Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/264715
18 FEDA News & Views Foster Frable We all know that profit margins are tightening while customer demand is expanding, so finding ways to make each and every business process as predictable as possible will reduce errors and avoid equipment damage. Of course, this strategy improves profit margins and keeps customers happy. What's not to like? On the other hand, Avoiding Damage to Equipment During and After Installation if solving this problem was easy, we'd all be doing it. As consultants, we routinely see exam- ples of process and procedure mishaps during project delivery and installa- tions. Sadly, many of these errors are repeated over and over, even though associated setbacks could clearly be pre- vented if effective processes were in place. Preventing equipment damage pre- and post-installation should be the goal, and inexpensive and sustainable solutions to safeguard vulnerable equip- ment are attainable. It's really all about thinking creatively and managing com- munication, so let's take a look at some low-hanging-fruit solutions. Addressing the Root of the Problem Much of the equipment damage we see is the result of improper sequencing or scheduling of equipment deliveries. Significant damage is caused by tradespeople working around or on top of equipment that was installed well before the space was ready. Some of this is driven by scheduling errors made by the general contractor (GC) or project manager (PM) and is often rooted in misunderstandings about lead-time requirements. A common misconception is that commercial kitchen equipment requires lead times of four to six months, or more. While this is sometimes the case with highly custom fabrication or equipment imported from Europe, for the most part this is not a reasonable assumption for most projects. Inexperienced contractors or construction managers often incorrectly assume that the hookups for equipment require more time than is realistic. The end result of this miscon- ception results in too-early equipment delivery, and units getting dropped into spaces that don't have ceilings, lights, or sometimes even finished walls. It's nearly impossible to protect equipment from damage in situations where space is still under construction. Insist on great communication with the GC and PM to develop realistic schedules at the start of the project. This is a critical step. Review and adjust (if need be) the schedules at four weeks out, and then two weeks out before scheduling the shipping and installation dates. Solutions may be as simple as field measuring all doors and openings as part of a pre-installation check list. These could be computer-matched to the sizes of the items in a project list or PO. For large pieces of equipment, this is required. Perhaps AutoQuotes could develop a simple routine that allows inputting the access dimensions, which could then be By Foster Frable Jr., Clevenger Frable LaVallee fosterf@cfldesign.com easily compared with the opening sizes. Getting a three-door roll-in into a tight kitchen or up a stairway always takes care- ful field measurement, but most other item measurements can also be verified on paper before the real things get stuck in a doorway. For especially large and heavy equipment, build a quick wood mockup from left-over shipping con- tainers for those really challenging pieces. An empty wood box weighing 30-40 pounds is easily moved. Maneuver the mockup down the stairs and through that tight hallway. If the mockup doesn't fit, the real thing won't either. Far better to know ahead than to have a 900-pound refrigerator stuck in a stairway with no place to go. Vendors Can Make a Difference Equipment manufacturers also have opportunities, and frankly the responsibility, to prevent damage. For example, equipment packing leaves a lot to be desired. Whether because of environmental concerns or motivation to reduce packing material and labor, some equipment simply needs more protection during both shipping and installation phas- es. In particular, fragile parts should be shipped in separate packaging that can be installed on the equipment after it's safely in place. Grills and louvers on compressors, as well as the housings and access panels on bottoms of equipment like oven burner covers, are vulnerable to damage during shipment and rig- ging, and then again during the finishing of the kitchen space. If grills, louvers, and access doors were shipped in separate boxes inside refrigerators or strapped to the top of the range for installation—after the unit is installed and all the work continued on page 32