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Installation and commissioning are the moments where all the planning, procurement, and engineering finally come together. But they’re also where the cracks can start to show - delays, safety incidents, performance issues, and costly rework often trace back to mistakes made during these crucial stages.
Whether you're managing a single install or coordinating a fleet rollout across multiple sites, avoiding the most common pitfalls can make the difference between a smooth handover and a drawn-out recovery.
Here are the top 10 mistakes to avoid during installation and commissioning - and how to prevent them.
Too often, installation and commissioning are treated as the last steps, rather than being built into the project from the beginning. Without a clear plan, teams scramble, tasks are missed, and delays compound.
🚫 Avoid it: Start planning early. Develop a commissioning strategy during project kickoff, and align it with your construction and delivery timeline.
If drawings, specs, and installation guides are missing or out of date, you’re relying on assumptions—and that’s a recipe for mistakes.
🚫 Avoid it: Ensure every team has access to the latest version of relevant documents. Use a shared platform to manage revisions and approvals.
Installation and commissioning often involve multiple handovers—OEMs, contractors, technicians, engineers, and clients. Miscommunication leads to duplicated work, missed steps, and finger-pointing.
🚫 Avoid it: Set up regular check-ins, shared checklists, and a central point of truth for progress tracking and issue resolution.
Showing up to site without confirming that power, permits, access, or foundations are ready causes costly delays and rescheduling.
🚫 Avoid it: Use a site readiness checklist before mobilisation. Confirm that conditions on the ground match the installation requirements.
If equipment arrives on-site without being tested at the factory, problems surface late—when they’re most disruptive.
🚫 Avoid it: Insist on documented FAT. Review test results before shipping and resolve issues upstream.
In tight timelines, there's a temptation to "just get it in place." But rushing leads to misalignment, incorrect connections, and safety hazards.
🚫 Avoid it: Stick to documented install procedures. Empower teams to raise concerns if conditions on-site differ from the plan.
Commissioning is more than turning things on. It’s your opportunity to confirm that the system performs safely, efficiently, and as intended.
🚫 Avoid it: Follow a structured commissioning process: functional tests, interlock checks, safety validation, and final performance verification.
Commissioning involves live energy, moving parts, and system integration—often with multiple people working simultaneously. Skipping safety can result in serious incidents.
🚫 Avoid it: Apply a strict Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) procedure, hazard identification, and clear access controls. Safety should be embedded, not added on.
Field adjustments are inevitable. But if they’re not documented, future maintenance becomes a guessing game—and warranty support is harder to claim.
🚫 Avoid it: Log every change, deviation, and issue as it happens. A digital checklist tool makes this easy in real time.
If the commissioning team leaves without clear documentation or proper training, operations teams are left guessing how to run or maintain the system.
🚫 Avoid it: Provide a structured handover with test results, O&M manuals, and walk-throughs. Train site teams and make yourself available for follow-up questions.
The most successful installations and commissioning projects don’t rely on luck - they follow a process, communicate clearly, and treat each stage with the attention it deserves.
Avoiding these 10 common mistakes won’t just help you finish strong, it’ll build trust with stakeholders, reduce costs, and create systems that work from day one.
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