Turbo Leadership Systems : The TURBO* Charger

Larry W. Dennis, Sr.
President,
Turbo Leadership
Systems©

Teamwork wins

Steve, project manager for a Washington mechanical contracting company, told Session 3 of Turbo’s Leadership Development Lab (LDL):

“In September 2012 I received a ‘cold call’ from Kiewit Energy out of Houston, Texas, inquiring if we would be interested in quoting a fabrication package for the Hess Tioga Natural Gas Plant Expansion in Tioga, North Dakota. Understanding the boom of work going on in that area, we were excited to look at fabrication opportunities we could be part of. I said yes and asked the Kiewit rep to please send me the package.

“In reviewing the documents, I quickly learned that it was quite a large fabrication project. There were over 1200 isometric drawings, 20,000 linear feet of pipe, and what would be over 4,500 diameter welds, all 2” and under. The quality control requirements were among the most stringent we had ever seen. We would need to develop new welding procedures and get our welders qualified. In most cases, 100% radiographic testing would be required, Brinell hardness testing, extensive data and documentation tracking and turnover were all part of the stringent requirements. I knew if we were going to be successful with this project, it was going to take a team effort to complete the proposal.

“My main concern was the schedule. After learning that the overall project was behind schedule and the deliverables Kiewit was requiring, I knew it was going to be difficult to complete successfully. If awarded, it would take almost every available weld station we had and 60-hour work weeks to meet their required schedule. My fear was this package would interfere with other JH Kelly projects that needed fabrication during the same timeframe, thus negatively impacting those projects.

“In October 2012, we were awarded that project. Our fabrication team was able to add extra welding stations and stagger shifts to maximize the work for this project

and still successfully finish the in-house projects we needed to complete. With the help of our Fabrication Controls Specialist, Traci, and our Documentation Turnover Specialist, Debby, we were able to get the stringent requirements set up in the beginning, making those difficult requirements flow smoothly for the duration of the project.

“As the project came to a conclusion in April 2013, it turned out to be one of the most successful third-party fabrication projects to come through our shop. With the dedication of our fabrication team, it was a successful project for me and JH Kelly.

“The lesson I learned from this experience is that when I take chances and don’t always play it safe on projects, it can be very successful for me and our company. The action I call you to take is to get all the facts about the opportunities that come your way. Enlist your team early in the planning and proposing phase. The benefit you will gain is the innovative engagement required for successful completion of challenging projects.”