The pre-bid stage is essential in engineering projects since it can determine the project’s outcome before any on-site work begins. Businesses work hard to produce precise, compelling, and competitive offers during this phase. Here, multidisciplinary design engineering businesses are crucial since they provide knowledge from various fields. Their support improves the quality of bids, minimizes risks, and sets a strong foundation for smooth project execution.

This article highlights the strategic value of pre-bid engineering in multidisciplinary firms. It covers the key roles these firms play during the pre-bid phase, the benefits they provide, and how the Rishabh Engineering team supports clients through this critical process.

It is all about thoroughly assessing a project, checking if it’s feasible, and preparing a strong proposal to submit. This step involves detailed planning, accurate cost estimates, and ensuring the project plan matches the client’s needs. Key players in this process include EPC companies, project owners, contractors, and suppliers.

However, the pre-bid phase in engineering can be tricky. There’s often limited information, tight deadlines, and the challenge of predicting costs and resources accurately. Mistakes or missed details can lead to weak proposals, lost chances, or unexpected costs later. This is where multidisciplinary engineering firms come in, they provide expert support to help navigate these challenges and create well-informed, competitive proposals.

• Comprehensive Feasibility Studies: A multidisciplinary design firm conducts detailed feasibility studies to assess a project’s technical and financial viability. Using their expertise in process, mechanical, structural, and electrical engineering, they identify potential issues early, offer practical solutions, and make sure the project’s goals align with what’s realistically achievable.
• Preliminary Design and Drafting: The foundation of the bid is the creation of preliminary designs, which aid in establishing reasonable expectations. Detailed engineering businesses create preliminary flow diagrams, layout designs, and schematics. In addition to providing solid cost estimates, these documents show clients how well-prepared and knowledgeable the company is, which raises the bid’s chances of success.
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies: Multidisciplinary engineering companies are skilled at spotting potential technical, environmental, or operational risks during the pre-bid phase. They offer strategies to reduce these risks, ensuring a thorough risk assessment is reflected in the final bid. This proactive strategy safeguards project margins and presents the bid to clients as a less risky option.
• Cost Estimation and Budget Planning: Accurate cost estimation is pivotal in the pre-bid phase. Engineering companies bring together insights from various disciplines to forecast costs related to materials, labor, and equipment accurately. They also anticipate potential cost escalations and suggest budget buffers, ensuring bids are competitive without underestimating financial needs.
• Optimized Resource Planning: Resource allocation can make or break a project. Multidisciplinary firms use their broad expertise to anticipate resource requirements across different phases of the project. This includes manpower, materials, and machinery. Their input helps with developing realistic and efficient resource plans that can be highlighted in the bid proposal.

• Process Engineering Contributions: Process engineers create initial flow diagrams and process descriptions that outline the fundamental operations of the proposed project. They assess the feasibility of processes, identify potential bottlenecks, and suggest optimizations. This ensures that the project’s core processes are sound and scalable.
• Mechanical Engineering Insights: Mechanical engineers provide insights into equipment design, specifications, and layout considerations. They perform preliminary stress analysis and equipment sizing, ensuring that mechanical systems are robust and fit for purpose. This information is critical for accurate cost estimation and risk assessment.
• Structural Engineering Support: Structural engineers analyze the preliminary designs to identify potential structural challenges. They recommend materials, foundation designs, and construction methodologies that align with project requirements. This early input helps in mitigating structural risks and optimizing costs.
• Electrical and Instrumentation Design: These engineers determine the essential instrumentation requirements, create initial wiring schematics, and evaluate electrical loads. Ensuring that electrical systems are seamlessly incorporated into the overall design reduces the possibility of later, expensive adjustments.
• Safety and Environmental Assessments: Environmental and safety engineers evaluate the project’s environmental impact and do preliminary hazard analyses. By guaranteeing that the design conforms with pertinent safety and environmental requirements, they lower the possibility of non-compliance during implementation.

The pre-bid phase is a critical determinant of project success. Multidisciplinary design engineering firms like Rishabh Engineering play a vital role by offering integrated expertise across various engineering domains. Their contributions—ranging from feasibility studies and preliminary designs to risk assessments and cost estimations—ensure that bids are accurate, competitive, and compelling.

By partnering with an experienced multidisciplinary firm, clients can navigate the complexities of the pre-bid phase more effectively, increasing their chances of securing contracts and delivering successful projects.

Case:

Pre-Bid Support for Engineering of Natural Gas Compressors System

Client:

A Southeast Asian energy company

Project Objective:

The client required pre-bid engineering support to design and configure natural gas compressor systems for four critical compressor stations (CCP 1 to 4) at their power station. A significant pressure drops in the existing gas supply threatened to halt gas turbine operations unless corrective actions were taken. The goal was to modify existing systems and design new compressors to maintain the required operational pressure levels and ensure uninterrupted gas turbine performance.

Project Deliverables:

Our team was tasked with providing comprehensive engineering support to help the client submit a competitive and technically sound bid. This involved addressing the challenges of low gas supply pressure and ensuring continuous operation across all compressor stations.

Scope of Work:

Our team delivered detailed engineering support, including:

• Performing hydraulic calculations for piping linked to the compressor systems.
• Updating P&IDs to integrate new and existing compressors.
• Designing new screw compressors for CCP 3 and CCP 4.
• Modifying existing reciprocating compressors to operate in parallel (2×50%) for CCP 1 and CCP 2.
• Preparing RFQs for compressor packages, buffer tanks, and associated equipment.
• Providing layouts and specifications for piping, civil, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and firefighting systems.

Rishabh’s Solution:

We addressed the client’s needs through;

• Compressor System Modifications: Redesigned existing reciprocating systems (FGC#1 and FGC#2) for parallel operation to increase gas flow capacity, ensuring a steady supply for CCP 1 and CCP 2.
• New Compressor Design: Developed two new screw compressors for CCP 3 and CCP 4, with provisions for future expansion, maintaining the required 35 barg inlet pressure.
• Technical Analysis and Documentation: Conducted detailed hydraulic and mechanical analyses, provided updated P&IDs, and prepared RFQs for critical components.
• Risk Mitigation: Designed systems to handle gas pressure fluctuations, ensuring continuous, safe operations.

Key Deliverables:

• Updated P&IDs: Reflecting compressor modifications and additions.
• Hydraulic and Mechanical Calculations: Ensuring system performance.
• RFQ Documents: For compressor packages and key equipment.
• Equipment Layouts: Plot plans for new installations.
• Material Take-Off (MTO): Comprehensive lists of materials.
• Civil & Structural MTO: Structural and civil requirements.
• Firefighting and Instrumentation BOQs: Detailed bill of quantities for safety systems.

Clients who hire a multidisciplinary design engineering firm during the pre-bid stage have a significant competitive advantage. By utilizing the firm’s wide range of experience, clients can create precise, thorough, and persuasive proposals. In addition to raising the likelihood of winning the bid, this lowers the possibility of project delays and cost overruns during implementation.

In today’s competitive market, clients must exhibit both technical proficiency and a thorough comprehension of project risks and limitations. Multidisciplinary firms help clients achieve this by offering holistic support across various engineering domains.

At Rishabh Engineering, we bring decades of experience and a multidisciplinary approach to support clients during the pre-bid phase. Our detailed engineering services expertise across various engineering disciplines ensures that your bids are not only competitive but also well-prepared for successful project execution. Contact us today to learn how we can add value to your next project bid.

Our team provides pre-bid engineering support with accurate documentation, planning, execution, and ongoing procurement assistance for cost efficiency.