Bringing Engineering Plans to Life

We create safe designs for the sake of a safe, stable grid, but even the most strategic design hinges on execution in the field. While unexpected changes, violations, and unsafe conditions are often outside our control, we can provide clear communication with construction crews to help avoid other complications using construction packages. 

But creating effective construction packages isn't just about converting CAD into actionable instructions. Communication is a lot more complicated than that. 

There’s constant confusion about the current condition of the pole, coordinating with teams gets messy, and more complicated projects demand more care when creating construction packages. 

A Field Reality Check

Just because someone designed the perfect engineering plan doesn’t mean those plans can easily become reality. Sometimes construction crews show up, design in hand, only to find that the field conditions have changed and no longer match the engineering. Maybe it’s due to unauthorized attachments, a violation that wasn’t documented, or miscommunication about equipment upgrade work. Either way, the disconnect between documentation and reality can throw a serious wrench in construction and execution.  

Whose Turn Is It? 

Make ready is the crucial piece of construction packages, but unfortunately, it can sometimes feel like conducting an orchestra with musicians in different time zones. Company A needs to move for Company B to have space, but Company C has to move before Company A can… it’s messy (especially without a good one-touch program!) and that’s just for broadband deployment. 

Utility project construction packages are concerned with power lines, feeder upgrades, or new pole lines. What seems straightforward when designing might create complications in the field. Construction crews have to be vigilant about their personal safety and the safety of everyone around them while providing an uninterrupted flow of power to customers.

The Engineering-Construction Divide

Even when everything else goes right, there's often a disconnect between engineering designs and construction realities. Sometimes design calls don’t make practical sense once in the field. Construction crews have to work with the conditions they have, but that doesn’t ensure that the final product meets the regulations and clearances necessary. Without feedback loops between engineering teams and construction crews, the disconnect continues. 

Bringing Engineering Plans to Life 

The challenges between construction and engineering can make good communication feel impossible, or at least improbable. However, projects are only as effective as construction, so getting the hand-off right is critical to providing reliable utilities. As new technology makes our grid stronger and our services faster, new software is making construction package creation easier. 

Collecting True Conditions 

Quality assurance makes or breaks a project, and that starts with solid documentation of existing pole conditions. The right data collection process should take the guesswork out of the equation– standardized models and equipment catalogs ensure field techs capture every crucial detail the first time around (no more emergency pickups because someone forgot to measure the angle of a down guy).

Photo documentation also gives more confidence when building engineering designs and construction packages. Photos provide defensible evidence that 1) the field tech was at the pole, 2) they were there at a specific date and time, and 3) the conditions were documented according to the real state. 

Smarter Systems Make for Smoother Processes 

Calling make ready is a lot easier when all the violations are flagged for you. Platforms that ingest clearance standards and attachment regulations can then automatically point out safety violations, so designers can concentrate on creating effective designs. Construction packages are a lot easier to follow when they’re based on real conditions with a clear breakdown of who does what and when. 

Workflow management software also helps with this by tracking and managing work and project timelines, with automated notifications that alert parties when it’s their turn to move and keep everyone up-to-date on work statuses.

Creating Feedback Loops with the Front Line

The best way to create better construction packages is by communicating with construction teams. Post-construction inspections (PCI) help create a feedback loop between crews and designers. 

Documenting the condition of the pole after construction helps highlight moves that couldn’t or didn’t follow the original design. This resolves any safety violations that might now exist and shows designers that what makes sense in the office might prove hard to execute in the field. The result is faster project completion with fewer costly revisions and better collaboration between teams.

Beyond the Bandaid Approach

Creating effective construction packages isn't just about addressing these challenges individually – it's about having a comprehensive system that handles them all seamlessly. Platforms should offer integrated, full-stack solutions that can manage everything from initial data collection through construction package creation and PCI. 

By streamlining the construction package creation process, engineering firms can deliver more accurate, practical designs that translate smoothly into execution. 

You provide construction packages to help guide work, not slow it down. Katapult Pro can help you create clear packages and better communication with construction crews—find out how today.