The Devil is in the Details

There are plenty of industry professionals who are good at conceptualizing a design or selling equipment to serve an indoor farm or greenhouse. Some consultants are good identifying potential risks and challenges, or running numbers to determine needs and capacities. But how many of them really dive into the nuances of what they are proposing or communicate effectively how their solutions are to be executed? As many seasoned developers and operators have learned during the CEA-rush, when it comes to executing a profitable and efficient indoor grow operation, the devil is in the details and what gets missed can be as important as what gets addressed.

During a couple of recent site visits, two Dr. Greenhouse clients independently commented that “the last 10% of starting a new operation is the most critical—and overlooked—part of the project.” The last 10% of a project is really all about coordinating the details. The details of how equipment will be installed, when it needs to be on site, and who needs to be there to connect, test, and verify it’s working correctly. Lack of coordination leads to postponed project schedules, out-of-sequence construction, delivered products that get stored longer than their warranty extends, pointing fingers, and ultimately delayed revenue streams and antsy investors.

It's not just the construction phase that can lack emphasis on the details, it’s the design process as well. Architects lay out facilities to meet building codes but don’t ask how the grower will utilize different spaces to suit their needs. Engineers focus on peaks and worst-case, but not the normal and routine. Equipment specifiers choose systems, but don’t pay attention to how they should be installed, assuming it can be figured out in the field. Contractors look at an engineering spec and decide they can purchase something else for cheaper, without regard for the performance or control needs. Controls vendors don’t translate their design and programming sequences into user-friendly operating instructions or onsite training, leaving the grower a puzzle-full of pieces to assemble.

Inadequate consideration for coordinating the details or handoff between team members often results in confusion and frustration for all parties and added expense to the owner or contractor to find and fix issues in the field. Otherwise, the operator will be stuck working against a system that wasn’t thought through from beginning to middle to end.

Before starting your next project, I challenge you to interview your potential consultants, engineers, and contractors. Ask specific questions about their approach and how they will address your specific project requirements, not just what they’ve done in the past for others.

When they give you an answer, do they provide details? Do they geek out on the science or the engineering? Do they ask questions or offer alternatives? Does their experience suggest they’ve worked through unique circumstances or solved unforseen problems? Or do they speak in generalities, waving their hands and offering assurances they know what they’re doing? That they’ve always done it that way and that it’s going to be easy?

If all you get are platitudes and placating replies, you may want to hire someone else who will tackle the devil’s details and attend to the last 10% that can spell the difference between profit and loss.

Nadia to Client: Why did you hire us?

Client: When you spoke at the conference, you spoke in a level of detail that I knew you’d been through it.

If you’re looking for a detail-oriented HVAC engineer or climate management specialist, contact us at [email protected] or 916-476-6078.