In the journey of building, factory design is a crucial initial step that impacts the quality, progress, cost, and operational efficiency of the entire project. However, many investors – especially those undertaking it for the first time – are prone to making avoidable mistakes during the design process. The consequences can be delayed construction, significant cost overruns, or a facility that cannot operate as expected.
This article will highlight 5 of the most common mistakes made when designing a factory and provide practical solutions to avoid them, helping businesses save time and money and ensuring long-term operational effectiveness.
5 Common Mistakes in Factory Design
One of the most common mistakes is failing to describe the factory's functions in detail from the initial stages. Many investors only provide a request to "build a 2,000m² factory" without providing information about:
- Type of production
- Machine operation processes
- Goods storage areas
- Office areas, restrooms, parking lots, transportation corridors
This makes it difficult for the design unit to develop a reasonable layout, or even leads to designs that are unsuitable for the intended purpose. Discovering the need for changes after construction is complete results in very high modification costs.
How to Avoid:
- Develop a detailed list of functional areas, production processes, commodity volumes, number of workers, and types of machinery used.
- Work closely with the design unit to simulate the flow of movement and production operations from start to finish.
- Prioritize drawings with 3D perspectives and process simulations to easily visualize and identify errors early.
Many businesses choose a factory design before surveying the existing terrain or geology, especially on newly acquired land. This leads to a range of risks, such as:
- Weak soil but shallow foundation design, causing the structure to subside after a few years.
- Low-lying areas prone to flooding, but no drainage system is planned.
- Near rivers, ponds, or special geological zones, but no appropriate foundation treatment plan is in place.
How to Avoid:
- Conduct a thorough topographical and geological survey before designing, including elevation measurements, engineering geology, and soil bearing capacity.
- Require the design unit to base their work on actual survey maps, not guesswork.
- If necessary, invest in geological surveys using core drilling – the initial cost is not too high but helps avoid risks costing hundreds of millions during construction.
Many businesses, when starting to build a factory, only focus on current needs without considering the possibility of future scaling. Consequently, when needing to increase production area or add new equipment, the old structure cannot meet the requirements, forcing renovation, demolition, or new construction – resulting in significant waste.
How to Avoid:
- From the outset, forecast development plans for 3–5 years: factory expansion, adding floors, increasing capacity.
- Design the structure in a way that is easy to expand, for example:
+ Prefabricated steel structures are easy to extend or disassemble.
+ Arrange empty spaces that can be converted into new functional areas.
- Consult with the design unit to create expansion plans in advance to avoid structural changes later.
A serious but often overlooked mistake is designing factories without synchronizing technical systems such as electricity, water, lighting, ventilation, drainage (MEP), and fire protection systems (PCCC). Many factories only install these systems when preparing for operation, leading to:
- Breaking walls, ceilings, and foundations, incurring additional costs.
- Insufficient space for technical piping.
- Failing to meet appraisal standards for fire protection, causing construction delays or preventing operational permits from being issued.
How to Avoid:
- Require the design unit to integrate MEP and PCCC from the initial stage, not as separate supplementary items.
- If necessary, choose a unit with the capability to provide complete technical design to ensure synchronization of technical diagrams, electrical and plumbing systems – escape routes – fire fighting.
Many investors, in an attempt to save costs, choose design firms with unusually low prices without thoroughly checking their qualifications. This often results in:
- Poorly executed drawings lacking proper technical calculations
- Unexpected cost increases due to adjustments during construction
- Inability to obtain construction permits due to incomplete or invalid documentation
How to avoid this:
- Only work with firms that have clear qualifications, a portfolio of real-world projects, and a team of specialized engineers.
- Request detailed quotations for each item, avoiding vague "all-inclusive" packages.
- Seek references from previous clients, especially those with similar industrial building projects.
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1. Is careful investment needed when designing a small factory under 1,000m²?
Yes. Even with a small scale, an unreasonable design can seriously impact production efficiency, storage capacity, and flow of movement, leading to higher operating costs. A well-planned design from the beginning will save more in the long run.
2. Can I create a preliminary design myself and then hire a unit to develop the details?
Yes, you can, but you need to be very clear about the goals and functions, and ensure the initial draft does not deviate from reality. Most professional units will support you from preliminary to detailed design with a reasonable cost if you choose a complete package.
If you can find a reputable unit, a Design & Build package is the optimal solution:
- Saves coordination time
- Technical synchronization
- Avoids the situation of "designing one way - constructing another"
|
Checklist Item |
Status (✓/X) |
Notes |
|
Has the functional purpose been clearly defined? |
✓ / X |
List of areas, capacity, processes |
|
Has a geological survey and current status assessment been conducted? |
✓ / X |
There are as-built drawings and geological reports |
|
Is there a plan for expansion within 3–5 years? |
✓ / X |
These is reserved space or appropriate structure |
|
Has the MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) and fire protection system been integrated into the drawings? |
✓ / X |
Includes plans for electricity, water supply, ventilation, and fire fighting |
|
Does the design unit have capability documentation and experience? |
✓ / X |
Check project documents and customer feedback |
Factory construction design is a process that requires accuracy, synchronization, and long-term calculations. Making mistakes right from the design stage can lead to losses of hundreds of millions to billions of VND in subsequent steps.
If you need professional factory design consultation, complete with technical and legal documentation, and optimized costs, contact BIC – A specialized industrial factory design unit with experience in implementing hundreds of projects nationwide.
