Plant redesign

Service

Name. Plant redesign.

Design object. An existing plant.

Specifics. Design to revamp (i.e., renovate or expand).

Situation

Description. Plant redesign comprises three stages. First, one of the designers is tasked with producing a conceptual design. Then, a small team prepares a preliminary design. Subsequently, a larger team produces a detailed design.

Critical success factors. The principal designer is the only one who masters the stage of conceptual design. Training designers in this stage has not been successful. Since the expertise required is largely unique, hiring is not an option.

Current position. In the stage of conceptual design, the plant redesign service is:

• Valuable.
• Not rare.
• Inimitable.
• Not sufficiently organized.

Ambition

Kind of advantage to achieve. Higher team performance.

Formulation. The key man risk in the stage of conceptual design is mitigated.

Indicators. The success of mitigating the key man risk in the stage of conceptual design is determined as follows:

• #X designers master this stage.
• The onboarding of designers in this stage takes at most #Y weeks.

Possibilities

Options. Ways to mitigate the key man risk in the stage of conceptual design:

• Learn to produce a conceptual design as the principal designer does.

Analysis. Worth pursuing.

Frame

To mitigate the key man risk in the stage of conceptual design, focus on what makes the principal designer’s way of working unique:

• Learn to produce a conceptual design as the principal designer does.

Expectations

Ways to mitigate the key man risk in the stage of conceptual design to revamp:

1. Learn to produce a conceptual design as the principal designer does.
2. Learn to produce a conceptual design according to a common way of working.

Problem

Question. How can designers learn how to produce a conceptual design as the principal designer does?

Issue. Designers need to display commercial acumen. Not every designer possesses this tacit, innate skill.

Issue. Only the principal designer knows how to execute the following activities:

• Estimate the required effort.
• Determine the process flow.
• Appraise customer traits.
• Analyse a concept.

Prognosis. Favourable: there are possibilities to do something about it.

Concept

Question. How can designers learn to produce a conceptual design as the principal designer does?

Idea.

• Secure the principal designer’s know-how to execute specific activities to produce a conceptual design:
  • Estimate the required effort.
  • Determine the process flow.
  • Appraise customer traits.
  • Analyse a concept.
• Ensure that only designers with commercial acumen are tasked with producing a conceptual design.

Solution

Idea. Secure the principal designer’s know-how to execute specific activities to produce a conceptual design.

Action.

1. Find out how the principal designer knows how to execute the following activities:
   • Estimate the required effort.
   • Determine the process flow.
   • Appraise customer traits.
   • Analyse a concept.

2. Teach designers how to execute the following activities:
   • Estimate the required effort.
   • Determine the process flow.
   • Appraise customer traits.
   • Analyse a concept.

Solution

Idea. Ensure that only designers with commercial acumen are tasked with producing a conceptual design.

Action.

1. Circumscribe or illustrate what it means that a designer displays commercial acumen.
2. Train the responsible manager in recognizing designers with commercial acumen.
3. Include displaying commercial acumen as a condition in the standard operating procedure for tasking a designer with producing a conceptual design.