/ Engineering · Planning
The 7-stage cycle,
documented end-to-end.
Every engagement runs through the same structured workflow — feasibility, design, procurement, mobilisation, installation, commissioning, handover. Each stage carries its own inputs, outputs and gate.
- Planner workflows
- 5
- Documented stages
- 22
- Workflow domains
- 6
- Updated
- 2026-05-17
/ engagement master
Engagement master — the 7-stage delivery cycle
The master workflow that takes a brief from feasibility to handover, with a documented gate at every stage.
The 7-stage delivery cycle is the operating shape of the practice. Every engagement enters at stage 1 (feasibility) and exits at stage 7 (handover), with the option of an AMC contract extending the relationship into the operations phase. The stages are sized so each can produce a discrete sign-off artefact; the gate from one stage to the next is the artefact, not the calendar. The discipline is the gate review. A design that is signed off only because the schedule says so is a design that will be re-opened in commissioning. The 7-stage method is the cadence by which we keep design intent, build reality and operational handover aligned.
Stage 1 · planning
Stage 1 — Feasibility & brief alignment
Confirm the engineering problem we are being asked to solve. Translate the client brief into a draft requirements pack with assumptions, constraints and exclusions stated.
- Inputs
- Client brief or RFP · Architectural drawings (preliminary) · MEP intent (where available)
- Outputs
- Requirements pack v0 · Assumption register · Exclusion list · Indicative budget envelope
- Gates
- Client sign-off on requirements pack v0 · Assumption register acknowledged
- Duration
- 1–3 weeks
Stage 2 · planning
Stage 2 — Engineering design
Develop the engineering design — protocols, infrastructure, integration topology, compliance posture — to the point where the BOQ is reviewable and the as-built target is clear.
- Inputs
- Requirements pack v0 · Architectural drawings (current) · MEP coordination drawings
- Outputs
- Design pack v1 · BOQ v1 · Integration topology diagram · Compliance posture statement
- Gates
- Design pack peer-review · BOQ peer-review · Client sign-off on design pack v1
- Duration
- 3–6 weeks
Stage 3 · execution
Stage 3 — Procurement & vendor coordination
Translate the design pack and BOQ into procured equipment, with vendor coordination documented at the gateway / protocol level.
- Inputs
- Design pack v1 · BOQ v1 · Vendor data sheets
- Outputs
- Procurement schedule · Vendor coordination log · Updated BOQ v2
- Gates
- Procurement schedule peer-review · Vendor coordination log signed by trade lead
- Duration
- 2–8 weeks depending on long-lead items
Stage 4 · execution
Stage 4 — Mobilisation & site readiness
Mobilise on site. Confirm civil readiness (containment, MEP, cooling, power) before any equipment lands.
- Inputs
- Procurement schedule · Civil readiness checklist · Site safety pack
- Outputs
- Mobilisation report · Site readiness sign-off · Snag list v0
- Gates
- Civil readiness sign-off (containment, power, cooling, IDF) · Site safety induction complete
- Duration
- 1–3 weeks
Stage 5 · execution
Stage 5 — Installation & integration
Run cabling, mount devices, integrate systems against the design pack. Daily progress against the project schedule, weekly review against the BOQ.
- Inputs
- Mobilisation report · Design pack v1 · BOQ v2
- Outputs
- Installation log · Daily progress report · Updated snag list
- Gates
- Weekly progress review · Weekly safety review
- Duration
- 4–24 weeks depending on scope
Stage 6 · commissioning
Stage 6 — Commissioning & integrated test
Energise the system in a controlled sequence. Run integrated test scripts against the design pack and the compliance posture.
- Inputs
- Installation log · Commissioning script · Compliance posture statement
- Outputs
- Commissioning report · Integrated test certificate · Compliance sign-off pack
- Gates
- Compliance sign-off (AHJ where applicable) · Integrated test certificate signed
- Duration
- 2–6 weeks
Stage 7 · commissioning
Stage 7 — Handover & day-two readiness
Hand the system over to the operations team with a complete handover pack and an AMC option.
