One thing I found in this year’s Annual Plant Construction Survey is that many food and beverage projects were encumbered with finding an adequate supply of people and materials to complete projects on time. While some food and beverage companies have dedicated capital project managers (CPMs) to see construction and automation projects through even at multiple sites around the world, many companies are left wanting a CPM on staff to handle their projects.
To fill the void, food companies may try to find and make do with third-parties whose primary experience may not be managing food company construction and automation projects. They may come up with someone who understands general construction or knows how to manage automation projects, but finding a person with a wider scope of experience—especially one who understands food and beverage companies’ special needs—can be elusive.