There are many common misconceptions about building commissioning and whether or not the resulting benefits will outweigh the upfront costs. In this blog, PBA’s Director of Contract Administration & Commissioning, Randy M. Wisniewski and PBA Chairman, Peter J. Basso, explore one of those benefits - the peer review process, and how the knowledge and direction gained from peer review alone, can help offset the project’s commissioning fee, greatly enhancing the owner’s bottom line.
Review Team Qualifications:
Commissioning reviews during the design process involve an element of peer review, which can potentially contribute significantly to the success of a project. The degree of benefit is primarily dependent on the specific Commissioning Agent/Review Team. Those whose experience includes a strong design background, coupled with years of hands-on experience in the actual on-site portion of the commissioning process, will be able to provide far more valuable review input than those who utilize a technician-driven process based on generic check lists.
A "second set of knowledgeable eyes" will, in addition to spotting issues critical to the commissioning process itself, also identify design/quality improvements along with potential cost saving measures. The end result of this is true value engineering, rather than the common practice of cost cutting and cheapening that does the owner a disservice.
Peer Review Example:
A recent commissioning project serves as an example of the potential benefits that may be realized from the input of knowledgeable, experienced peer reviewers. Review comments included a number of notable design concerns, along with quality improvement recommendations and cost saving suggestions, the value of which exceeded the entire commissioning fee for the project.
At PBA, a basic level of peer review is an inherent part of our commissioning process. As in the example above, a more comprehensive level of peer review is also offered- in conjunction with commissioning or as a separate service.
To learn more about our commissioning services including design reviews, download our Commissioning Playbook: https://web.peterbassoassociates.com/mep-engineering-building-commissioning-playbook
To speak with one of our commissioning experts, call us at: (248)879.5666 or email us at pbainfo@pbanet.com
