What is a common pitfall regarding OPR/BOD that can hinder project success?

• A. Inadequate OPR/BOD.
• B. Having too many sign-offs.
• C. Too much testing.
• D. Early Cx involvement.

Answer: (A)

Focusing on OPR and BOD thoroughly is essential because they turn owner needs into clear, testable design criteria and verification plans. When these documents are inadequate, performance targets are vague, functions are missed, and interfaces between systems aren’t well defined. This sets up misaligned expectations, scope gaps, and a lot of redesign or change orders later, which undermines commissioning efforts and can stall project success. The commissioning process relies on concrete criteria to verify that systems actually meet the owner’s objectives, so thin or incomplete OPR/BOD makes it nearly impossible to validate performance.

Other options aren’t as fundamentally disruptive. Too many sign-offs can slow decisions but doesn’t inherently derail objectives; excessive testing adds cost but is part of verification; early involvement by commissioning is beneficial for catching issues early. The biggest risk to project success is not adequately developing the OPR and BOD.