< News
January 26, 2026
How to stay agile when things don’t go to plan
| How is uncertainty managed in industrial and food & beverage projects? Uncertainty in industrial and food and beverage projects is managed through using flexible, easy to work with experienced project managers who are familiar with a fast changing environment. By working directly within client teams, TEG seconded project managers identify risks early, manage change proactively, and coordinate closely with client operations, production and engineering personnel to maintain safety, compliance, and project control in live manufacturing environment. |
In capital projects across the industrial and food and beverage industries, uncertainty is normal. Shifting priorities, evolving compliance requirements, undocumented legacy assets, unexpected site conditions, and changing production schedules all introduce complexity into project management.
At TEG Projects, we operate as a project delivery partner, embedding experienced project managers directly within client teams. Working inside live manufacturing environments means we manage ambiguity every day; not from a distance, but on the ground, alongside operations, maintenance, engineering, and production teams.
Here’s how our project management services help clients stay flexible, focused, and in control when project variables inevitably shift.
Start with Clarity — but Expect Change
Most project management planning starts without all the answers and some unknowns, particularly in a brownfield situation. Aging infrastructure, undocumented modifications, inaccurate or non-existent drawings and legacy systems are common across manufacturing environments.
We regularly encounter:
- Concrete slabs that don’t meet current load or hygiene requirements
- Pipe routes clashing with existing services
- Unlabelled pipework
- Drawings that have never been updated
- Unidentified buried utilities
- Machine and structural modifications that have not been documented
- Out of date functional descriptions
- Obsolete PLCs, outdated MCCs, or undocumented I/O systems
That’s why our project managers prioritise early and detailed site walks. Drawings are validated against what’s actually installed. Integration points are tested. Questions are asked early, before assumptions become costly.
On a recent wastewater treatment plant and bore upgrade, early site investigations uncovered limited legacy documentation and aging electrical infrastructure. By identifying these risks upfront, our team built them into the risk register and project plan, enabling a live system changeover with zero downtime.
Use a Change Management Process That Works
Change is inevitable, so our project management approach uses a structured, transparent change process that:
- Identifies potential changes early
- Assesses impact across cost, safety, schedule, operations, and compliance
- Communicates implications clearly to all stakeholders
- Documents approvals to prevent ambiguity later
This is especially critical in food and beverage projects, where changes can impact hygiene zones, production outputs, or regulatory approvals.
During the Frucor Suntory factory extension, scope changes emerged as the project progressed, particularly where existing services had to be upgraded or rerouted to support the new production line. A robust change management process ensured decisions were made quickly, documented clearly, and aligned with the planned two-week shutdown window, avoiding unplanned outages.
Track Risks Before They Become Problems
Our project managers treat a risk register as a living tool, to be continually updated as new information emerges. We use it to:
- Identify risks across safety, scope, cost and timeline.
- Assign ownership and mitigation strategies.
- Track how risks evolve throughout the project lifecycle.
In brownfield manufacturing environments, surprises are common, so our Project Managers are trained to consider them early on in the project.
On plant upgrades, risks such as contractor access, utility/ services changeovers, traffic management, and interactions with a working factory are operational realities. But with careful planning upfront, when issues arise, they have usually already been on the radar and a contingency plan is in place.
Communicate Early, Often, and Honestly
Strong contractor management and stakeholder alignment rely on communication, not just reporting.
Our PMs focus on:
- Regular, consistent updates
- Clear messaging tailored to different audiences
- Two-way conversations, not one-way status reports
- Visibility on site, in meetings, and informally with teams
One pattern we see often is that operators, maintenance teams, and production leaders providing their most valuable input only once construction becomes tangible. That feedback can drive late-stage change. Early engagement with stakeholders and use of 3D drawings, sketches and walk-arounds are vital to bring this important stakeholder feedback to the fore at an early stage.
When there is a desire for late change our role is to help clients assess:
- Is the change necessary?
