THE BENEFIT OF VALUE ENGINEERING IN INDUSTRIAL &
MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION
By Kyle Kirby, Business Development, Atlantic Millwrights, Inc.
What is Value Engineering?
In the construction industry, value
engineering is defined as the methodical
approach to analyzing specific functions
of a project to determine if there are more
economical alternatives that maintain an
equal or greater standard of quality. The
ultimate goal of value engineering is to
provide optimal value for both short and
long term investments.
How is Value Engineering Applied to Con-
struction Projects?
The ultimate goal of every construction
project is to remain on schedule and with-
in the defined budget. By implementing
value engineering principles companies
can avoid common problems that are
detrimental to every construction project,
such as:
• Forced redesign that results in delays
•
•
or material cost overruns
Downtime based on poor scheduling
Compromised quality in order to cut
costs or remain on schedule
These are just a few examples of negative
occurrences during construction projects.
By going through the value engineering
process, many of these barriers can be
identified early on in the process where
the consequences can be greatly lessened
or even eliminated.
The Value Engineering Process
The best approach to value engineering is
based upon two key stages of a project life
cycle:
1. Planning – Analysis conducted during
the early stages of a project is ex-
tremely valuable in helping to identify
potential obstacles and areas that need
www.WestfaliaUSA.com
to be improved upon. Dedicating
significant time to planning can allow
all stakeholders to communicate any
concerns about the schedule, scope,
design, or budget.
2. Design – During this stage, stakehold-
ers review the proposed design, bud-
get, schedule, and the comprehensive
approach to the project. Doing this
can ensure that the design supports
the overall goals of the project.
For the management team at Atlantic
Millwrights conducting a value analysis is
the first step to any successful industrial
or mechanical construction project. Doing
this gives engineers and managers the
ability to develop a granular plan specific
to each project, no matter the size of the
scope.
The Satellite Review
13