Integrating and digitalizing processes from concept to turnkey helps manage budgets, workflows, and quality. In this way, large factories can be built quickly and with precision. The EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management) model was born in the development of industrial megaprojects at the end of the last century. Later, more innovative ways had to be found to manage the increasing complexity of defense, energy, oil, airports, and other construction projects. The methodology was refined by the digitalization of the construction industry.

The speed and complexity of the EPCM model have already proven their worth in Lithuania's most significant greenfield investment projects. For instance, the construction permit for the Dovista factory, designed by Be Live on a 64-ha site, was obtained in just six days. This starkly contrasts the months it can take for less complex projects in Lithuania to secure a permit.

"Naturally, the single window principle and the expeditiousness of the EPCM make it relevant for the production and defense industries as well as for the construction of energy facilities such as wind farms," says Darius Kvedaras, head of the Be Live group. He admits that EPCM brings together collaborative teams to tackle the challenges of managing complex issues in parallel.

"The speed and complexity of EPCM has made it indispensable for developing Lithuania's largest greenfield investment projects," says Darius Kvedaras. "Building a huge plant needs good preparation, which takes a little longer because it is worth investing in a high-quality design. The construction train can go fast once it is on the right track," adds Darius Kvedaras.

The EPCM route employs professionals with different competencies, including general and digital BIM design, construction management, engineering, and infrastructure installation. They address data protection, sustainability certification, and future operational challenges. Innovations such as life-cycle analysis, dynamic energy modeling, and others are applied.

The speed of construction work is then supported by a digital twin of the building being developed during design. It uses 3D technology to view all future building areas, even furniture. Engineering solutions are designed to avoid unplanned elbows or, for example, switches in inconvenient places. This way, once all the details have been considered at the design stage, there's no need to go back to the project for refinements or adjustments, and the work can be done on the actual construction site faster and cheaper.

Darius Kvedaras points out that design usually accounts for up to 10% of the total cost of a construction project. Still, the quality of the design can substantially reduce the cost of construction or, on the contrary, increase the cost of construction due to inaccuracies in design.

A quality design is immediately suitable for obtaining a building permit and can be used for construction without corrections. In addition, an excellent digital twin makes it possible to start the documentation for the commissioning of a building before construction has even begun.  Proper design also helps in the subsequent expansion of buildings.

One of the key strengths of the EPCM model, according to Darius Kvedaras, is its ability to manage and eliminate risks simultaneously during the planning stage. This task cannot be effectively implemented by a single team of designers. Without timely risk management, unforeseen hazards can disrupt the schedule, inflate the construction budget, and compromise the quality of the project.

This is one of the reasons why the EPCM model, where experienced designers work together with management-strong construction managers, is the safest and the fastest option for building huge plants. Building factories or defense industry facilities requires speed, and the challenges are highly complex.

According to Darius Kvedaras, the cooperation between the general designers and construction management teams is not just important; it's critical to the success and speed of the project. The general designer handles technical and conceptual integrity management issues, allowing the architects to focus on purely architectural tasks. This collaborative effort results in not just aesthetically pleasing buildings but also practical and functional ones.

Another critical step in construction management is the hiring of the general contractor. "A single contractor, unlike an EPCM team, leans to optimize solutions on the principle of lowest cost. This slows down the construction and forces compromises on quality, which disrupts schedules and generates unforeseen costs for defects correcting", says Darius Kvedaras.

At first glance, he says, the added value created by the integrity of EPCM services seems self-evident. Still, it has not yet been easily achievable in Lithuania or the broader region because it is not easy to find all the necessary strong competencies under one roof. "Building a team that can deliver real integrity in construction management takes time and focused effort," says the head of Be Live.
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Be Live has applied the EPCM construction management model to the design and implement the most significant recent factory projects in Lithuania, Dovista, and Continental. This innovative construction management model has proven worth in the recently completed Virpil Controls flight simulator equipment and ESCO Technologies medical equipment factories in Lithuania. It is now being used successfully in several new plant and energy projects.    

The first EPCM project in Lithuania was the development of the Marijampolė Free Economic Zone (Baltic FEZ). Back in 2018, Baltic Engineers, a company of the Be Live Group, prepared a development plan for the FEZ, designed the roads, engineering infrastructure, and the first building complexes of Baltic FEZ.