W3.2_Agbato Busayo_Engineering Design Rework

Problem Recognition, definition and evaluation

In engineering design, deliverables (drawings and documents) are generated and approved for construction by the client. When such deliverables are accepted by client, it is often assumed that the project is completed. But in practice, this is not so, because during construction (which could be some years after designs were completed) there are usually issues that manifests, and this often requires re-engineering / correction. At this stage, there is always a problem between client and design contractor because client will want contractor to effect these corrections, which at times are substantial, at no cost and the contractor will want client to pay the service. Using the Fishbone and Pareto chart methods of root cause analysis, the following were discovered to be the root cause for most rework in engineering design:

· Poor engineering by engineering design contractor due to limited experience, insufficient supervision of deliverables generated by subordinates by leads, use of multiple specifications on single project because a single specification is not thorough enough.

· Poor or non implementation of client’s comments by contractor due to poor communication between the lead that went for the review session with client and subordinates that implement the comments.

· Poor design reviews by client’s engineering services team, due to limited experience, overloading by being responsible for many projects of the company, limited understanding of their scope of work making it impossible for them in most cases to detect fault before construction

· Late execution/construction of designed project

· Construction company weakness in design engineering; thus their not been able to handle minor design changes without recourse to design engineering contractor

Development of feasible Alternatives / Solutions (Alternatives)

These alternatives were considered in solving the problem.

Alternative 1: Client should always ensure that deliverables are thoroughly corrected, before approving for construction and acceptance from design engineering contractor.

Alternative 2: Client should make contractor to sign an undertaking that any design rework during Construction will be borne by contractor.

Alternative 3: Client should ensure thorough revision of deliverables before accepting them and make available fund provision for construction support by design engineering contractor.

Alternative 4: Client should include in their design engineering contracts rework incentives.

Development of outcomes and cost implication

Alternative 1: Client ensuring that deliverables are thoroughly correct is the right thing to do but in practice it is not always so. Some issues are still not detected until during construction, and this could be critical such that engineering design rework will be required and the construction contractor may not be able to resolve it or cost more if the construction contractor should do it, and also may take time for him to do it, especially if it involves modeling, calculations etc. Also the design contractor may want to charge for this correction claiming that it is the responsibility of theirs and the client and there by passing bucks to the detriment of the project.

Alternative 2: Making design contractor to sign an agreement of liability may be difficult and if is done, the contractor will build this risk into his estimates for this liability unknown to the client, thus increasing the initial design cost of the project.

Alternative 3: Thorough review of deliverables by client will reduce drastically rework due to bad engineering and making fund available for design engineer’s construction support will make it easier for any correction to design during construction to be absorbed by client and design engineering contractor, with each taking up some responsibilities. And if there is no need for any post construction support apart from rework, it will be easy to share the risk and, there will be fund also for the client to handle unknowns.

Alternative 4: Client can include in their engineering services contract agreement provision for low engineering design rework Index incentives. This could motivate engineering design contractor to ensure thorough design output, but will not properly cater for construction supports by design engineering contractor which in practice are inevitable.

Selection Criteria

CRITERIA WEIGHT

1) Generation of high quality deliverable 5

2) Reduction in cost of project 4

3) Ease of solution to problems in project 2

4) Cordiality of team work relationship in project 1

5) Project execution on schedule. 3

Analysis and Comparison of the Alternative

Alternatives	High Quality deliverables	Reduction in cost of project	Ease of solution to problems in project	Cordiality of team work relationship in project	Project execution on schedule.	Ranking
	WEIGHT
	5	4	2	1	3
Alternative 1	3	1	1	2	1	26
Alternative 2	3	1	1	1	1	25
Alternative 3	3	2	2	2	2	35
Alternative 4	3	1	1	2	2	29

KEY: BEST – 3, FAIR – 2, WORST - 1

Alternative 1: may not lead to additional design engineering cost, but may lead to difficulty in proffering solution to problems of engineering during construction, it can strain business relationship, negatively impact schedule because of back passing between client and design contractor.

Alternative 2: will lead to increase in initial cost of engineering, negatively impact schedule, because design contractor may delay in effecting correction buy not making the rework an important thing to do and it also can lead to client - contractor skepticism.

Alternative 3: will lead to quality deliverables, reduction in overall cost of project, brings about quick solution to design engineering problem, encourage cordial relationship and make project to be completed on schedule relatively.

Alternative 4: Though could ensure quality design engineering deliverables, it may not take into consideration provisions for design engineering contractor’s construction supports which these days are inevitable.

Selection of Preferred Alternative

From these analyses and criteria above, alternative 3 will be the preferred alternative. It has adequate allowance to accommodate all engineering design rework risks and gives adequate support during construction.

Performance Monitoring / Post Evaluation

All challenges associated with design correction during construction will be mitigated by:

i. ensuring engineering design are thorough enough to eliminate rework

ii. Construction support fund should be budgeted, and used only when necessary.

References

1. Sullivan, W. G., Wick, E. M., & Koelling, C. P. (2009) Engineering Economy 14^th Edition.

2. www.engr.orst.edu/~rogged

3. The Memory Jogger 2 Pg. 112, 122