An Automated NSW Smart Solutions Guide
Beyond Regulatory Requirements 
Regulated industries like pharmaceuticals and biotechnology operate under a structured approach to project management execution. Multiple documents, each routed and approved by various stakeholders, carefully document the planning and design process to ensure changes don’t impact product quality. While this formality may seem excessive for projects outside regulated facilities, adopting core project management principles without all the documentation can provide significant advantages without the drawbacks.
Most projects begin with a Request for Proposal (RFP), which in regulated environments should be based on a User Requirement Specification (URS). A well-crafted URS provides precise needs for the end result and typically includes:
- Temperature, humidity, and pressure parameters for systems or spaces
- Communication protocols and integration requirements
- Specific control strategies for energy efficiency or other site standards
Even without implementing a formal URS process, developing a comprehensive list of requirements benefits both contractors and clients in three significant ways:
1. A shared definition of “Done”
When everyone operates from the same list of goals, there’s clarity on what constitutes project completion. If you’ve ever heard, “Yeah it’s done. But it’s not done-done,” you understand how the final 5% of a project can drag on indefinitely. With clearly stated, well-communicated specific goals, all stakeholders can track progress toward an easily recognized finish line and provide accurate status updates when leadership inevitably asks, “Is it done yet?”
2. Early alignment on expectations
For contractors: You can properly price and schedule jobs when you know exactly what they entail. When clients document their needs before pricing begins, you’re positioned to satisfy requirements on the first attempt. This clarity also enables better resource planning based on the specific expertise needed for project success.
For clients: You’ll experience fewer change orders resulting from misunderstandings. As George Bernard Shaw famously noted (paraphrased), “The biggest obstacle to communication is the illusion that it has already occurred.” Eliminating ambiguity, even unintentional ambiguity, is crucial for delivering projects on time and under budget.
3. Delivery of solutions that truly meet client needs
The process of documenting specific project goals requires effort and often investigation with end users. This work must happen eventually—it’s far better to do it before systems are installed and programmed. As one of my early mentors said, “The specification is the spoon with which we feed them what they need to tell us.”
It’s easy to write vague requirements like “configure alarms as necessary.” But what exactly is necessary? More importantly, what does the CLIENT consider necessary? Do they want time delays? Escalation lists? Alarm limits relative to setpoints or hard-coded independent values? The earlier these details are established, the easier it becomes to deliver exactly what’s needed.
Remember that quality-focused contractors want perfect project execution, culminating in the delivery of systems that clients love. Clearly defining what that system should look like from the very beginning significantly increases the likelihood of success.
Investing in Quality from the Start
Taking time to develop clear requirements at the beginning of a project isn’t just a regulatory formality—it’s a strategic investment that pays dividends throughout the project lifecycle. While it may require more effort upfront, this approach reduces rework, minimizes surprises, and creates alignment among all parties involved. Adopting this quality-focused mindset helps ensure that your building automation and control projects deliver exactly what clients need, when they need it.