EDITORIAL CAMPAIGN:
THE ESSENTIALNESS OF Cx
CONCLUDING PART OF A THREE-PART SERIES ON COMMISSIONING
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL Today’s market is still suffering from poor commissioning-related competency and general lack of understanding, but it’s not all bad, says Lee Hewitt he perception and understanding of commissioning and commissioning management in the GCC region is gradually changing, and I am pleased to report, it is for the better. It is a long road, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to the ongoing commitment of our Committee members, the GCC’s Commissioning Specialists Association (CSA) has seen evidence of this with a real desire to implement lessons learnt when speaking to clients, and an
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increased LinkedIn following, backed by the sharp uptake of applicants to join our education programme; we are seeing a 21% increase in applicants compared to previous years. More project specifications are calling for CSA-certified businesses or candidates, as developers are realising the added value of a quality service carried out by trained and experienced staff. It appears the market has had time to reassess the negative impact of procuring the most cost-effective vendors to
manage or execute the commissioning process. Whilst the fee may appear higher, it pales into insignificance compared to the cost when projects overrun and are repeatedly delivered late. A great example of this is the current tsunami of work that is occurring in the data centre sector. The potential negative financial consequences if data centres are not finished on time – not to mention the reputational damage to the owner – mean that CAPEX costs, whilst important, are not the ultimate driver. These projects are fast track, technical and require experienced staff to deliver, so their investment is in quality companies to commission the facility on time, the first time around. Not wanting to make the investment would be a counterproductive move. Just think, you wouldn’t want to receive a COVID vaccine from a substandard manufacturer, would you? Another positive as we all face this pandemic together is that responsible business owners and property managers are genuinely concerned that their buildings have been left inactive or are operating under capacity since the gradual
