Long-Term Facility Planning: Preparing for Future Industrial Challenges
Picture this: Operations are humming along as per usual, when a new regulation drops and you need to replace a critical piece of equipment, fast. Or maybe you land a new, huge client and demand suddenly spikes, but your facility’s layout can’t handle another line without major disruption.
Situations like these aren’t “what ifs.” We see them happen all the time. The key to navigating future industrial challenges – whether good or bad – comes down to how well you planned ahead. That’s where a trusted, experienced partner in industrial contracting services becomes invaluable.
Let’s explore some expert tips that can help you prepare for future industrial challenges.
Choose a Partner Who Can Handle It All
Coordinating multiple contractors in different trades for different scopes of work slows everything down. But an industrial general contractor with every capability in-house – foundations, electrical, rigging, mechanical, fabrication, and maintenance – makes the process more seamless.
When you work with one team from start to finish, you get:
- Faster project timelines
- Clearer communication across trades
- Better-designed facilities built for present needs and future challenges
Anticipate Change Before It’s Urgent
The industrial landscape evolves rapidly – and will continue to do so in the future. Things like automation, IoT integration, and changing OSHA and EPA standards all impact your operations. When you anticipate changes – even without knowing exactly what they are – you can factor them into your long-term plan to avoid costly retrofits and downtime.
Making future-proof design decisions today will make your life easier tomorrow. For example, reinforcing foundations now to handle heavier equipment later or building in extra utility capacity for future expansion can save tens of thousands down the road.
A skilled industrial contracting company can build in compliance-friendly designs, prepare infrastructure for new technologies and plan phased upgrades that help you stay ahead of industry demands.
Make Maintenance Part of the Plan
More often than not, we see facilities treating maintenance reactively, meaning they wait until something fails before implementing a fix. When you partner with a self-performing team that offers industrial maintenance services, they can schedule preventive and predictive work before a breakdown happens.
Conducting regular industrial maintenance services on your facility has a number of advantages, such as:
- Extends the life of your equipment
- Provides cost savings by avoiding emergency repairs
- Keeps your facility running at peak efficiency at all times
- Improves workplace safety by identifying hazards early
- Reduces unplanned downtime and keeps production schedules intact
Build in Flexibility for Potential Machinery Transfers or Relocation
Even if a move isn’t on your radar today, your facility layout, infrastructure and documentation will make machinery transfers easier when the time comes. We recommend keeping accurate equipment documentation, standardizing electrical connections and maintaining clear access routes for rigging and transport.
By designing and maintaining a flexible environment now, you’ll be better positioned to relocate equipment quickly and safely when the need arises.
Factor Facility Expansion and Renovation into Long-term Planning
Similar to machinery transfers, building in flexibility for the possibility of future expansion or renovation is a smart move. Adaptable floor plans, scalable power distribution and modular work areas mean you can add equipment, production lines or entire departments with minimal interruption. Planning ahead can help you save on costs and downtime if you want to expand or renovate in the future.
Budget with the Future in Mind
Beyond just design and construction, you’ll want to future-proof your budget. Be sure to forecast appropriately, taking future capital improvements into account so you can avoid overspending or scrambling to find funds at the last minute.
Also factor in lifecycle costs for things like maintenance, utility consumption and equipment replacement timelines so you’re budgeting for the true cost of ownership – not just the upfront expense. And remember to build in a contingency fund for unexpected issues. Even the best-laid facility plans can run into surprises.
Here’s the bottom line: Long-term facility planning is your best insurance against an unknown future. With an experienced, self-performing team delivering your industrial contracting services, you can be ready for whatever the coming years throw your way.
Need help future-proofing your industrial facility? The self-performing team at Lee Contracting can put together a plan to help you thrive in the future. Contact us today to learn more.
