Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
Whoever said that “you can’t have it all” was spot on when it comes to evaluating purchases. A rule exists that never changes—quality, cost, and speed—you can only pick two. The customer cannot have all three. This rule applies to all areas of my life. As a consumer, I usually look for the lowest cost but also the best value. Is the material or service I need available with the quality I want and at a cost I’m willing to pay? Think about the average vehicle. Replacement brakes are needed on your spouse’s minivan. Do you do the work yourself? If you do, are the parts available locally, and at what price and quality? Or do you order the parts online, so you get the price and quality you want? But now the parts won’t be here until next week, and you have to make time to do the work. Or, I can take the minivan to the dealer and obtain quality and speed, but sacrifice cost. Finally, I can find a local repair shop that offers a “special” on brake replacement. The price might be great, and the speed might work, but is the quality as good as I desire? Especially if this is your spouse’s vehicle with your granddaughter in the baby seat.
Fire protection work can be viewed similarly. Many individual tasks go into a particular project. For discussion, let’s assume you have landed a large project that requires a dry pipe sprinkler system to protect an outdoor loading area. The job also includes a fire pump system. Preliminary design has been completed for establishing the proposal. Due to the project schedule, shop drawings and submittals need to completed within three weeks. Your design staff is fully committed to other projects, so you obtain proposals from three outside design firms.
Proposal 1 is the highest cost, but they committed to the schedule, and you have past positive experience with them. They produce quality work that aligns with your company’s installation methods. But the cost is over your estimate by 30%.
Proposal 2 is in the middle of the other two proposals. They will not commit to the schedule and are stating that a six-week schedule is required. You also have worked with them before and have had good results. Their cost is in line with your estimate.
Proposal 3 is the lowest cost. They committed to the schedule, but you have never worked with them. You contacted a few friends who have experience with them. What you are hearing is not reassuring. They promise the world but deliver low-quality drawings and submittals that require a large effort of rework. The great news is they are 30% below your cost estimate.
Your choice of which design firm to select can make or break this project. An experienced project manager needs to consider all the factors and options. The lowest cost might negatively impact your company’s reputation and the ability to receive future work. The highest cost might be detrimental to the project’s budget, but could lead to a successful job if the extra cost can be offset by other budget line items. Proposal 2 could be selected to keep within the project’s budget, but the time for the submission will not be met.
This approach works with material, fabrication, and many other things in a sprinkler protection project. Always consider the three factors: quality, cost, speed, and remember that you can only pick two. Personally, I know what I will not compromise on is quality, so I must give up on cost or speed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John August Denhardt, P.E., ET, CWBSP, FSFPE, is the vice president of engineering and technical services for the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). He is responsible for strengthening AFSA’s engineering and technical approaches to meeting member, industry, and operational priorities, with an emphasis on service, quality, and integrity. Denhardt is a registered professional engineer (P.E.) in the District of Columbia and the states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. He is NICET Level III certified in water-based systems layout, NICET Level III certified in inspection and testing of water-based systems, and a certified water-based system professional through NFPA. Denhardt is a member of the NFPA 13 technical committee on sprinkler system discharge criteria, a fellow in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), a member of the SFPE Board of Directors, a member of the Board of Trustees for NFPA’s Fire Protection Research Foundation and sits on the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering’s Board of Visitors. A native of Maryland, Denhardt holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland College Park in fire protection engineering. Prior to this role, Denhardt was employed by Strickland Fire Protection in Forestville, Maryland, since 1994, overseeing large-scale projects and assisting with design and installation technical issues.