Success Story – Combining People, Process, and Technology, not only improves the performance, but also enhances the value of Koncepo
A brilliant strategy, blockbuster product, or breakthrough technology can put you on the competitive map, but only solid execution can keep you there. You have to be able to deliver on your intent.
We believe in “Smart Workforce” to perform smarter, faster and more productively. Our smart project deliverables are products of smarter strategies, people, process and technology. Therefore, when planning a project’s objectives, we focus on each Specific goal to be achieved for the task, while ensuring that it should be Measurable, Attainable with existing resources and tools and has to be Relevant and Time-bound.
Strategy – We adopt a natural collaborative company culture for both internal collaboration and external collaboration with other partners that help our productivity and accelerates innovation. And it is this kind of collaborative approach that helped our company to break through boundaries and produce cutting-edge innovations that solve our customer problems.
People – We build a framework for Accountability to each individual and team to Define roles, own your works and team results, make tasks visible and create the workflow for each assignment and how they are orchestrated together for the success of the overall project. We have implemented multiple initiatives to improve our team productivity. We have defined the set of tools, as well as the best ways to use them, that facilitated more frequent and more personal communications among team members, stakeholders, and clients.
Process – We adopt a clear and effective process for collecting requirement from our client, communicating at every stage of implementation, throughout the project cycle. The new tools and processes support innovation and knowledge sharing and that could bring experts from multiple functions and technical areas together to exchange ideas, leverage best practices, and apply team insight to expedite projects when needed. Besides project documentation, our internal processes are all aligned in achieving better productivity by;
- Having clear leadership roles within the team to keep projects on track
- Having a strategic focus on understanding customer requirements from early stages.
- Supporting teams adherence to the corporate standards and Guidelines.
- Having a clear definition and understanding of projects plans
- To implement best quality project standards and guidelines and to have a comprehensive lesson learned and knowledge improvement framework
- Having a process for knowledge sharing and smooth integration of new members of the team
Technology – We constantly keep looking for new technological developments to create a workforce that is more productive, more efficient, and more innovative. In addition, the rising trend of remote workers has led to an increased demand for on-demand data: data that is accessible at any time, from anywhere. There are many tool sets that bring a huge gain to projects productivity. Some of the tools we currently use within Koncepo Group teams are cloud based collaboration platform that organizes projects to provide the right information at the right time.
Innovation at Koncepo Design Studio
Our Innovator Studio is a catalyst for you to improve, repair or create better strategic facilities planning goals to enhance critical communication process with planning tools to develop and analyze statistical models, gap analysis, scenario planning, site analysis, cost modelling, provide facts and data that will assist funding approvals and detail design.
Our thought leadership insights from experience working with many organizations across different sectors can help to plan efficiently, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure.
Our unique tailored made case studies acts as a form driver for most of the site and building design principles to improve the quality of investment decisions, enhance long term value of facility decisions, establish in-depth knowledge of facilities capacities and capabilities, create a common language and establish standard measurements to analyze and make decisions regarding facilities in the same way across all sites.
These environments encourage clear understanding of facility design, quality level of the built product, required flexibility and programmatic requirement using latest Engineering tools from basic Autocad to Revit to BIM modelling, MEP software. The quick deliverables such as drawings and schedules come directly from a single, unified model with Changes are reflected in all views of the model and adjacent/connected elements automatically update to maintain established relationships.
Balancing R&D Risk Management Vs. 21st Century Energy Crisis
Our planet is facing an unprecedented energy challenge. Assuming that all recently introduced energy efficiency policies are implemented with full success, global primary energy demand is still expected to increase 33% by 2040. The construction costs continue to rise. Technology and sophistication of systems continue to enhance functional capabilities. This demand would have a dramatic impact on energy costs, energy security, competition for resources, access to energy for the poorest populations, economic growth, and the climate change.
Urbanization, industrialization, and digitization continue to shape our lives as new economies are built and established economies are transformed. These megatrends are escalating energy demand, yet nearly 2.3 billion people either don’t have access to electricity at all or don’t have reliable access to electricity. We are committed to solving this energy paradox.
Opportunities for conservation in research laboratories are varied and abundant. Laboratories consume three to five times more energy per square foot than do typical offices due to 24x7 round operation of energy-intensive equipment, 100 percent outside air requirements, and high airflow rates. A single ultra-low temperature (ULT, -80°C) freezer draws as much energy as an average domestic household and one single Fume Hood is equivalent to the energy consumption of over 3 homes. The Industry has been challenged to “re-engineer” the basic standards and principles used to design and manage facilities.
