Industrial system projects often involve multiple teams working in sequence rather than in parallel. Engineering, fabrication, controls, and field installation are commonly separated across different groups or vendors.
While this model is standard, it introduces risk through handoffs, interpretation gaps, and limited feedback between design intent and physical execution.
Gerhart operates with a different structure. Engineering, material handling, IC&E (Instrumentation, Controls & Electrical), fabrication, and field service teams work in a connected environment supported by in-house fabrication and a UL 508A accredited panel shop.
Here’s a breakdown of the gap between design and execution.
1. The Challenge: Fragmentation in System Delivery
Most industrial system projects follow a segmented workflow:
- Engineering develops design intent
- Fabrication is executed separately or through third parties
- Controls design often runs in parallel or is introduced later in the process
- Field installation occurs after multiple handoffs between teams
This structure creates predictable points of friction.
When disciplines operate independently, issues tend to emerge at the transitions:
- Engineering intent can be interpreted differently during fabrication
- Constructability concerns are often discovered after build has begun
- Mechanical and controls systems may not be fully aligned until commissioning
- Field teams frequently encounter systems they are seeing for the first time on site
These challenges are not typically the result of individual performance. They are a consequence of separation between teams that are all working toward the same outcome, but not in a shared environment.
The result is increased likelihood of rework, extended commissioning timelines, and avoidable coordination delays.
2. Integrated Execution Model
Gerhart addresses these challenges through a connected delivery model.
Material handling engineers, IC&E engineers, welders, and field service teams operate within a shared workflow rather than isolated stages.
Key structural elements include:
- In-house fabrication capabilities
- UL 508A accredited panel shop
- Continuous collaboration between engineering and shop floor teams
- Exposure of field service technicians to systems during fabrication and assembly
This structure enables feedback to move in both directions throughout the project lifecycle, reducing the gaps that typically occur between design intent and field execution.
3. In-House Fabrication and Controls Integration
With fabrication and panel building performed in-house, engineering intent remains closely aligned with execution.
This enables:
- Direct collaboration between engineers and fabricators during build
- Early identification of constructability improvements
- Alignment of controls design with actual system behavior
- Consistent quality checkpoints throughout fabrication and assembly
Rather than relying on a single final inspection, quality is reinforced continuously throughout the process.
4. From Fabrication to Field Performance
Because systems are designed, built, and reviewed within a connected workflow, execution quality carries directly into field performance.
Field service technicians arrive on site with prior exposure to how systems were assembled, not just how they appear on drawings. This familiarity improves installation efficiency, reduces startup uncertainty, and shortens commissioning cycles.
Across projects, this continuity also strengthens troubleshooting. Field service teams are working with systems they understand from build context, not first-time exposure in operational conditions.
The result is a smoother transition from fabrication to installation and from installation to startup, with fewer unknowns introduced at each stage.
Conclusion
Industrial systems perform best when design, fabrication, controls, and field execution are closely aligned rather than separated into independent stages.
While many delivery models rely on sequential handoffs, this structure introduces avoidable risk and variability.
Gerhart’s approach connects these disciplines within a single workflow supported by in-house fabrication and UL 508A accredited panel building.
The result is not only customized system design, but more consistent execution of that design from engineering through startup, along with improved process optimization across the full system lifecycle.