Cannon Design Blog

It’s been nearly a year since I came onboard with Cannon Design. I’ve had the pleasure of heading and growing the Commissioning Group in the Chicago office. The support demonstrated for our group has been unwavering and the entire team truly appreciates it. In the past months, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of you and the same question has been asked on numerous occasions: “What makes us different than other commissioning service providers?” It is an important question and I’m always passionate about the answer. I know the qualities that differentiate us are what will also allow us to become a major player in the profession.

Our Approach
We are different because … We place a strong emphasis on Owner involvement in the Cx process. The client is no longer seen as just a client – but a partner. We seek the needs and requirements of our projects and tailor our plan to fulfill them. From our experience and observations, our approach engages the Owner more and provides additional detail that the Cx offering from other firms does not.

We encourage team collaboration. We are not interested in pointing fingers but finding solutions. We have found that project teams often struggle with commissioning authorities who are unresponsive or lack the necessary team oriented approach for a successful project. We are different because our responsiveness and follow through is at a greater level than our competition.

Our Preparation
We are different because … our testing and documentation is project specific unlike boilerplate/generic commissioning offered by our competition. We invest more research during our commissioning plan development phase than our counterparts. Not only do we dissect the specification and drawings of the project, but we also gather specific manufacturer information on the equipment selected and when possible, seek out training for specific equipment. All our documents are meticulous and detail oriented. They are reviewed to ensure they reflect as accurately as possible each project. All of these steps are often left out by the competition and clients end up with incorrect or non-applicable tests and documentation. We are simply put, better prepared.

Our People
We are different because … we coordinate weekly meetings with all our commissioning personnel to discuss projects, develop and exchange ideas to improve and increase the benefits that commissioning brings. Our Cx group members are involved with different committees that Cannon Design and other entities offer to develop an enhanced holistic understanding of building construction and life cycle.

Why our people are different? We don’t hire only because of their knowledge, but also because of their attitude. A superior attitude can hinder information flow in the commissioning process. Commissioning authorities are most effective when they are both an expert and a teacher. Our group hiring process is focused on finding the best talents out there. We don’t hire to fill a void – we hire to improve our commissioning group. It has actually taken us years to hire someone in the past.

Our Resources
We are different because … our group is dedicated to the execution of commissioning projects. We also utilize one of Cannon Design’s greatest assets – its intellectual collective; A pool of hundreds of professionals with vast and diverse backgrounds. Cannon Design’s adoption of the latest communication and information exchange technology make it possible to access this source of innovative ideas and problem-solving solutions. Our integrated approach, our holistic view and our collaboration between disciplines make us a key partner in every project.

Our Commitment
We are different because … Our commitment to commissioning is enduring. Our workforce is involved with different associations at different levels to make sure we are always updated and to position ourselves so that we can distinguish ourselves from the competition.

A Teacher
We are different because … not only do we encourage the involvement of facility personnel but we also want to be perceived as the “teacher” of the project. We make ourselves accessible and available. We include the owner in our work. We want to become a lifetime resource for the project.

I believe we are different because we care at the highest level.

Marco DeZan - 07 Aug 2012

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