Sustainability is the core of Koncepo strategy. We help our customers make their facilities more efficient over time.
Determine Baseline Energy Consumption—To get started, we figure out the current energy consumption, current procedures and protocols, the design standards and benchmarking adopted and the technology used. Analyze Technology Options—We evaluate the technology available that would fit into a sustainable action plan. These technologies could fall under people and policy, buildings, transportation, energy sources, and offsets and certificates. Deriving the pay back cost over capital investment is the key determinant. Prepare a Plan and Set Priorities—In this stage, we pick specific energy reduction goals, set dates for achievement, and figure out their financial constraints and opportunities. The resulting plan can be either goal- or finance-driven. Implement the Sustainable Action Plan—Manage and oversee the plan’s implementation. A portfolio approach in which a wide variety of options are considered. Measure & Evaluate Progress— We have put together an energy monitoring tool that can be used for reporting their progress in achieving the overall energy efficiency goals. Koncepo team has implemented some of the Sustainable Lab Design Strategies to our partners to spearhead in environmental performance and sustainability.
Centralized chilled water loop provides process cooling to large Stability chambers instead of using Dx units. Choice of Safety Enclosure as a primary enclosure to handle potent drugs OEL-3 and OEL-4 with minimal changes on;
- HVAC
- Variable Volume Fume Hoods
- Air change rate
- Daylighting
- Zoned for optimum resource utilization
- Green Chemistry
- Equipment based load and utilities data Vs historical benchmarking
- Rapidly reconfigurable labs from Wet to Dry
- Integrated Building Automation Systems to optimize the energy usage
Feeling the space at Koncepo VR studio
Nearly every part of the business is improved through technology and innovation. One such technology that is set to make earth shattering changes in the way we live and interact with others is virtual reality.
You can literally walk through your space, new constructions sites, new research environment make a huge impact to feel that space and you are informed to make decisions and excited for the final product. We have integrated our Design Studio that develops 3D plans to VR studio to give a true sense of depth and space before anything has been built.
This studio will be unique, memorable, impactful and communicates to you. You can experience your work area see your walking and working experience in your facility. We have the best in class virtual reality equipment (HTC Vive) with a high-end PC for development and a VR ready mobile workstation for offsite demos. The computers are equipped with the top VR capable graphics cards, world class game engine and the 3D max to model the assets.
Real life simulations – You can place, open or change colors of interior and even walk through with their own virtual reality.Creative facility design – Design your own virtual facility and get a real feel of it.Save on Cost & Time – Visibility of the end product is visualized at design stage itself, this saves any rework during construction stage.
High Containment Facilities
Whether it is a containment of high-potency products in a GMP environment or handling of hazardous compounds or biohazard material or working with animal studies or genetically modified agents in a laboratory requires various types of risk assessments to be carried out. It differs from type of hazardous characteristics of a known infectious agent or toxin or hazardous material to prevent or eliminate exposure of personnel and the outside environment and community to potentially hazardous agents / compounds. Different risk assessment for different categories developed by the renowned institutions such as CDC, NIH, DBT and others to protect both laboratory personnel and community.
Koncepo team is experienced and are experts in setting up these facilities and by using specific tool such as Allocation of hazard group in terms of biohazard or potent compound, Assignment of exposure potential, Allocation of laboratory strategy, Exposure control approach that are implemented to prevent the unintentional exposure. Sometimes the requirements must be evaluated to balance both GMP and Biosafety guidelines in Vaccine test labs / production, Animal facilities, Patient care facilities and genetically modified organisms.
The proper handling of these agents / compounds involves specialized facilities that are carefully designed and executed to minimize containment risks. We will focus more on to the Primary and Secondary containment.
Biosafety Facilities
The Biosafety laboratories BSL 1-4 is a combination of the containment principles, technologies, practices, and procedures that are implemented to prevent the unintentional exposure to pathogens and toxins or their accidental release. Each BSL lab level builds upon on the previous level—thereby creating layer upon layer of constraints and barriers. These lab levels are determined by the following;
- Risks related to containment
- Severity of infection
- Transmissibility
- Nature of the work conducted
- Origin of the microbe
- Agent in question
- Route of exposure
Facility Management – A paradigm shift from being a business support to be a business partner
Research buildings are five times as energy intensive as office buildings and are operationally highly complex and demanding. Increased demand for services, shrinking budgets, workforces, rising operating costs, aging infrastructure and balancing R&D risk management Vs 21st century energy crisis, all combine to continually challenge management.
