Suggested Guidelines - When To Consider Professional Services . . . Specialized Skills:  Many lean firms are not staffed to handle the sudden intensity of occasional capital projects.  It’s especially important to recognize when available individuals are not professionally trained in project planning, design concepts, construction management, and facility standards. New Staff:  Hiring untested candidates off the street “to save money” is a big risk for a project that's set to launch, a false economy that could be costly and damaging to your firm’s goals. Similarly, hiring experienced senior level managers is a long term commitment ill suited to one time investments. Sooner Is Better:  Most significant benefits and problem avoidance occurs early in the planning / design phases, not during the construction/ implementation phase.  A common mistake: not applying senior level resources soon enough. Fast Tracking:  When success means beating the competition to market, demand a fast design- construction-commissioning cycle, keeping in mind only seasoned professionals should lead this intense level of service. Jobs In-Process:  Perhaps you need an audit or 2nd opinion as to how existing projects are really progressing:  Adequate scope and design documents?  Competitive bids?  Schedule problems? Questionable quality?  Adequate staff? Site Selection:  Are the proposed sites sufficient for current and projected factory footprints and storage needs?  Good transportation, infrastructure, and utilities?  What about soils reports, environmental assessments, and flood plain studies? Confidential Launch:  In some cases it’s important to begin preliminary investigations via outside services without informing the workforce.