By mixing creative choreography with ground rules, goals and expectations, owners and construction firms can make these hard jobs a little easier, according to an article on the Healthcare Facilities Today website written by Todd Imming.
It’s a common conundrum for owners and facility managers: We need to expand or renovate our space, but we can’t shut down operations.
It often seems impossible to accomplish both sides of that coin, and leaders can quickly find themselves in a state of paralysis by analysis. But it can be done.
Before we dig into the details of how to keep a facility running during an expansion or renovation, it’s important to discuss why it’s a good idea to complete a construction project this way.
First, an owner may have no other choice. For organizations who lack the luxury of a construction-ready greenfield site, completing a project while work remains ongoing might be the only option.
Second, staying in operation means you can keep projects moving. You won’t be totally free of interruptions, but you can at least keep the wheels turning. That continuity benefits those you serve, be they students, patients or customers.
Finally, staying in operation means staying in position to accomplish your organization’s goals. Schools keep educating kids. Hospitals keep healing the sick and injured. Factories keep turning out widgets. It’s an attractive option for for-profit organizations who must keep generating revenue during a time of significant expense. The same is true for non-profit or educational entities who want to stay focused on their core mission no matter what.
A detailed plan with strict rules must be put in place to ensure construction work can carry on with minimal interference with regular business. There are tradeoffs here.
Some plans make more sense than others depending on the site and circumstances, but no plan will be perfect.
This Quick Read was submitted by Cathryn Jakicic, Healthcare Industries Editor, FacilitiesNet. For more about hospital campuses and other medical facilities, visit https://www.facilitiesnet.com/healthcarefacilities.
