5 Common Mistakes When Investors Design Their Own Factory

Many businesses, when investing in factory construction, often believe that creating their own drawings or hiring acquaintances to design will help reduce costs. However, in reality, this approach carries significant technical risks, unexpected expenses, and can negatively impact operational timelines.
Below are 5 common mistakes that investors often make when designing factories on their own, compiled from the practical experience of Fancons — a company with over 15 years of constructing hundreds of industrial projects nationwide.

1.Lack of thorough site condition and usage needs assessment

Many investors often start with a “rough sketch” without thoroughly surveying geological conditions, sun and wind directions, or the drainage elevation of the land.
This often leads to incorrect foundation design, unsuitable floor elevation, or factory layout facing against prevailing winds — resulting in excessive heat and increased energy consumption during operations.

Solution:
Fancons always conducts on-site surveys, measurements, and operational needs analysis before drafting designs. This approach helps optimize both construction costs and long-term usage efficiency

2. Design without proper load calculation and structural planning

Another common mistake is that investors often lack technical data on load capacity, especially for components such as overhead cranes, racking systems, or heavy machinery. As a result, once operational, the factory may experience subsidence, sagging, or structural cracks, requiring reinforcement and leading to significant additional costs.

Solution:
Structural design must be based on the production purpose, machinery load, and technical standards of each industry. Fancons’ engineering team always performs detailed calculations to ensure durable, safe, and material-efficient structures.

3. Overlooking ventilation, lighting, and fire protection solutions

A “beautiful” drawing doesn’t necessarily meet industrial operation standards. Many self-designed facilities fail to properly incorporate ventilation, smoke extraction, natural lighting, and fire protection systems as required by regulations. When applying for permits or final inspection, the project is likely to be required to make additions, modifications, or may fail to meet fire safety standards — resulting in delays to production schedules.

Solution:
Fancons always integrates fire protection, ventilation, and natural lighting solutions right from the design stage. This not only ensures compliance with legal standards but also optimizes energy costs and creates a safe working environment.

4. No consideration for future development and expansion

One of the biggest mistakes is designing only for current needs without reserving space for future expansion. When a business scales up, expansion becomes difficult due to constraints from the existing structure or insufficient safety clearances.

Solution:
Fancons’ 15+ years of experience show that a good design must account for future expansion planning and the flow of production movement. Fancons always recommends flexible structural solutions, allowing clients to expand easily without affecting existing facilities.

5. Lack of coordination between design and construction

When the design is done separately and construction is assigned to a different team, it often leads to issues such as building off-spec, using incorrect materials, or project delays. In many cases, mid-project adjustments are required, causing costs to surge by hundreds of millions of VND.

Solution:
Fancons offers comprehensive design-and-build services, ensuring seamless coordination from drawings to actual construction. All project components are strictly controlled in terms of engineering, materials, and labor safety, helping investors minimize time and unexpected costs.

Fancons – A Trusted Industrial Facility Design and Construction Company

With 15 years of experience in industrial design and construction, Fancons proudly stands as a trusted partner of many investors across industrial zones in Central and Southern Vietnam We deliver optimized design solutions, technically precise construction, and on-time handover — meeting fire safety, occupational safety, aesthetic, and investment efficiency standards. Fancons understands that a well-prepared design from the outset is the key to helping investors save costs and ensure sustainable operations.

Contact Fancons

If you're planning to build a factory or want to reassess your current design, let Fancons provide free consultation and propose the most suitable solution for your investment goals.