We are the pioneer in the application of EPCMV — a holistic, single-source, fully integrated project delivery method that incorporates engineering, procurement, construction management, and validation services for technically complex facilities.

EPCMV (engineering, procurement, construction management and validation) is a delivery model that focuses on providing value through collaboration and addresses the entire project life cycle. When applied to technically complex projects, EPCMV reduces time from decision to delivery, and provides unmatched efficiencies through each of the project phases.

We focus our efforts on design quality and effectively controlling costs and schedule. Our team of technical builders apply lean project delivery strategies, adding value and minimizing risk, to reduce the duration from decision to delivery and streamlining efficiencies from preconstruction to design to construction through commissioning and qualification.

Clients who use our EPCMV and program management services benefit from our expertise with a broad range of lean methodologies – target costing, just-in-time scheduling, and emerging technologies, such as building information modeling (BIM) and virtual reality.

IPS has taken a lead role in developing and implementing our Lean project delivery process, further driving our vision and resulting in real value for our clients. Our experts analyze and challenge every step of the project delivery cycle and apply our unique ideas and solutions to eliminate wasteful and redundant processes. Our lean project delivery process is aimed at four distinct areas:

• Shorten lead time
• Reduce cost
• Reduce waste and redundancy
• Improve/gain value, continuity, and sustainability

We have been able to reduce project construction costs, as well as project soft costs, and project timelines by focusing on these four areas. Throughout unique processes, we have reshuffled the traditional project delivery sequence generally designed for “risk allocation” and “pass the responsibility” sequence.

It is essential to the successful execution of all projects that communication is a top priority throughout the project life cycle. We utilize numerous tools to promote, capture, and respond to all vital project communications and team meetings. It is a key role of our project executives and project managers to focus on and support team communication.

EPCM Services

What are EPCM services and how do they differ from a traditional project delivery model? Engineering, procurement and construction management, or EPCM services, applies a single source of management for technically complex project delivery. A project delivery model in which the selected firm handles the design, procurement of all equipment & construction materials and construction services required for the successful completion of the project. The entire life cycle of a project is integrated into a holistic plan to meet schedule and budgetary demands. Other methods of project delivery bring together multiple providers who may have differing philosophies on execution of a project that detract from the end goal. While these differences do present opportunities to improve, the impact on a lean project delivery may not produce the desired results when there are many organizations with competing ideologies. With EPCM and EPCMV services, the entire project timeline can be agreed upon at the outset and deliver controlled results.

Benefits of EPCM

Clients who use our EPCM services benefit from our expertise with a broad range of lean methodologies. With an EPCM model Our clients have a single point of contact for their project. This minimizes hand-offs throughout the project life cycle, improves risk management, and has the potential to reduce project schedule and costs. Deciding on an EPCM solution in the beginning of ideation provides earlier cost certainty and allows critical path activities to proceed while the full scope is defined.

What is an EPCM Contract?

An EPCM contract is founded upon a lean, integrated project delivery model. While this is not a new concept, IPS has, since our inception in 1989, been committed to providing a truly integrated design, procurement, construction, and compliance offering to our clients. The EPCMV platform has several permutations regarding contracting strategy with our trade partners, but in all cases EPCMV provides a turnkey solution with IPS managing the end-to-end process as a single entity, coordinating transparently with the client and building trusting relationships with all stakeholders and partners. IPS will develop an EPCMV strategy specific to a project that will provide optimum utilization of both our in-house engineering, procurement, construction management, and compliance resources in combination with trade partner and equipment supplier capabilities.

Our team of experts develop an integrated project plan so activities can work in parallel yet still allow for flexibility. Preconstruction and procurement support can begin on a project in parallel with basic design and before detailed design. Lean planning methods are utilized to pull the early critical deliverables for design and procurement based upon the required end milestones. Orders are placed for equipment and materials using a just-in-time approach to both ensure supply chain issues are mitigated and to support an efficient, lean job-site. Equipment buys are timed such that the facility will be ready to install immediately, in order to maximize schedule benefits. Construction commences while detailed design is being completed, and off-site fabrication of equipment and, if appropriate, modules proceed concurrently to reduce building fit-out duration. This will enable earlier mechanical completion and commissioning activities to begin.

By overlapping activities construction speed is on average 12% faster and overall project delivery speed is on average 33% faster as compared to a traditional design-build model. (Source: Construction Industry Institute (CII)/Penn State research comprising 351 projects ranging from 5,000 to 2.5 million square feet. The study includes varied project types and sectors.)

IPS has been extremely successful in delivering large, complex, fully integrated EPCMV projects, putting into action a wealth of experience brought forward from our integrated work along with our robust, but evolving, lean processes and tools. In the same period our large project staff have been upskilled to utilize the technologies and systems that support the EPCMV model, and we have made strategic hires to lead our teams, all of which in combination place IPS as the preeminent provider of EPCMV delivery in the life science sector.