When a company decides to build a new industrial plant, a distribution center, or a specialized facility, one of the first questions is usually: how long do we need to be operational?
The answer depends on much more than the duration of the project. An industrial project encompasses design decisions, technical validations, permits, contracting, construction, equipment installation, and operational testing. If any of these activities are delayed, it can affect the start date of operations, even when the building appears to be finished.
Therefore, planning a Built-to-Suit project involves establishing a work path from defining the requirements to delivering a facility ready for its intended use.
The goal is not to promise a date without knowing the project's conditions. It's to identify critical activities, anticipate dependencies, and make timely decisions to reduce uncertainty.
What determines the duration of a Built-to-Suit project?
A Built-to-Suit project is developed around the specific requirements of a company. Unlike a generic building that is adapted later, decisions about dimensions, structure, installations, and layout are made considering the operation that will use the property.
This personalization offers advantages, but also requires early coordination.
The duration depends, among other factors, on the complexity of the project, the terrain conditions, infrastructure requirements, applicable permits, the delivery times of materials and equipment, and the speed with which decisions are made.
A relatively simple logistics facility and a manufacturing plant with specialized processes should not be planned on the same schedule.
Construction is not the same as total project time
It is important to distinguish three periods:
- Preparation time: definition of needs, studies, engineering, validations and permits.
- Execution time: preliminary works, foundation, structure, envelope, installations and finishes.
- Operational preparation time: machinery assembly, testing, training, process validation and authorization to start activities, when applicable.
Some activities can be carried out in parallel. Others require a previous stage to be completed. The total duration should be calculated based on this sequence, not by adding or estimating each specialty in isolation.
The stages of a Built-to-Suit project
1. Definition of requirements
The project begins with a clear description of what the company needs.
Simply establishing an approximate surface area is not enough. It is necessary to identify how the operation will function and what characteristics the building must have to support it.
This stage defines, among other aspects:
- Type of industrial or logistical activity.
- Built area and exterior areas.
- Capacity and characteristics of the floors.
- Clearance heights and structural requirements.
- Number and type of platforms.
- Electrical, hydraulic and telecommunications needs.
- Security and fire protection systems.
- Environmental and waste management requirements.
- Administrative, technical and service spaces.
- Future expansion needs.
The involvement of the operations, engineering, maintenance, safety, finance and management areas helps to avoid subsequent changes.
An incomplete requirement can become a costly modification once construction is already underway.
2. Site assessment and feasibility
Once the requirements are defined, it is verified that the site can receive the project.
This assessment may include topographic, geotechnical, hydrological, environmental and infrastructure studies, depending on the characteristics of the property and the needs of the facility.
Access conditions, the usable surface area, applicable restrictions, and the availability of services are also reviewed.
The result should allow us to determine if the land is suitable, what additional work is required, and what conditions must be resolved before construction.
When significant risks arise, it is preferable to identify them before committing the construction investment.
3. Preliminary project and definition of scope
At this stage, the operation is translated into a preliminary architectural and engineering solution.
The general layout, main dimensions, circulation areas, technical zones and infrastructure requirements are established.
The preliminary design allows us to check if the building corresponds to the actual process and if the surfaces are used correctly.
It also helps to build an initial investment estimate and identify decisions that need to be finalized before moving forward.
A good practice is to document the project assumptions: what is included, what remains subject to validation, and what changes may affect the budget or schedule.
4. Engineering and authorizations
With the scope defined, the necessary technical documents are developed to move towards implementation.
According to the project, disciplines such as architecture, structure, electrical installations, hydraulic systems, drainage, fire protection, air conditioning, telecommunications and specialized processes may be involved.
In parallel, the applicable authorizations are identified and processed with the relevant authorities and agencies.
The specific requirements depend on the municipality, the state, the intended use, the characteristics of the property, and the nature of the activity. Therefore, there is no universal list of permits that can be applied to all facilities.
The schedule should include the preparation of files, the submission of applications, reviews, possible observations, and the time needed to respond to them.
It should not be assumed that an application submitted is equivalent to an authorization obtained.
5. Contracting and preparation of work
Before construction begins, the work packages, the scope of the contractors, the supervision mechanisms, and the control procedures are defined.
The logistics of the work are also being prepared: access, storage areas, security, supply of materials, sequence of activities and coordination between specialties.
At this stage, it's advisable to identify materials and equipment with long lead times. Some electrical components, control systems, air conditioning equipment, or specialized items may require advance purchases.
Supply planning must be linked to the construction schedule to prevent late deliveries from halting activities that were already planned.
