Early Guidance to Owner on Design-One, Build-Many Approach

Overview

Vista implemented a comprehensive for a client looking to implement a design-one, build-many approach for a long-term asset development program.

Client

A major oil and gas owner-operator required a better turnover solution for construction, commissioning and operations than traditional systems were capable of

Project/Facility

Major, multi-site design-one, build many upstream greenfield facility

Situation

A client embarking on a long-term asset development program wanted to implement a design-one, build-many approach and sought advice early in the planning phases on how a digital execution approach could reduce the cost of the project.

The client had aggressive cost targets relative to similar projects in the region. The challenge to the integrated engineering team was to make the project economically viable in a down market by producing a design that could be constructed for 30% less than the previous best-in-class facilities in operation.

Solution

After reviewing multiple options, the team decided to implement an owner-controlled technical data portal. The portal was a web-based application that allows users to organize, validate, and collaborate on asset data and documents regardless of their source and location.

The portal provided a single access point for all engineering and design data, and documents that were expansible for use by asset maintenanceAsset maintenance is the act of maximizing the life of an asset through the application of various software applications that are capable of… and operations.

All contractors were required to perform their work within the owner’s hub.

Outcomes

The results through the concept phase and front-end engineering design (FEED) have been very positive with the project achieving a 15% cost savings and even more savings are expected during detailed engineering. These cost savings were the result of:

Improved collaboration and transparency for all project stakeholders
Time saved by all project participants being able to quickly and easily find accurate information
Management and non-technical staff were able to access technical information and track progress directly without relying on reporting by individual disciplines
Integration of P&IDs with the line list, instrument index and 3D model enabling attribute based comparisons leading to enhanced quality at significantly reduced cost
Greater detail and 3D model integration with SLD and cable schedule for improved cost certainty (electrical discipline)
50% reduction in duration to produce Class 3 Estimate
Class 3 Estimate: electrical and instrumentation quantities taken straight from design tools
Class 3 Estimate: improved accuracy and reliability and the ability to reproduce it from the engineering databases easily

Lessons Learned

It is a common misconception that a digital execution approach is too rigorous and slow for use in the early engineering phases. However, our specialized consulting experience indicates that a well-planned digital execution strategy can reduce costs by up to 15% and produce better results in the early engineering phases and sets up the project for even greater results in the latter project phases.