Confidential Client — First-of-a-Kind Industrial Facility

Right-Sizing Scope for Capital Efficiency

The Challenge

A fast-growing innovator in next-generation construction materials set out to deliver a transformative capital project; a critical milestone in their mission to reshape the industry with lower-carbon solutions. The facility represented one of the largest capital investments ever undertaken in the sector, with a total installed cost in the hundreds of millions. For a startup, managing an investment of this magnitude was a defining moment: every decision carried amplified impact, with millions at stake in scope, cost, and schedule.

As the newly formed project team transitioned from FEL-2 to FEL-3 (Front-End Engineering Design), they issued an extensive RFP for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) partners, listing more than 500 deliverables. While comprehensive, this approach risked driving unintended consequences such as unnecessary scope, inflated bids, and diluted project priorities.

The underlying risk: in projects of this scale, overspecification can quietly erode competitiveness and stall innovation, since EPCs typically price and deliver every requested item, regardless of true necessity or value.

BPMP’s Role

BPMP Solutions was engaged to bring deep expertise in Front-End Loading (FEL) and business-driven project shaping. Working closely with the owner’s team, BPMP:

Rationalized the RFP deliverables

Each item was mapped to essential business and stage-gate requirements, keeping only what was truly needed to reach a robust investment decision.

Eliminated unnecessary scope

Redundant and premature requirements were removed, ensuring EPC effort directly advanced project readiness and value.

Equipped the client team

Through hands-on guidance, BPMP transferred practical FEL best practices that will continue to drive efficiency beyond this project.

The Results

Disciplined capital management: The optimized RFP reduced the deliverable count by more than 60%. For a project measured in the hundreds of millions, this level of discipline can mean the difference between building one flagship facility or unlocking the flexibility for future growth.
Sharper project focus: The streamlined RFP improved alignment for both the owner’s team and EPC bidders, enhancing bid quality, execution readiness, and decision-making.
Faster, smarter progress: By aligning scope to business needs, the project advanced on a more competitive timeline, allowing resources to keep pace with aggressive business goals.

Long-term capability uplift: The client team gained valuable skills in FEL discipline, embedding capital efficiency into their future project playbook.

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Why It Matters

For capital-intensive, first-of-a-kind projects, overspecification is a hidden drain quietly inflating costs and slowing innovation. This case shows how right-sizing scope at FEL-2/FEL-3 creates value that rivals entire future phases of growth. With a people-first, business-driven approach, BPMP helps ensure that every project dollar advances real business value, not wasted effort.

First-of-a-kind projects are high-stakes: every scope decision has amplified impact.