How Argento / Graham Used Bluerithm to Keep 6 LAX APM Commissioning Projects on Track
Introduction: LAX Automated People Mover (APM)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), one of the busiest airports in the world, is undergoing a massive modernization effort. A central piece of this initiative is the LAX Automated People Mover (APM)—a 2.25-mile elevated train system designed to transform how passengers move between terminals, parking facilities, rental car centers, and public transit.
This $5 billion infrastructure project includes six stations: three inside the central terminal area and three outside. When completed, the APM will improve accessibility, reduce congestion, and serve as the backbone of LAX’s multi-modal transportation strategy. It’s a technologically sophisticated undertaking involving numerous trades, high turnover among personnel, and rigorous performance expectations.
Rendering of LAX APM
Amidst this complexity, Bluerithm’s commissioning software became a crucial tool for Argento / Graham, a boutique sustainability consultancy that led commissioning work on six APM-related projects.
About Argento / Graham
Founded a decade ago by Duke Graham and Annie Argento, Argento / Graham is a Los Angeles–based sustainability consulting firm specializing in LEED certification, energy modeling, green building consulting, and commissioning services. The firm consists of six fulltime employees, including two main commissioning agents—Duke Graham himself and a colleague—along with several contract professionals used based on capacity and project needs.
The company is distinguished by its strong client service ethos. As Graham notes, “We’re almost always hired directly by our clients. There’s a lot of word of mouth and repeat business that we get.” While Argento / Graham does take on code-compliant commissioning projects that focus on meeting minimum standards, the firm’s strength lies in going beyond baseline expectations—offering holistic, client-oriented project delivery.
Duke Graham
Why Bluerithm?
About seven years ago, Argento / Graham began looking for a commissioning platform to streamline and refine its workflows. They had previously experimented with other tools, including CxAlloy, but ultimately selected Bluerithm for its flexibility and personalized customer support. As Graham recalled, “I just got a good sort of feeling from it… Andrew Martin [Bluerithm CEO] reached out a few times personally, and there always seemed to be good support.”
Today, Bluerithm is an integral part of Argento / Graham’s daily workflow. On average, the team uses the software for several hours each day, with time spent developing and executing functional performance tests (FPTs), tracking issues, and conducting design reviews and submittal evaluations.
LAX APM: A Complex Commissioning Landscape
The LAX APM project presented both opportunities and challenges. Argento / Graham’s scope included commissioning work for five APM stations and a separate maintenance and storage facility. To streamline this portfolio of projects, the team developed a dedicated APM Station Template within Bluerithm.
This template approach mirrored strategies the firm had previously used on large portfolios—like their work with luxury retail stores—and enabled consistent, repeatable processes.
“When you’re writing a test for one of the stations, you know it’s going to be replicated. You just put that in the template and know where to go grab it for the other ones,” Graham explained.
Bluerithm’s structure allowed Argento / Graham to maintain consistency across stations, while also adapting to the unique needs of each location—particularly valuable given that the maintenance facility differed significantly in scope and systems from the five passenger stations.
Functional Testing and Issue Tracking in the Field
For Argento / Graham, the most vital daily use cases for Bluerithm are functional testing and issue tracking.
The team uses Bluerithm to:
- Develop test scripts tailored to equipment sequences.
- Conduct field-based FPTs.
- Log, track, and resolve commissioning issues in real time.
During meetings with clients, Graham often shares the live issues log in video calls. “Clients that are a little bit sophisticated have really responded positively to that,” he noted.
The level of transparency and collaboration this enables has differentiated Argento / Graham’s commissioning process. On the LAX APM projects in particular, the client and contracting teams have been more engaged with the platform than usual. “They actually go on and look at tests and look at issues on Bluerithm… It’s been great,” Graham said. This visibility eliminates the need for frequent manual reports and helps everyone stay aligned.
Managing Scale and Turnover
Transportation infrastructure projects, especially one as large and multifaceted as the LAX APM, introduce complex coordination dynamics. Graham described this environment as one where “clear scope boundaries are very hard to manage.” With so many trades involved—and the added confusion between building commissioning and systems commissioning for trains—distinguishing roles and responsibilities can be a challenge.
Moreover, due to the massive scale and the use of a joint venture construction model, the project has experienced significant staff turnover. Each APM station sometimes has a different point of contact, which complicates continuity. “It was a benefit with teams logging in and actually having visibility to the platform. It becomes harder to track when people leave and get replaced,” Graham noted.
Even in the face of such challenges, Bluerithm’s centralized data structure has helped mitigate disruptions by providing persistent records, clear issue history, and standardized documentation.
Bluerithm as a Living Repository
One of the most valuable aspects of Bluerithm for Argento / Graham is its role as a live, timestamped process repository. While some on the LAX project initially preferred traditional documentation workflows, the value of a centralized, real-time record system became increasingly clear over time.
“I kept saying, I’m just going to keep doing as I normally would do. Then if you ever change your mind, my records are in there, it’s live, you’re invited, you can log in anytime,” Graham recalled. “It’s always been kind of a safe sort of lockbox for me.”
This functionality proved especially important on a project where large volumes of PDF documentation were still being circulated via email. In contrast, Bluerithm’s ability to show version-controlled records, audit trails, and system histories all in one place became a quiet but powerful advantage.
AI-Driven Test Script Generation
More recently, Argento / Graham began using Bluerithm’s AI-powered tools to generate test scripts based on sequences of operations—a development Graham described as a “game changer.” This innovation has dramatically reduced the time spent developing new FPTs and increased the team’s ability to scale commissioning work effectively.
By automating previously manual processes, the AI tools allow Argento / Graham to maintain quality and rigor without increasing overhead. As the firm continues to manage a national portfolio of work, this capability is proving to be essential for maintaining consistency and meeting tight deadlines.
Repeatable Success Through Templates
Templates in Bluerithm have been a key enabler of success on the APM and other multi-site projects. In the case of LAX, the “APM Station Template” allowed the team to clone consistent workflows across multiple stations, saving time and reducing error. Rather than rebuilding project structures from scratch, the team could deploy the same framework—with customizations as needed—at each site.
According to Graham, even if the template itself was technically “just another project,” it served a valuable organizational function. “It’s just easier if it’s in the template,” he said. “You know where to go grab it.”
This repeatability is critical for firms like Argento / Graham that manage diverse, high-volume portfolios and strive for operational excellence across locations.
A Seamless Support Experience
Finally, Graham emphasized the quality of support received from Bluerithm’s team. “I’ve gotten great support really fast all the time,” he said. “Offers to help streamline—just the right amount. Not pushy, but not silent.”
The level of customer care, combined with intuitive product development and proactive engagement, has reinforced Argento / Graham’s loyalty to Bluerithm as a long-term commissioning partner.
Conclusion: A Powerful Platform for Complex Projects
Argento / Graham’s work on the LAX Automated People Mover projects offers a compelling illustration of how modern commissioning software can elevate project delivery—even in the face of extreme scale, complexity, and organizational flux.
By using Bluerithm to streamline testing, enable collaboration, and serve as a single source of truth, the firm has delivered consistent value across six infrastructure-intensive projects. Whether through AI-enhanced test generation, reusable templates, or real-time issue tracking, Bluerithm has empowered Argento / Graham to operate at a high level and maintain quality throughout the commissioning lifecycle.
In an environment where precision, clarity, and agility are essential, Bluerithm has proven to be more than just software—it’s been a strategic partner in success.
LAX APM
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