My Preferred Design Process

Published: Tue 05 November 2024

The first question that I ask when I'm approached to help on a project is, "What's the scope of work?". But, about 50% of the time the person asking doesn't really know. But, unless it is really early in development they DO have a budget. Which I always find weird, how did they develop a budget without knowing what needs to happen. So there is a dance and we come to some sort of agreement and move forward.

When I first noticed this happening when I started JMK Engineering, I developed an internal document that I would share with clients and more often their project managers that were thrown into the deep end without training. It was a one page design project framework that they could use to put together their gantt charts, etc.

I think its time that I share it with anyone that's interested so that we can continue to develop it. Work on the same page.

This document starts after the business development and front end engineering and development (FEED) has be completed. I may have to create another one for that part of the process, I've already talked about the FEED for solar projects and its something that can be made more generalized.

This also assumes a design-bid-build process, but can be massaged for a design-build or any other project execution method.

Design Project Framework

This project framework is from the context of the engineering firm versus the client.

This framework has three columns:

Project Phases
Drawing Tiers
Document Tiers

Project Phases

These project design phases are slightly different from the Project Phases that I mentioned in the cookie post last week. These phases are just there as a way to break up Phase 1 and 2 (and a little 0) in that example.

Within the project phases we include some pre-award phases, these would include the FEED, RFP development, the business Basis of Design, etc.

At the end of each phase there is a decision gate. Once that gate has been passed making a change becomes more onerous. As like any process the next step depends on the previous and that means as the project develops more and more parts of the project start to tree out and depend on the core documents.

Drawing Tiers

There are a lot of different drawing types and styles. They include:

P&ID
SLDs (One Lines, Single Line Diagrams)
General Arrangements
Network Diagrams
Process Flow Diagrams
Control Schematics
I/O Schematics
Equipment details
Elevations
Panel Layouts
Wiring Diagrams
etc ...

The tiers for these drawings indicate the when they are developed during the design process. For example, one of the first drawings that I will sketch is the SLD for the project, or redline the existing SLD with the new project information.

From there the layout of the equipment is decided, at least the general areas. The west end of the plant, this general address, etc.

The drawings will continue to be development and refinement throughout the project design process.

Document Tiers

Similar to the drawing tiers above there are documents that are produced during the design process.

Some of the typical documents for most industrial projects are:

Functional Narrative
Naming Standards/Scheme
Basis of Design
Design Memo
Load List
I/O List
Functional Descriptions
Process Narratives
Control Narratives
Instrument List
Material List
Cable List
etc ...

The larger and more complex the project, the more of these documents are used.

When are the documents issued?

For each of the project design phases there is agreement or approval from the project stakeholders. What's assembled for the phase will be drawings, reports, memos, etc of differing levels of completness.

The revision description will typically read:

Issued for Review (IFR), or
Issued for Approval (IFA)

A review package will typically be from 10-50% complete. A approval package will be anywhere from 66-95% complete, in any case the substaintial topics will be figured out and included in the document.

The Tier Flow

The drawing and document tiers are broken into 4 levels, starting at 0, the initial sketch level. Tier 0 is where the initial business development and front-end engineering is fleshed out.

By the time that the fourth tier of drawings and documents are completed and ready for implementation.

How does this help?

The hardest thing about any design project isn't the technology, or complexity, or integrating into an existing system.

Its communication.

Communicating the project requirements, from business, technical, operational, etc is rarely the easiest part. A lot of engineers don't talk business, and vice-versa.

Having a process and clear breaks to make sure that the project design is meeting the goals, and staying within the initial scope, is a great way to stay on course. Its a good place to make sure that communication is clear and for everyone to ask questions, clarify anything that has been put to paper, etc.