Why is the push for faster turnarounds eroding basic installation standards?

On a hospital generator tie-in last quarter, the project lead kept harping on about beating the deadline, even when I flagged that the conductor sizing was borderline for the calculated load. He said to trust the specs from the engineer, but I’ve been burned before by plans that didn’t account for actual field conditions. It’s like once a schedule is set, all common sense about derating or proper bundling goes out the window. I spent an extra two hours double-checking connections because I knew no one else would, and still got side-eyed for not moving faster. This culture of hurry-up compromises not just the longevity of the system, but our professional reputation when things inevitably fail. I’m tired of feeling like the only person on site who remembers that amps and heat don’t care about calendars. Sometimes I just want to shout that a job done right once is cheaper than three callbacks, but who’s listening?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_price524h ago

This rush to beat deadlines is a systemic problem in our industry. In my experience, specs from engineers often overlook field conditions, just like you said. When amps and heat are ignored for the sake of a calendar, failures become inevitable. Your extra two hours of double-checking might seem slow to some, but it prevents costly callbacks later. Take this with a grain of salt, but a job done right once truly is cheaper than multiple fixes. It's frustrating when professional standards are compromised for speed, but holding the line is what preserves our reputation.

nathan_allen4h ago

But what if some deadlines are actually reasonable with better planning? I mean, engineers often spec based on the best data available, not willfully ignoring field conditions. Idk, maybe it's just me, but I've seen projects where constant double-checking creates more delays than it prevents. Sure, callbacks are costly, but missing deadlines can mean losing the client altogether. Holding the line on quality matters, but so does showing we can adapt and deliver. Maybe the balance comes from tightening communication loops early, not just slowing down at the end.

brian7413h ago

Nah, @eva_price52's got it; double-checking prevents future messes.