Until recently Facility Management was viewed as an independent business vertical addressing mainly the operational challenges of infrastructure and equipment’s. However, the dynamics have now changed to meet the ever-evolving business environment and Facility Management has now become an integral part of the strategic business requirement. Today it is not only important to be competitively ahead but also to be equally aware of one’s capacity and capability. A lucrative business opportunity will fail if capacity or capability if not factored while making business decision. As Facility Management specialists in research buildings, Koncepo takes a comprehensive look at facility systems and provides a total cost of ownership perspective on operating efficiencies and best practices. As a part of Sustainability, Koncepo helps you evaluate if your plant capable is and ready to meet the upcoming projected business requirement and help in evaluating the future need but also efficiently handles the current infrastructure arrangements. Facility Management is intrinsic, any change in the systems and strategies will have immediate and visible impact on the operating cost. Hence, it is logical to have a hold on the Facility Management.
The transition from business support to business partner-
The integration of below three verticals of Facility Management have transformed the way it is viewed today –
Property Management – ensures 100% compliance at site meeting the required statutory norms and guidelines.
Services Management – deploys capable manpower resources and train and monitor then to achieve the desired results.
Asset Management – creates a synergize to make site more energy efficient and electro-mechanically optimized. Achieving operational efficiency by implementing process standardization.
The nature of the services not only depends upon the infrastructure and equipment but also upon the type of sector and operations. At the macro level the services may appears same but on micro level it varies. Koncepo stand apart by delivering visible, quantifiable results matching global standards for the assets entrusted to us and all through keeping the process transparent. It does so by its inherent expertise and adopting the following principles –
Deep domain and industry experience and expertise.
Link FM strategies to corporate business initiatives, strategies and plan.
Create synergies across in-house Design-Construction-Operation phase capability that would engender savings, proper documentation and seamless integration.
A Unique management framework and methodology to meet industry benchmarks.
Assessing existing research facility RE-USE potential.
In house expertise in supporting Consolidation / Repositioning / Disposition / Development.
No “one size fit all” approach. Tailored system approach that are unique to specific type of operation and building infrastructure.
Specific method to address each gap substantiated by business case analysis so that there is visible business led reasons for making any changes.
Ability to ‘see over the horizon’ in conjunction with the business; anticipating business-led change as well as new regulation, advances in technology or new legislation.
As stated above Facility Management for Research building is more intricate than Office building and hence the approach method adopted will be logically different. Koncepo adopts a unique and novel approach for handling complex research facility.
Conceptualization, planning & implementation of techniques to reduce breakdowns and enhance the performance of equipments and machineries. e.g. -AMC Management, Asset enhancement initiative and concepts, Energy & Sustainability Management.
Process standardization- SOP, checklists, PMP, SRF, History cards, logs and various daily and weekly reports to record the activities performed capturing any deviation. PCB Compliance reports, Audits, Internal Signage, GMP & SOPs, CAPA system, CLRA documents.
Provide support to client during their audit (e.g. USFDA, Asia Pacific EHS, ISO & OSHA).
Managing the Legal and risk management- e.g. Insurance, Emergency planning, Government regulations, Consent letters.
Assessing energy efficiency, material efficiency, water efficiency & waste reduction in all our practices. Target at making buildings as high-performance buildings which use less operating energy and may make up as much as 30% of the overall life cycle energy consumption. Carry-out energy, safety and engineering audits for the clients, also help them with water saving strategies.
Conduct various internal audit and close the points to keep the site for audit ready.
Energy and Water Management – rain water harvesting, installation of timer for street lights and cafeteria and correction of power factor.
Improved Environmental compliance at all sites – provide trainings on filling PCB forms, water balancing, the 6-copy manifest writing for hazardous waste disposal.
Checking the CLRA documents, compliance related positions like 33KV and 11KV position for electrician, monthly water balance and CESS reports. Installation of wind monitor, maintaining 33 records as per CFO conditions- in all operational entities.