hi guys ,  I have been assigned to create a housing of a pump/piping system which has a list of small components that go along with it. Im thinking of how I should start this design and what is the best way to go about it so if I have to make  dimension changes later it would be no problem?. The overall housing dimensions would not go past 4 feet at most in all directions. Most likely 2-4 feet XYZ.

I was advised that you could begin the bottom plate first and then continue the sketch within the Assembly? the description was a bit too advanced for me and I was thinking of just going the old fashioned way of just creating the bottom plate and the internal pieces and placing all the internal pieces on top of the plate in an assembly file and if that fits I can create the housing from that point.

I just want to approach this project in the smartest way possible because I know my boss will want me to make changes on placement and maybe even the housing dimensions so I want to work smarter and not harder and for time sake as well. How would you guys go about it?

Thank you very much!!