Commissioning in the Open Shop World

Over the last decade, the New York City construction industry has seen a sizable shift toward open-shop projects. This trend, which started on smaller residential buildings, is now being deployed in larger, more complex projects that have historically required union labor to complete. The open-shop environment has created new opportunities for both contractors and the workers they employ, but the broader, more diverse talent pool has created consistency challenges and concerns that traditionally have not been an issue with unionized labor.

There is often an experience gap with open shop projects and labor when it comes to the more complex MEP systems of these large facilities. While the industry has seen a shift towards open-shop projects, it’s simultaneously been balancing the evolution of MEP system technologies and management tools including cloud-based solutions, edge computing and IIoT capabilities within the technologies themselves.

This rapidly changing complexity of system solutions has made it difficult for building owners and construction managers to ensure they are selecting technologies and implementing commissioning efforts that will provide long-term savings and operational efficiency. In addition, it’s important to make sure all systems are properly installed, and the equipment is thoroughly tested – which can be difficult for teams that are not as savvy regarding the latest advancements and a system’s full potential.

At Veritas, we believe that with proper support and guidance, quality can be maintained at the same levels that building owners have come to expect, even when incorporating open-shop labor. As with any project, having a leader or quarterback who understands all of the minute details, the critical elements of a system, and the complexities of getting them to all work in unison can be the driving force that leads team success. In these cases, it’s beneficial for the owner to have a commissioning provider on board that takes a hands-on approach and can work with a team to ensure all systems and operations are working harmoniously. This way, the property owner can save time and money, while eliminating the stressful concerns over whether or not the job is up to par.

Historically, an over-generalized stereotype of commissioning providers is the expectation of the “red carpet” treatment – meaning that their involvement mostly begins once the contractors have provided assurance that everything is fully operational. In reality, while the contractors can often get 95% to the finish line, that last 5% is both the most complicated and critical to successfully bringing systems online. It is here that Veritas sets itself apart from the competition.

Our engineers understand not just how systems work, but also the necessary steps needed to get there. When called upon, we will provide step-by-step guidance to the project team on exactly where they are falling short and what’s needed to get them back on track, and how to maximize savings by enhancing efficiency. Regardless of the contracted team’s experience level, Veritas engineers can ensure that each team member understands what they need to do to get the system online and operational.  

While recognizing the important role of formal close-out documentation, we understand that what our clients really care about is a delivering a system that provides them with confidence. To that end, we are capable of seamlessly transforming from commissioning authority to commissioning liaison as the need arises. Our team has the knowledge and experience to prioritize and manage all steps in the process. For open-shop projects, having such a consultant on the team helps to hedge the potential risk associated with pursuing other cost savings avenues.