Integrating Capital Project Commissioning into Turnarounds - Valency

How to Reduce the Risk of a Delayed Return to Service 

Most owners avoid commissioning capital projects during a turnaround event at all costs. But when it’s essential, how do you reduce the risk of schedule delays? 

Turnarounds, shutdowns, and outages are already high-stakes events. When capital project commissioning must be executed within that fixed window, the risk of delaying the return-to-service date increases dramatically, and so do the financial consequences. 

Even with the best planning, late-stage commissioning challenges can derail schedules and prevent facilities from returning to service on time. For these high-risk scenarios, we recommend adopting a structured and proven assurance approach: Valency’s Carve for Commissioning & Operational Readiness.

The Challenge  

According to the Construction Industry Institute (CII), the transition from construction to operations is where the greatest leakage of business value occurs¹. Their data shows that 40% of projects experience commissioning schedule overruns. 

When those overruns happen during a turnaround, it doesn’t just delay commissioning of the related systems.  It delays the entire operating unit’s return to service. The result? Lost production and lost revenue. 

Mitigating the Risk 

To mitigate this risk, owners are leveraging Valency’s Carve for Commissioning & Operational Readiness, a purpose-built assurance solution aligned with CII best practices. 

How to stay ahead of the risk when commissioning a capital project must be done as part of a turnaround:

• Evaluate readiness across all commissioning categories well before the event
• Prioritize commissioning and operational readiness deliverables that must be completed prior to the turnaround
• For teams that may be struggling with optimism bias, Valency’s Carve for Commissioning & Operational Readiness provides a proven assurance framework to take a consistent, evidence-based approach to readiness 

The Results 

Valency’s Carve for Commissioning & Operational Readiness is specifically adaptable for projects tied to shutdowns or outages. Carve supports project teams by helping them focus on early and thorough preparation for commissioning and startup. 

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Assessments should start early and review all commissioning readiness categories—not just those typically addressed prior to pre-commissioning.
• Carve supports your project team by identifying hot spots that must be addressed to de-risk the commissioning schedule during the turnaround event.
• Carve helps guide the prioritization of pre-event actions, ensuring no critical factors are not overlooked in the lead-up to the event.
• Each assessment helps drive alignment between the turnaround maintenance organization and operations to support effective integration of capital project commissioning and turnaround activities. 

Reduce Commissioning Related Schedule Risk  

When commissioning during a turnaround is unavoidable, you need more than just great experience. A structured, objective, and focused approach to assurance is essential. That’s exactly what Valency’s Carve for Commissioning & Operational Readiness delivers. 

It’s a practical solution to reduce the risk of a commissioning-related delay and protects your return-to-service date. 

Let’s connect if you’re planning a capital project that must be constructed with commissioning as part of a turnaround event.

¹ Source: Construction Industry Institute (CII), “Commissioning and Startup Practices,” RS300-1