When your new project requires an experienced Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) engineer, the last thing you want to do is hand it off to a firm that doesn’t specialize in your industry or listen to your needs. You shouldn’t have to waste time finding an engineering expert for your design solution. Your projects deserve an MEP engineering firm that meets the scope of work and provides support along the way.
Ensure your project is Designed and Managed by Professional MEP Engineers
The services of a qualified MEP consulting firm will provide you with tremendous benefits throughout the life of your facility. The Firm you partner with should strive to maintain code compliance, enhance system performance, optimize energy efficiency, and reduce the operational maintenance required. So how do you know who should trust and partner with?
Professional MEP Engineers maximize the performance and efficiencies of projects while minimizing costs and providing long-term value.
Here are 3 Tips to help you select the right firm for your next project:
- Proven Success Rate for On-Time, High-Quality Deliverables
As the Client, you should look to partner with a firm that goes well beyond the “code minimum” design approach. An ideal firm would be one that leverages current technology and creative design alternatives to deliver high-performing buildings. Regardless of the size of your next project, the MEP Engineering team should have a proven success rate with efficiency and high-quality deliverables.
- Ask questions about the MEP team’s project management methods, their collaboration approach, and the strength of the team’s leadership.
- Request references and deliverable examples. Any professional firm should be happy to put you in touch with their previous clients as well as provide project portfolios and sample deliverables.
- Be wary if they do not have effective management of deliverables
2. Communication Skills that Promote Collaboration Between Teams
Let’s face it, most engineers are not great at taking highly technical concepts and verbalizing them in a simple, easy-to-understand manner. A professional MEP firm should not only be technically proficient but also be adept at explaining highly complex solutions that translates clearly to all project team members. Firms that employ engineers with field experience alongside electricians and HVAC professionals is extremely valuable. They not only understand the intricate details involved in design and construction but also appreciate the challenges associated with operating a facility on a daily basis.
You shouldn’t have to work harder than the engineers to mediate between teams. The MEP Engineering Design Team should be proactive in meeting with your team and fostering collaboration between all project stakeholders. They should schedule all the necessary points of contact to ensure that project requirements are clear and proactively work to address concerns as they arise. Make sure you have established direct communication with Leadership in the Firm so you are ensured continuous and consistent project support.
- Ask who will be the MEP team’s main point of contact. They should be proficient and open and effective communication
- Request examples of how they provide regular project updates
- Be wary if they ask you to coordinate all meetings and drive communication
- COST-EFFECTIVE and Value Added Designs
You deserve a successful project that far outweighs the costs associated during design and construction. The services provided by an MEP Engineer should be viewed as an investment in the long-term success and performance of your buildings. For example, an experienced engineer will not only review the initial investment of installing new assets, but also the expected performance of those assets over their anticipated life cycle. This empowers your capital decisions regarding proper Returns on Investment (ROI) calculations. Make sure to engage the firm’s previous Clients and their Project Portfolio and ask about professional credentials such as their Professional Engineering licensing, Certified Energy Managers (CEM), LEED, and others that are relevant to your projects.
- Ask for Return-on-Investment (ROI) examples for their services.
- Request they review the anticipated life-cycle of new assets over initial investment
- Be wary if they cannot provide the proper licensing or credentialing
You shouldn’t have to worry if an engineering firm will catch details vital to your project. And you should not have to spend valuable time struggling to get answers from an engineer who dropped off Construction Drawings, but won’t pick up the phone. Synergy’s MEP Design Engineers will be with you from the first phone call all the way through Construction Documents and proving the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR). We provide MEP engineering services from design through operations. Click on this QR code to talk to Synergy’s MEP Design Engineers about your next building project.
3 Tips to Choosing a Qualified MEP Engineer