From site to SOP
Six phases, and in each one a door that closes
The months move with sector and size. The order never changes, which is why you can know in advance what is still open to you.
The short answer
The useful question is not “are we doing AI?” but “which door closes this quarter?”. The first three are usually shut by the time anyone raises the subject; the last three are almost always still open.
The sequence
What closes in each phase
Site and permits
Power, water and fibre. The grid connection is fixed here for the life of the plant.
Construction and services
Floor loading, structural openings, trays and conduit. Everything that would later be concrete.
Automation and OT
Protocols, PLC and SCADA. And, in the purchasing specs, who owns the data each machine produces.
Cybersecurity and data
NIS2 and IEC 62443 zoning, data governance, and how it sits with the AI Act and Data Act.
Commissioning and validation
IQ/OQ/PQ protocols. If a model sits in the control loop, it is validated here or not at all.
Ramp-up and steady state
Throughput, first-pass yield and predictive maintenance. From here only the software layer moves.
In detail
The full table
To take to the committee. It is the clearest one-screen summary of the problem.
| # | Phase | What is closed by the end of it | Months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Site and permits | Power, water and fibre. The grid connection is fixed here for the life of the plant. | 0–6 |
| 02 | Construction and services | Floor loading, structural openings, trays and conduit. Everything that would later be concrete. | 4–20 |
| 03 | Automation and OT | Protocols, PLC and SCADA. And, in the purchasing specs, who owns the data each machine produces. | 12–26 |
| 04 | Cybersecurity and data | NIS2 and IEC 62443 zoning, data governance, and how it sits with the AI Act and Data Act. | 14–28 |
| 05 | Commissioning and validation | IQ/OQ/PQ protocols. If a model sits in the control loop, it is validated here or not at all. | 24–32 |
| 06 | Ramp-up and steady state | Throughput, first-pass yield and predictive maintenance. From here only the software layer moves. | 30+ |
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Are the months fixed?
No. In pharma they stretch because of validation and in logistics they shrink. What does not change is the sequence: the grid connection always precedes the structure, and the structure precedes the trays.
We are in phase 4. What is left?
Quite a lot, in fact. In phase 4 you still decide network zoning, data governance and much of the software architecture. What is gone is physical: power and structure.
Can any phase be skipped?
Skipped no, brought forward yes — and that is what we propose: moving phase 3 and 4 decisions into phases 1 and 2, while they are still cheap and reversible.
What phase is your project in?
Tell us which and we will tell you which doors are still open.