- Inputs
- Commissioning report · Compliance sign-off pack · As-built drawings
- Outputs
- Handover pack · Operations manual · AMC contract proposal
- Gates
- Operations team accepts handover pack · AMC contract (if applicable) signed
- Duration
- 1–3 weeks
/ commissioning
Commissioning workflow — sequence and gates
The energisation, test and sign-off sequence we follow at the commissioning gate of the 7-stage delivery cycle.
Commissioning is the controlled energisation of an integrated system. It is not a power-on; it is a sequence of pre-checks, partial energisation, integrated tests and clause-by-clause compliance reviews. The work is gated — each step needs to pass before the next is attempted. The discipline is the commissioning script. A script that the trade lead has signed off in advance is a script the commissioning engineer can defend at the AHJ walk-through. A script written on the day is a script that will overrun.
Stage 1 · commissioning
Pre-energisation checks
Verify cabling, terminations, earthing, panel layout and labelling before any power is applied.
- Inputs
- Installation log · As-built drawings · Cabling test reports
- Outputs
- Pre-energisation checklist (signed) · Punch list of pre-energisation issues
- Gates
- All pre-energisation checks signed by trade lead
- Duration
- 1–3 days
Stage 2 · commissioning
Partial energisation
Energise the system in slices — power first, then supervisory, then device-by-device. Each slice produces a test record.
- Inputs
- Pre-energisation checklist · Commissioning script
- Outputs
- Slice-by-slice test records
- Gates
- Each slice signed before the next is energised
- Duration
- 3–10 days
Stage 3 · commissioning
Integrated test
Run the integrated test script — scenes, cause-and-effect, supervisory views — across all systems together.
- Inputs
- Commissioning script · Cause-and-effect matrix
- Outputs
- Integrated test certificate
- Gates
- Client representative or AHJ signs the integrated test certificate
- Duration
- 2–7 days
Stage 4 · commissioning
Compliance walk-through
Walk the AHJ or compliance reviewer through the system clause-by-clause against the published standard.
- Inputs
- Integrated test certificate · Compliance posture statement
- Outputs
- Compliance sign-off pack
- Gates
- AHJ / reviewer signs the compliance pack
- Duration
- 1–2 days
/ maintenance
Maintenance workflow — AMC tier cadence
The annual maintenance cadence we run against an AMC contract — scheduled inspections, preventive replacements, firmware reviews and incident response.
Maintenance is the day-two discipline of the practice. An AMC contract is not a phone number; it is a documented cadence of scheduled inspections, preventive replacements and firmware reviews, with a clear incident-response tier behind it. The discipline is the cadence — when did we last test the battery autonomy on the BESS, when did we last sweep the Cat6A channels, when did we last walk the addressable loop. The workflow below is the tier-1 cadence; tiered upgrades shorten the inspection interval and add 24/7 incident response.
Stage 1 · operations
Scheduled site inspection
Walk the building against the AMC checklist — visual, electrical and integration spot checks.
- Inputs
- AMC checklist · As-built drawings · Previous inspection record
- Outputs
- Inspection record · Updated punch list
- Gates
- Inspection record acknowledged by FM team
- Duration
- 1 day (quarterly cadence)
Stage 2 · operations
Preventive replacement window
Replace components that are at the end of their wear-life — UPS batteries, smoke detectors past EOL, sealed-bearing fans, gateway flash memory.
- Inputs
- Inspection record · Component lifecycle register
- Outputs
- Replacement record · Updated component lifecycle register
- Gates
- Replacement record acknowledged by FM team
- Duration
- 2–5 days (annual)
Stage 3 · operations
Firmware review window
Review device firmware against the manufacturer release notes — patch security advisories, defer feature-only releases.
- Inputs
- Manufacturer release notes · Device firmware register
- Outputs
- Patch decision log · Updated device firmware register
- Gates
- Patch decision log acknowledged by lead engineer
- Duration
- 1 day (semi-annual)
Stage 4 · operations
Incident response
Respond to incidents within the AMC tier SLA. Each incident produces a closure note that updates the trend report.
