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Chris Coward: The Italian Job – project management amid a pandemic

Chris Coward, Head of Project Management at BCS (Business Critical Solutions), the specialist services provider to the international digital infrastructure industry, shares his experiences of managing a project in Italy’s red zone during the Covid-19 pandemic.

When we were awarded the management of the construction of a 13,000 square foot 10-Megawatt datacentre facility in Italy last year, we knew it would be challenging but unsurprisingly none of us expected to what extent.

The project is located in Bologna, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy, and is being funded by the regional Government. Despite being awarded ‘essential status’ by the Government, work on the project, which was at the civil engineering stage, halted on 13th March due to the Covid-19 pandemic which was particularly prevalent in the area. However, the site reopened just a few weeks later, one of only two in the country at the time, with strict new operating procedures designed to ensure the safety of the workforce. These measures which included social distancing, one way systems, increased sanitisation and staggered shift start and finish times. All this is now pretty standard at sites throughout the world, but this was at the beginning of the ‘new norm’ and there was no blueprint to follow.

Issues around getting the right number of workers onsite due to continuing restrictions on travel in the region and the rest of the world were challenging. And, as global supply chains pretty much ground to a halt, getting hold of many of the materials has been an ongoing daily challenge. The concrete and steel are sourced from the nearby Lombardy region, the heart of manufacturing in Italy, but in those early weeks as this region was one of those hardest hit by the virus we were subject to lengthy lead in periods and delivery restrictions.

However, the whole team has remained committed to getting this project done with a major focus is on keeping people safe. We are always conscious of the fact that one single case of Covid-19 will mean shutting down the entire site operation and so far, the additional measures onsite, such as temperature testing on arrival and face coverings, have ensured progress is maintained and there have been zero cases.

Over the summer months the onsite team has also had to overcome the extensive heat and have continued to work throughout the period when sites in Europe are traditionally closed for the holidays, all in order to recover the programme delay. The BCS team have spent much of the project remotely monitoring progress with regular video updates although we have recently managed to get back onto site for inspections, providing ‘face to face’ support and guidance to the client’s local representatives. The next project challenge will be the testing and commissioning stage. With further lockdowns imminent this will bring new challenges and a whole new approach with virtual witnessing during the commissioning and ultimately a virtual sign off at completion.

The good news is that thanks to an amazing team effort the project is back on track for completion in Q4.

News

The Build Must Go On…How BCS are building a datacentre 1000 miles away (during a pandemic).

A major datacentre construction project in Italy’s former Covid 19 red zone is still going ahead despite the challenging commercial backdrop of Covid-19. Project Managers at BCS have confirmed that the construction of a 15,000 square meter 10-Megawatt datacentre facility is progressing well with a permanent presence on site. Overcoming a pause in the operations back in March and facing the constant threat of closure if a single case of the virus is detected, the BCS team have had to oversee the Bologna project remotely from over a thousand miles away.

Since the site re-opened in March, with strict new operating procedures including social distancing, increased sanitisation and staggered shifts, Chris Coward, Head of Project Management at BCS, has spoken about the excitement throughout the company regarding the new multi-million pound build. He said: “We’ve got three alternative shifts working hard and have received positive reports and images from the Italian team. They’re pushing ahead despite some incredibly challenging circumstances. It helps that most, if not all of the materials are readily available in Italy, unfortunately, none of our UK team can travel there in person at this stage. We have a duty of care as an employer, and with government restrictions, we’re managing remotely, which is new for us and everyone in the industry.”

The specialist services provider to the international digital infrastructure industry has been working hard to ensure the welfare of everyone involved with the project. As part of the new safety procedures, staff on site have their temperature taken daily to identify any symptoms of the virus. The Italian authorities would be forced to close down the site for a blanket 14 days on the confirmation of any positive diagnosis of Covid-19. Due to the travel restrictions, the Italian client is regularly updating the BCS team with video and photographic records of the progress.

The project which is currently at the civil engineering stage in the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy; where Covid-19 has been particularly prevalent, was awarded ‘essential status’ by the Government. Therefore, it one of the first construction sites to reopen in the country. The eyes of the entire Emilia-Romagna region were on the project following restart as they entered unchartered territory with respect to the Health and Safety measures and operating procedures. In the initial stages of the lockdown, sourcing concrete and steel from the neighbouring Lombardy region was proving a difficult task but is now a lot more reliable.

Chris Coward added: “The Italians really are leading the way on this. Collaborating on any project always poses unique complexities but undertaking the build of a multi-million pound datacentre in such an unprecedented environment of a pandemic, requires solid teamwork and great communication. Our culture is an agile one, and as a team we know that in today’s market, you have to respond flexibly and innovatively to ensure you’re moving forward. We have excellent standards in every project we take on, and the dedication and commitment of our teams hasn’t changed despite the lockdown.”

The future demand levels for datacentres continues to grow, with the industry tipped for an increased demand in the next 12 months. BCS expects to see a further expansion in their global datacentre portfolio in the coming years. The datacentre specialists have delivered large scale projects for market leaders in recent years, and have played a leading role in some of the world’s highest profile mission critical and datacentre programmes.