Bringing together large groups of people from a vast variety of fields to successfully complete large engineering projects is a humungous task which requires a lot of skills, for which, the role of an engineering consultant is crucial in today’s world. One such efficient engineering consultancy company is the UK based G3 Engineering Pvt. Ltd., which typically provides process plant capital project-multi-discipline engineering and design services. Along with offering procurement, project & construction management, as well as start-up services for a complete turn-key project.
G3 Engineering Pvt Ltd has been in business with its partners for over ten years and has provided services to clients in the UAE, KSA, India, and Europe, and its clients are primarily in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries, along with environmental, municipal, fit-out, and industrial clients. The company exhibits both chemical and general engineering prowess and utilizes a combination of principal-level engineers and designers to provide personalized, professional, cost-effective services to our clients.
In order to delve deeper into the nuances of engineering consultancy and the related aspects, Goa Chronicle had a detailed conversation with Bob Slingerland, CEO, G3 Engineering Pvt Ltd.
How has G3’s journey as an engineering consultant been? What were the ups and downs?
G3 Engineering UK Ltd started its journey with its consultancy services since March 2022 mainly in India, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. After my 40 years of extensive experience in large scale projects around the globe, I have experienced that the EPMC services of EPCM consultancies around the globe, are not helping their clients in successful completion of projects (over budget and behind schedule).
We are not facing ups and downs; we are facing clients not to understand the G3 Engineering way of working. We as G3 Engineering have developed a systematic project approach which will deliver positive value to client as well to the contractors, from Front End Loading (FEL) until handover of the project.
What are the facets of efficient construction management?
Our clients need to understand that G3 Engineering has developed a strategic plan to implement projects successfully from feasibility study until handover of the project, which are the 7 As.
A EPCM Consultant to advise the client to start the project with a decent pre-engineering study.
A decent project budget to be prepared by client preferably with the EPCM Consultant involved.
A communication plan (between client, consultant, contractors) to be prepared and implemented by the EPCM Consultant.
A constructability and risk assessment to be facilitated by the EPCM Consultant with client during basic design. If required by client, we can add at this stage also a value engineering review, to reduce costs when budget requires.
A material and resource plan (aligned between client, consultant and all contractors involved) to be prepared and implemented by the EPCM Consultant.
A project schedule (aligned between client, consultant and all contractors involved) to be developed and implemented by the EPCM Consultant.
A decent and realistic commissioning and handover schedule to be prepared by the EPCM consultant together with the client and all contractors involved.
How is the balance between ‘too much’ and ‘too less’ planning struck during master planning?
There is never a ‘too much’ and ‘too less’ of a Master Schedule. The problem is that EPCM consultants are not been able to develop a decent Master Schedule nowadays. As per our own experience the Master Schedule starts many times in the wrong way.
We, as G3 Engineering, have developed, based on our long time experience, a special project plan in where we can support and guide our clients (and contractors) in a very clear during the engineering and execution of a project. The main objective here is to get the right balance in schedule related to engineering deliverables, procurement, availability of materials, machineries, automation where required and required recourses, and last but not least to not forget to implement a detailed commissioning plan to add in overall project schedule with the right resources (e.g., Production).
What is the concept of forensic engineering?
Forensic engineering has been defined as ‘the investigation of failures, ranging from serviceability to catastrophic, which may lead to legal activity. It includes the investigation of materials, products, structures or components that fail or do not operate or function as intended, causing personal injury, damage to property or economic loss. The field also deals with retracing processes and procedures leading to accidents in operations of machinery.
Generally, the purpose of a forensic engineering investigation is to locate the cause or causes of failure with a view to improve performance or life of a component, or to assist a court in determining the facts of an incident.
What are the different industrial services G3 Engineering is involved in?
G3 Engineering UK Ltd is specialized in: Project and Construction Management, Procurement Support & Services, Civil, Structural and MEP Engineering Services, Pharma and Industrial Projects, Interior design & Refurbishments, Effluent, Water and Sewerage Treatment (ETP, WTP, STP), HVAC & Clean Room Design, Clean Room O&M and Validation, and Green Energy and Sustainable Solutions.
What is digital engineering?
Most of the work is done by software for detail design, BOQ, clashes, and modelling the project; accordingly, output are 2D drawings making it easy to understand how the project looks, implementing all utility and machinery services. This will reduce scope changes, rework, clashes, and costs.
Digital engineering, on the other hand, promises complete digitization of product development, from planning to the creation of 3D models and digital prototyping to communication with customers and testing of various scenarios.
What are the core values on which G3 Engineering runs?
Our core values are: We obey the law.
Obeying the law is the foundation on which our reputation and Guiding Principles are built. As a global organization privileged to do business all over Middle East and Asia, we have the responsibility to comply with all the laws that apply to our businesses.
We conduct our business with integrity.
We take pride in conducting our business with integrity. We compete vigorously but do so fairly and ethically. We do not offer or accept bribes or inappropriate gifts and we comply with the laws and regulations that support fair competition and integrity in the market.
We treat people with dignity and respect.
We achieve our goals through our people. We provide a safe workplace and value the unique contributions of our team, enabling those who support G3 Engineering’s goals to achieve their own individual potential.
We are committed to being a responsible global citizen.
We support the protection of human rights, maintain strict environmental and food safety standards within our operations and share our global knowledge and experience to help meet economic and social challenges.
What benefits of an engineering consultant should be known by everyone?
Cost Effective Efficiency: The biggest and most effective benefit of using an engineering consultant is the improvement of overall efficiency. A good consultant is equipped with the skills and experience to greatly cut down on the time a project or process takes and identify places where cost can be reduced, without impacting overall operations.
Availability of Vital Knowledge: A skilled consultant is also equipped with a wide array of knowledge. Engineering consultants are experienced with the extensive variety of engineering requirements across many industries. Not only can the skills of G3 engineers be utilized in gas, oil, and electric industries, but consultants will also frequently work on infrastructure and environmental projects in many sectors.
Depending on their area of expertise, a consultant can potentially be the missing piece in your project when it comes to in-depth knowledge. This knowledge will then be readily available to be utilized by your organization through targeted analysis of your processes and operations with the consultant.
Savings Costs on Your Operations and Planning: It can be difficult to keep a close eye on your budget when you are managing a facility or a major project. Keeping operations in check can be overwhelming, and if you are not equipped with an easy way to budget and count costs, you can end up overspending. A consultant can offer the added benefit of being able to arrange and organize services with cost always in mind.
Keeping Up with Key Economic and Industry Development: A key part of being a good engineering consultant is keeping up with industry changes. Being a consultant is about more than just using existing knowledge, it is also about adapting to change and implementing new strategies for those who employ your services. A consultant can bring you a fresh, modern perspective in place of outdated methodologies.
