Testing and Commissioning Full Report

John Hudson, the seminar Chairman, defined testing and commissioning as: ‘taking a product or  a system and trying to demonstrate that it operates in a safe manner, meets the design intent, is fit for purpose and satisfies stakeholder expectations.’

As projects become increasingly complex, and as more stakeholders and more disciplines become engaged, the process of validation, integration and testing becomes very much more significant and is a critical driver in major project strategy. In addition, pressures on the budget and the schedule, increasing levels of technology, greater risks and the difficulties of scarce resources mean that the benefits of a well planned and well managed testing and commissioning phase should be apparent for all major projects. Testing and commissioning can be the defining moment between success and failure of a major programme – the last thing any project wants is a systems failure at the vital moment of delivery.

The seminar explored all aspects of the testing life cycle within a systems context, from initial requirements and project planning through to design, build, integration and engineering test, culminating in client acceptance and successful entry into service. It provided valuable insights and best practice examples from a range of sectors and from different perspectives – owner, operator, prime contractor and supplier as well as those responsible for insurance and safety.