E&C projects Clarifying the Role of the Lead Process Engineer

For any capital-intensive and labor-intensive engineering and construction (E&C) project, the lead process engineer (LPE) plays a pivotal role. To maximize the success of these complex projects, companies that hire E&C companies should be aware of the role that the E&C process engineering team plays in terms of helping to execute these projects. In a nutshell, the LPE is responsible for developing the project scope and managing the process team’s costs and schedule. When the LPE does this properly, the scope of the project is well-developed, the schedule is reality-based, and successful project execution can save a lot of time and money for the client. Conversely, when the LPE is not well-trained, or is forced to accept a poorly developed project scope and an inadequate or incomplete schedule for the front-end activities, the project can falter and decisions will be made late, when the resulting rework imposes a penalty on both project costs and schedule. This article discusses the basics of getting a project started successfully.  Figure 1. A simple block flow diagram is needed at the start of any capital-intensive E&C project The LPE’s first task is to understand the project’s starting point…