I understand there are some commissioning providers who deliver commissioning differently than I have been writing about for the past 24 years. This alternate approach is called “process commissioning,” whereas the industry standard commissioning process is called “technical commissioning.” Dave McFarlane, a now-retired building performance professional and long-time ASHRAE member, has written and presented about the differences between process commissioning and technical commissioning.
The earliest mention I could find was an article authored by McFarlane in the June 2013 ASHRAE Journal. There, he writes, “Technical commissioning is based primarily on hands-on inspections and functional testing and verification of building systems performance. This form of commissioning does not rely on observing or reviewing inspection and testing processes performed by others. The technical commissioning approach ensures that the commissioning authority is the final expert that actually performs or observes proper testing on all building systems.”