Front-End Engineering

October 4, 2022

What is front-end engineering?

The goal of front-end engineering is to provide a customer with all required management, engineering, and documentation services to help the organization understand the risks of the project and develop a plan to resolve those risks before setting a budget, collecting bids, or starting on the design-build.

We offer front-end engineering services, click here to learn more.

A completed front-end package allows a customer to ensure:

The end-users have had a chance to define to the project team what’s important to them in the end solution
Those setting the budget are educated with the information needed to make informed decisions
The schedule the team and contractors are held to is aligned with the effort required and budget set
Contractors bidding on the design-build have all information needed to bid correctly, reducing risk for unavoidable scope creep and change orders

In some cases, front-end engineering can include fact gathering and developing return on investment (ROI) justification before proceeding with the project.

Grantek firmly believes that performing this exercise competently, especially for large projects which carry more risk, drastically increase the chances of your project being successful, and the organization receive the best ROI.

Why is front-end engineering important?

Front-end engineering is an important step in the manufacturing process. It helps to ensure that a product can be manufactured safely and efficiently, and that it will meet the needs of the customer.

It can help to avoid problems during manufacturing and can improve the chances of a product being successful in the market. By taking the time to carefully plan and design a product, manufacturers can save time and money in the long run.

What steps are involved with front-end engineering?

Front-end engineering typically includes the following steps:

Research: Front-end engineering begins with research. This may involve desk research, interviews, and surveys. The goal is to gain a better understanding of the problem or opportunity that the product will address.
Feasibility studies: Once the research is complete, feasibility studies are conducted to determine if the proposed project is viable. These studies consider factors such as cost, time, and resources.
Risk analysis: Risk analysis is an important part of front-end engineering. This step helps to identify any potential risks that could impact the success of the project.
Design: Once the research, feasibility studies, and risk analysis are complete, the product can be designed. This step includes creating drawings and specifications for the product.
Testing: After the product is designed, it is important to test it to make sure that it meets the requirements of the customer. This step may involve prototyping and beta testing.
Evaluation: Once the product has been designed and tested, it is time to evaluate it. This step helps to determine if the product is ready for mass production.
Implementation: If the product is determined to be ready for mass production, then implementation can begin which includes setting up manufacturing process and facilities.

What does front-end engineering include?

Front-end engineering services are carefully scoped depending on the project a customer is planning to take on, but common documentation deliverables that may be included in a package include:

Project Budget
Preliminary Electrical Design (RFQ and Supporting Documentation)
User Requirements Specification and/or Functional Requirements Specification
Panel List, Sizing and Basic Design
Bill of Materials
Network Architecture and Connectivity Strategy
I/O List
Power Distribution
RFQ Documentation for Electrical Installation
RFQ Documentation for Programming and Integration
Schedule of Milestones
Division of Responsibility Matrix

Grantek is uniquely structured to provide these services to our customers. After understanding the project and determining the scope of the effort, Grantek is able to staff the engineering team with professionals from its Smart Manufacturing, Automation, Industrial Networking, or Industrial Safety groups, ultimately resulting in the exact experience and skill sets needed for your organization to plan its next project.