Continuous Improvement Manager Beta Engineering Pineville, Louisiana, United States
Description and Background: As the world transitions to renewable energy, utilities face tremendous budgetary pressure and time constraints to upgrade and expand our electrical grid. Typically, firms building high-voltage substations and transmission line projects use siloed design and construction methodologies. Beta Engineering explored integrated approaches using 3D models combined with commitment-based schedules to bring stakeholders visibility and transparency throughout the course of a project, allowing for greater coordination. From the pre-construction design phase through the project lifecycle, critical decisions are identified earlier than normal, resulting in time savings, and therefore cost savings. With Integrated Design & Construction (IDC) methodologies and Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM), project teams can resolve potential conflicts before they negatively impact the project and answer questions before they are even asked. This method establishes a platform for record keeping, brings ideas for efficiency and repeatability to light, and provides one stop for all project information. As an added bonus, the project is visually presented in a way that is appealing and understandable, not just for the owner, but for all stakeholders. Our experience implementing IDC found that identifying the critical chain and creating a virtual animation of construction early in the project lifecycle results in timely resolutions to potential conflicts, as well as budget and schedule savings.
