Louisiana Airport Chills Out with Job Order Contracting (JOC)

Challenge

A chiller is an important piece of equipment. This unsung hero helps keep large facilities cool by distributing water to heat exchangers in air conditioning systems. Without them, passengers would end up sweltering while waiting to board their flights. So when the chiller at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport needed repairs, decision makers acted fast to keep its customers comfortable.

Solution

Armstrong International used Job Order Contracting (JOC) from Gordian to get a contractor on-site approximately two weeks from when the project was first identified. The project was ideal for JOC, an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) construction procurement method that puts contractors in place for multiple projects using a single, competitively bid contract. Because it helps get projects started faster than using traditional procurement, JOC is a popular choice for urgent repairs and renovations and for projects with a limited scheduling window. Armstrong International has to publicly bid any project over $20,000. This process generally takes four to six months unless they use JOC.

Result

The contractor spent a week working on the chiller. They swapped the machine’s old, worn belts with new ones and replaced the old Freon in addition to performing routine maintenance. Accessing JOC prevented the chiller from going on the fritz in a small fraction of the time it would have taken using traditional procurement methods. With a repaired and revamped chiller, Armstrong International’s travelers and staff are promised comfort for years to come.