- Is it feasible within constraints?
- Does it improve safety, operability, or long-term performance?
At the same time, production schedules frequently shift, delaying shutdowns or installation windows. Our project management professionals stay closely aligned with production planners to re-sequence work and minimise any disruption. Ultimately production output will generally always take priority.
Treat Change as a Chance to Improve
Our Project Managers actively use change as an opportunity to reassess early assumptions, improve design outcomes, and rethink sequencing to reduce production downtime. This is particularly relevant in turnkey and fast-tracked projects, where design teams are progressing in parallel with early works on site. For example, during a live factory extension within an operational beverage manufacturing facility, design and construction sequencing had to evolve in response to previously unidentified services and access constraints, while still protecting hygiene and production continuity. Similarly, infrastructure upgrades involving product or process development often introduce curveballs, from packaging or labelling changes to revised utility requirements or entirely new production processes. These scenarios are a normal part of project management for the manufacturing industry. Experience allows our Project Managers to adapt to change without derailing delivery or disrupting operations.
Why Proximity Drives Better Project Outcomes
Being embedded as a project delivery partner means our project managers are close to the action and involved at the point decisions need to be made, not reacting after issues have already escalated. Once site works begin, our industrial project management teams actively monitor progress against programme milestones and technical specifications, coordinate contractors and suppliers, front-load work where possible, and resolve unforeseen issues quickly as they arise. This proximity is critical during live site upgrades, particularly within food and beverage processing environments, where maintaining production, safety, and compliance must occur alongside construction activities.
Create a Culture Where People Speak Up
Uncertainty can silence teams, unless psychological safety is deliberately created. Our PMs focus on actively fostering environments where, concerns can be raised early, assumptions can be challenged, everyone in the room has a voice
As one TEG Projects’ Project Manager, Chris Strain, puts it:
“Encouraging collaboration and teamwork fosters a sense of camaraderie, which I’ve found leads to greater productivity and innovation”
Ensuring the right people are present, heard, and respected in meetings leads to faster problem-solving and better project outcomes. Providing psychologically safe environment is critical to establishing a high performing team.
Reflect, Learn, and Improve
At TEG Projects, we strongly believe in continuous improvement. Every project delivers valuable lessons, whether through successes, challenges, or unexpected change. Our Project Managers take time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and why, capturing insights from design, construction, contractor management, and stakeholder engagement.
These learnings are then applied to future projects, strengthening our project management services and improving not only how we deliver projects, but the long-term outcomes we help our clients achieve.
Ambiguity isn’t a problem, it’s part of the process. The most successful industrial and food industry projects aren’t those that avoid change, but those that manage it well. As a trusted project delivery partner, TEG Projects helps clients navigate uncertainty with confidence, clarity, and practical experience. If you’re planning or delivering a project that requires experienced project management, talk to TEG Projects about how we can support you.
FAQs
What does a project manager do?
A project manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering a project from start to finish. In industrial and food & beverage environments, this includes managing scope, schedule, budget, contractor performance, risk, and regulatory compliance, while coordinating closely with operations, engineering, and production teams to ensure projects are delivered safely and with minimal disruption to live operations.
What is project planning in project management?
Project planning is the process of defining how a project will be delivered before work begins. It includes establishing objectives, scope, timelines, budgets, resource requirements, risk management approaches, and communication plans. In industrial project management, effective project planning also accounts for brownfield site conditions, live production constraints, regulatory requirements, and infrastructure integration to reduce uncertainty later in the project lifecycle.
What is a risk management plan in project management?
A risk management plan outlines how potential project risks will be identified, assessed, mitigated, and monitored throughout the project lifecycle. In industrial and manufacturing projects, this includes risks related to safety, regulatory compliance, contractor coordination, live-site works, and legacy infrastructure. A well-managed risk plan helps prevent issues from escalating into delays, cost overruns, or unplanned downtime.