6. Construction and supervision
The execution may include site preparation, foundation, structure, roof, facades, floors, installations, finishes, roads and exterior works.
The exact sequence depends on the design and the conditions of the work.
During this phase, it is essential to monitor physical progress, budget, quality, and risks. Coordination meetings should serve to resolve constraints, confirm decisions, and anticipate impacts.
A schedule isn't managed solely by comparing progress percentages. It's also necessary to verify whether future activities have the necessary conditions to begin.
7. Testing, delivery and commissioning
The physical completion of the property does not always mean that the operation can begin immediately.
Before delivery, the installed systems, equipment, technical documents, and contractual acceptance conditions must be reviewed.
Depending on the scope, testing of electrical installations, hydraulic systems, alarms, fire protection, material handling equipment, and other components may be required.
If the project includes production machinery, automation, or control systems, the assembly and validation of that equipment must be incorporated into the program from the beginning.
The start-up may also require training, maintenance procedures, safety documentation, and coordination with specialized suppliers.
What is the critical path and why does it matter?
The critical path is the sequence of activities that determines the earliest date a project can be completed. If a critical activity is delayed and there is no available margin, the final date may also be delayed.
For example, design approval may be required before manufacturing a special structure. The availability of an electrical connection may affect the testing of certain equipment. Machinery installation may depend on the floor and environmental conditions meeting specifications.
The critical path allows you to focus your attention on the activities that can really affect the delivery date.
How to build a useful critical path
For each activity, the team must define:
- What result should be delivered?.
- Who is responsible?.
- What information or authorization do you need?.
- Which activity must be completed first?.
- How much time does it require?.
- What risks could delay it?.
- What actions could reduce the impact of a delay?.
The schedule should be reviewed periodically and updated when conditions change. A schedule drawn up at the outset but never adjusted quickly loses its value as a management tool.
The most common causes of delay
Late design changes
When user areas modify dimensions, loads, distribution or specifications after the work has started, new engineering, purchases and corrective work may be necessary.
The solution is to validate the requirements before freezing the design and establish a formal procedure for approving changes.
Incomplete property information
Soil conditions, drainage, or existing infrastructure may differ from initial assumptions.
Preliminary studies help reduce that uncertainty and define mitigation measures before committing significant resources.
Permits not integrated into the calendar
If authorizations are handled as a secondary activity, the team may discover too late that a project or connection cannot proceed.
The planning manager must identify each applicable authorization, its dependencies, and its relationship to construction activities.
Equipment with extended delivery times
Failure to anticipate the purchase of specialized components can delay installation and testing.
It is necessary to identify this equipment during engineering and coordinate purchases with the overall program.
Lack of responsible decision-makers
Unresolved queries, delayed approvals, and uncontrolled changes affect the pace of execution.
Defining responsibilities and response times for each decision improves coordination and reduces waiting times.
How to set a realistic delivery date?
The target date should be constructed based on the technical scope, dependencies, authorizations, and execution capacity.
Responsible planning considers several scenarios: one expected, one conservative, and one that accounts for relevant risks. This allows for an assessment of what would happen if authorization takes longer than anticipated or if critical equipment doesn't arrive on time.
It is also advisable to define verifiable milestones, such as design approval, engineering closure, authorization to start certain works, completion of structure, energization, system testing and final acceptance.
These milestones allow company management to understand progress and make decisions based on concrete information.
Checklist for planning a Built-to-Suit project
Before approving the schedule, confirm that the team has:
- Documented operating requirements.
- The feasibility of the property has been validated.
- Identified necessary technical studies.
- The scope and acceptance criteria have been defined.
- Identified the applicable authorizations.
- A program with dependencies has been developed.
- Detected long-supply materials and equipment.
- Assigned responsibilities and decision times.
- Established budget, quality and progress controls.
- Including testing, training and commissioning.
- A process for managing changes has been defined.
Conclusion: time is managed from the planning stage.
The duration of a built-to-suit project cannot be accurately determined without knowing the scope, site conditions, and applicable permits. However, uncertainty can be reduced through integrated planning.
Defining requirements, anticipating risks, coordinating engineering and permits, managing supplies, and controlling the critical path allows decisions to be made before they become delays.
At MARFA BTS, project planning is part of a comprehensive vision that connects customer requirements with the development and preparation of the installation.
Is your company planning a new plant or distribution center? Contact MARFA BTS to discuss the scope of the project, its stages, and the factors that need to be considered before setting a delivery date.
Discover our solutions at builttosuit.mx.