## The project lifecycle: 10 phases

Rep firm work spans the entire commercial construction timeline, from before a building is designed to long after it opens.

01. 1Pre-Design  
02. 2SDSchematic Design  
03. 3DDDesign Development  
04. 4CDConstruction Docs  
05. 5Bidding  
06. 6Submittals  
07. 7Procurement  
08. 8Install  
09. 9CxCommissioning  
10. 10Service

## Roles in the map

Thirteen roles appear across the workflows: seven inside the rep firm and six external parties.

### Rep firm roles

- **OS** · Outside Sales  
- **IS** · Inside Sales  
- **BD** · Business Development  
- **PM** · Project Manager  
- **MGR** · Manager  
- **PRIN** · Principal  
- **SVC** · Service

### External parties

- **ENG** · Engineer  
- **GC** · General Contractor  
- **SUB** · Subcontractor  
- **OWN** · Owner  
- **MFG** · Manufacturer  
- **DIST** · Distributor

On each workflow, filled tags are the rep-firm roles that run the step; outlined tags are the external parties involved.

## The 29 workflows

Grouped into six stages for reading. The source map arranges all 29 across the 10 phases above. Scroll to trace the arc from first handshake to final replacement part.

### Market Development

Work before a bid exists: getting products specified, learning what projects are coming, and building engineer and contractor relationships.

1. #1  
    #### Relationship Building  
    Lunch & learns, CE credits, site visits  
    OSENGSUBOWN

2. #2  
    #### Spec Influence  
    Get your products specified  
    OSENG

3. #3  
    #### Project Intel Gathering  
    Field visits, jobsite intel, market chatter  
    OSENGSUBOWN

4. #4  
    #### Project Discovery  
    Learn about upcoming projects  
    BDOSMGRENGSUBGCOWNMFG

### Bid & Estimation

From incoming request to bid day: triage, takeoff, equipment selection, pricing, and the pricing-strategy calls behind each quote.

1. #7  
    #### RFQ Intake  
    Receive & log incoming requests  
    BDSUBGC

2. #8  
    #### Bid / No-Bid Decision  
    Triage: pursue or pass?  
    BDOSMGRSUBMFG

3. #9  
    #### Assignment  
    Route to inside sales person  
    BDMGR

4. #10  
    #### Plan Review & Takeoff  
    Read drawings, count equipment  
    ISENG

5. #11  
    #### Equipment Selection  
    Run mfg software, size equipment  
    ISMFG

6. #12  
    #### Pricing & Quoting  
    Multipliers, margins, quote doc  
    ISMGRMFG

7. #13  
    #### Bid Day  
    Multiple subs, one deadline  
    OSISMGRSUB

8. #14  
    #### Strategic Pricing Review  
    Who gets best price?  
    MGRPRINMFG

9. #15  
    #### Final Negotiation  
    Outside sales + PM review estimate  
    OSPMSUB

### Submittals & Handoff

The won job moves from estimating to project management, then through the engineer's approve, revise, or reject cycle.

1. #16  
    #### Submittal Review Support  
    OS reviews submittals on key accounts  
    OSPMENGOWN

2. #17  
    #### Estimation → PM Handoff  
    Files transfer, PM takes ownership  
    ISPM

3. #18  
    #### Submittal Generation  
    Build documentation packages  
    PMMFG

4. #19  
    #### Engineer Review & Revision  
    Approve / revise / reject cycle  
    PMOSENG

### Procurement & Production

Orders placed and verified, lead times tracked, change orders re-priced, and equipment staged for the site.

1. #20  
    #### Order Entry & Release  
    PO verification, mfg order placement  
    PMSUBMFG

2. #21  
    #### Owner Meetings / VE Sessions  
    Value engineering with owners & engineers  
    OSMGROWNENGGC

3. #22  
    #### Manufacturing & Lead Times  
    Production tracking, scheduling  
    PMMFG

4. #23  
    #### Change Orders  
    Scope changes, re-selection, re-pricing  
    ISPMOSSUBENGOWN

5. #24  
    #### Delivery Coordination  
    Staging, logistics, site access  
    PMSUBDISTMFG

### Install, Commissioning & Service

On-site startup and commissioning, closeout and warranty registration, then the parts and replacement work that can run 10 to 20 years.

1. #25  
    #### Startup & Commissioning  
    Factory tech, testing, balancing  
    SVCMFGOWN

2. #26  
    #### Closeout & Warranty Reg  
    O&M manuals, as-builts, warranty  
    SVCPMSUBOWN

3. #27  
    #### Warranty & Service  
    Claims, parts, field support  
    SVCOWNMFG

4. #28  
    #### Parts & Replacement  
    The 10-20 year tail  
    SVCOWNMFGDIST

### Ongoing — Territory Management

Cross-cutting work not tied to one project: pipeline tracking, manufacturer line-card strategy, and reporting to the manufacturer.

1. #5  
    #### Pipeline & CRM Tracking  
    Track all projects in territory  
    MGR

2. #6  
    #### Manufacturer Relationships  
    Territory mgmt, linecard strategy  
    MGRMFG

3. #29  
    #### Manufacturer Reporting  
    Bookings, pipeline, market share  
    MGRMFG

## Frequently asked questions

1. **How many workflows are in a rep firm's equipment procurement process?**  
   This map breaks it into 29 workflows and 37 handoffs across 10 project phases, running from pre-design through long-term service and replacement parts.

2. **What are the project phases for MEP equipment procurement?**  
   Ten phases: Pre-Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Bidding, Submittals, Procurement, Installation, Commissioning, and Service.

3. **Which roles run rep firm workflows?**  
   Seven rep-firm roles do the work: outside sales, inside sales, business development, project management, management, principal, and service. They work with six external parties: engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, owners, manufacturers, and distributors.

4. **What does a manufacturer rep firm do in commercial construction?**  
   A rep firm represents equipment manufacturers to the engineers and contractors who specify and buy equipment. Across a project it influences specifications, handles RFQs, runs takeoffs and equipment selection, prepares quotes and submittals, places and tracks orders, and supports startup, warranty, and replacement parts.