The Power of Proactive Planning

What are the true effects of delay? Several answers come to mind immediately—cost overruns, scheduling complications, the list goes on. When projects get behind schedule, you’re bound to see these negative effects come into play. That said, many EPCs and owners overlook the impact that delay can have on their projects. You may have heard the saying “delay is the deadliest form of denial.” This adage rings true when it comes to your next project. Delays can at times feel small or harmless at first, but they open the door to rushed work and even compromised safety standards.

We recently completed a large power plant project that felt the full negative impact of delay. The EPC contractor chose to hire a company, who at the bid stage appeared to have the lowest cost impact to the project. While it seemed like this company could do the chemical cleaning on their new boiler at a lower cost, the results were nearly disastrous and our client was left desperate for a solution.

The factors that a low-cost bid can contribute to causing delays and cost overruns include:

• Lack of experience executing the bid work
• Not performing proper engineering for the project
• Inadequate resources to meet the execution standards expected

Here’s where B&W comes in.

The EPC now had no margin for error in choosing their next step. They reached out to us and we deployed our team of experts to the site to evaluate the situation and develop a recovery plan. Our team determined the best course of action was to re-clean the system entirely, ensuring the project would get completed correctly and with the original desired outcomes. Since our client was not confident in the abilities of the previous company, B&W Energy Services took on the project’s full scope to prevent any further damage or mistakes.

The lesson learned here is to connect early with a proven cleaning partner who understands that delay can prove deadly to your project. Trusting B&W Energy Services from the beginning ensures you won’t feel the burn of costly overruns and delays due to inadequate commissioning and pre-commissioning cleaning.

The truth is, the company that appears to be the lowest bid is rarely the lowest cost. It’s critical to examine all bids carefully so you can be sure the services quoted are apples to apples. Doing your homework can save you a lot of time and money.

Don’t get stuck with costly delays. To learn more about how B&W’s team of experts can help keep you on schedule. Get in touch with a member of our team today.