not necessarily to be concerned with the last couple of pounds. It is more to do with convincing people that spending a few extra pounds now to get the systems dovetailing correct saves money in the long term. c) Be on top of the paperwork! The adage that ‘if it isn’t written down it never happened’ is truer than ever before. The basic commissioning of a systemgenerates a test sheet pack. But it needs to be presented as a proper report to identify the scope, summarise the results and provide conclusions about the success (or otherwise) of the exercise. The next step is dealing with interfaces between systems. These often do not generate off the shelf test sheets so require the production of bespoke check sheets that again need to be compiled into a proper report. Perhaps the real skill at this point is making sure the report audit trails passmuster. An interface between systems has two ends. Make sure the reports cover both ends! Of course, none of the above mentions the programme aspect; and that is deliberate. It has always been an issue and will continue to be so, but that is another story. Are there distinct project management aspects to where the commissioning manager role might be going? Is that a natural progression resulting from the developments in the construction industry? The CSA feels that it is a distinct possibility. That is why they are looking at extending and developing their training efforts into the project management sphere. For further information on the training programmes and other services offered by the CSA, please contact Secretary, Julie Parker, on 01403 754133 , by email at office@csa.org.uk or via the website www.csa.org.uk