supply chain · general
Three delivery models: complete delivery, client-assembled kit, semi-finished modules
The same project can be delivered three ways, and the choice changes the price, the risk and the amount of work your own organisation has to do. It is the decision that moves the number more than any negotiation will.
6 min read · updated 2026-10-24
The choice, and why it matters
AQUASEE does not manufacture. That fact creates a question every client has to answer: how much of the delivery do they want to own? Three models cover almost every case, and they differ far more in risk allocation than in the headline price.
The three models
Each model is a different answer to the same question: where does the work happen, and who carries the risk of it going wrong?
| Model | Who installs | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete delivery | We do | Owners and operators who want one accountable party | Highest single price; ask for an open-book breakdown if unit costs matter |
| Client-assembled kit | Your team | Clients with capable site labour | Lower cost, but assembly quality depends on the team you assign |
| Semi-finished modules | Jointly, with us on the heavy work | Oversized, site-constrained or internationally shipped items | Best for complex geometry; needs the most careful planning early |
How to choose
The decision follows from what your organisation already has, not from the price difference. If you have no experienced site team, the kit model is not a saving — it is a risk you have not priced, because the rework lands on your labour and your opening date.
If your site team is strong but your project is oversized or crossing borders, modules give you the workshop finish without the workshop logistics.
And if the value of the engagement is that you do not have to manage a supply chain at all, complete delivery is usually the cheapest option once the risk is counted.
Ask what your organisation is good at doing, then let the model follow. The model that matches your strength is nearly always the cheaper one.
Changing model later is expensive
The delivery model is decided early because it changes the design, the packaging, the documentation and the inspection regime. A project that starts as complete delivery and ends as a client-assembled kit has lost the documentation and the supervision that made it safe.
Sources
- Incoterms — delivery terms and cost allocation — consulted 2026-10-24