- Inputs
- Incident ticket · Site context
- Outputs
- Incident closure note · Updated trend report
- Gates
- Incident closure acknowledged by FM team
- Duration
- Per AMC SLA
/ phased rollout
Phased rollout — multi-site / multi-phase delivery
The cadence we follow when a single design pack rolls out across multiple sites or phases — pilot, learning, replicate.
A phased rollout is not a duplication exercise; it is a learning exercise. The first site is the pilot — its design pack is treated as a version-1 to be improved before the rollout begins. The second site validates the improvements. From the third site onwards the cadence is replication, with site-specific deviations logged in a deviation register. The deviation register is the artefact that distinguishes a phased rollout from a series of standalone projects. Every deviation is a learning that feeds back into the master design pack.
Stage 1 · planning
Pilot site (the version-1)
Treat the first site as a learning project. Allow the design pack to evolve during delivery.
- Inputs
- Requirements pack v0 · Reference design pack (where one exists)
- Outputs
- Pilot design pack v1 · Pilot lessons-learned report
- Gates
- Pilot commissioning sign-off · Lessons-learned reviewed by lead engineer
- Duration
- Full 7-stage cycle
Stage 2 · execution
Validation site (the version-2)
Run the second site against the updated design pack. Catch the second-order issues.
- Inputs
- Pilot lessons-learned report · Updated design pack v2
- Outputs
- Validation design pack v2 · Updated lessons-learned report
- Gates
- Validation commissioning sign-off
- Duration
- Full 7-stage cycle, compressed by ~20%
Stage 3 · execution
Replication cadence
Roll the design pack out across remaining sites with a deviation register tracking site-specific changes.
- Inputs
- Validated design pack v2 · Site survey reports
- Outputs
- Per-site as-built · Updated deviation register
- Gates
- Per-site commissioning sign-off
- Duration
- Compressed cycle per site
/ lifecycle
Lifecycle planner — the 10-year operational window
The decade-long planning view that takes a system from handover through expansion and into retrofit / refresh.
A building system lives for a decade or more. The lifecycle planner is the view that takes the system from handover (year zero) through expansion (years one to four) and into retrofit / refresh (years five to ten). The planner does not predict the future; it documents the decision points where the next reinvestment is expected, so the client can budget against them. The discipline is the decision point — when is the battery string due, when is the BMS supervisory layer due for a major upgrade, when does the addressable fire panel reach end-of-line. Surfacing these in year zero is what distinguishes a 7-stage handover from a 7-stage handover plus a lifecycle plan.
Stage 1 · lifecycle
Year zero — stabilisation
First-year stabilisation — snag list closure, trend baseline, first AMC cycle.
- Inputs
- Handover pack · AMC contract
- Outputs
- Stabilisation report (year one) · Trend baseline
- Gates
- Trend baseline accepted by FM team
- Duration
- 12 months
Stage 2 · lifecycle
Years one–four — expansion & incremental upgrade
The incremental expansion window — added zones, added cameras, added scenes. Each expansion produces a mini-commissioning.
- Inputs
- Trend baseline · Expansion brief
- Outputs
- Expansion design pack · Mini-commissioning record
- Gates
- Expansion design pack peer-reviewed
- Duration
- Across years 1–4
Stage 3 · lifecycle
Year five — mid-life review
A formal review of the system against the original requirements pack and the current operational reality.
- Inputs
- Trend baseline (years 1–4) · Expansion register · Incident register
- Outputs
- Mid-life review report · Refresh recommendation
- Gates
- Mid-life report acknowledged by client
- Duration
- 1–3 months
Stage 4 · lifecycle
Years six–ten — refresh or retrofit
Roll the system through a refresh (firmware, point devices, ballasts) or a retrofit (panel, supervisory layer, BESS).
- Inputs
- Mid-life review report · Refresh / retrofit brief
- Outputs
- Refresh / retrofit design pack · Migration plan (where applicable)
- Gates
- Refresh / retrofit design pack peer-reviewed
- Duration
- Across years 6–10