Operational Readiness Consulting

If you are starting up a new capital project and searching for a partner to help you ensure your project finishes on budget and on schedule, and starts at designed specifications, we can help.

What is Operational Readiness? An interview with Brian Dahlberg

What is Operational Readiness?

Operational Readiness enables you to start up a new capital project with operational excellence. Having a program management system that incorporates construction, commissioning, and operational readiness activities significantly improves the likelihood that your project will be completed within budget, schedule and at design specifications.

Starting up a new capital project can be a daunting task, whether the project is $100M or $10B. According to industry statistics the success rate for meeting all three areas (cost budget, schedule, and at design specifications) is less than 31%.

To gain a competitive advantage the custodian of a capital project needs a program management system that includes all functional areas. To ensure long-term, sustainable operations you need an installed capital base that will operate to design specification. You also need an operational readiness program that ensures smooth operations from day one: commissioning, startup plan, hired and trained workforce, all operating supplies, raw material delivery, and maintenance spare parts.

What are the benefits of Operational Readiness?

Project deadlines and milestones are met: By anticipating and addressing risks and roadblocks you can maintain project momentum and achieve higher availability sooner
A prepared workforce: With a prepared workforce you are less likely to have operational errors, cost overruns and schedule delays
Reduced overall life cycle costs: Aligning design and construction elements with business and operations needs results in lower operating costs over the life of your capital project

How LCE can help you achieve Operational Readiness

LCE’s Operational Readiness experts can provide complete project risk assessment and mitigation planning from your project’s design phase through to steady-state operations. Our program management system includes assessing the risks involved in a capital project; identifying and tracking the activities required to manage those risks; and using a structured approach to identify and remedy deficiencies in 14 functional areas that need to be adequately prepared for project startup.

Operational Risk Assessment: Identify risks to a new operation early enough to confirm strategy and put in place cost-effective mitigation measures
Integrated Master Schedule (IMS): Provide all project participants with a consistent tool for planning, executing and tracking activity
Checkpoint Process: LCE’s checkpoint process provides a roadmap that validates deliverables at multiple points throughout the project