INTEGRATED PROJECT DELIVERY
Concept
From Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide, AIA California Council
Technological evolution coupled with owners’ on-going demand for more effective processes that result in better, faster, less costly and less adversarial construction projects are driving significant and rapid change in the construction industry. Envision a new world where...
- … facilities managers, end users, contractors and suppliers are all involved at the start of the design
process - … processes are outcome-driven and decisions are not made solely on a first cost basis
- … all communications throughout the process are clear, concise, open, transparent, and trusting
- … designers fully understand the ramifications of their decisions at the time the decisions are made
- … risk and reward are value-based and appropriately balanced among all team members over the life of a
project - … the industry delivers a higher quality and sustainable built environment
This is the world of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD).
IPD at EUA
The goal with the transition to Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) methodology is to rewrite the way typical capital construction projects are delivered. The results of this effort would be the transformation of the more traditional underperforming and fragmented process to one that is value-based and collaborative and ultimately delivers high-outcome results and benefits to all members of the team.
With a “one team, one goal” philosophy and flexible attitudes that are constantly willing to think the unthinkable and challenge the status quo this transformation can lead to results that are better, faster and less costly and relationships that share risk and reward, are based on mutual respect and are less adversarial.
It is the intent to reconsider the traditional ways of doing things and adopt an integrated approach as outlined by the commonly referenced table shown below.
| Traditional Project Delivery (The past) |
Integrated Project Delivery (Now...the future) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Fragmented, assembled on “minimum-necessary” or “just-as-needed” basis, strongly hierarchical, controlled |
teams | An integrated team entity composed key project stakeholders, assembled early in the process, open, collaborative |
| Linear, distinct, segregated; Knowledge gathered “just-as-needed”; Information hoarded; Silos of knowledge and expertise |
process | Concurrent and multi-level; Early contributions of knowledge and expertise; Information openly shared; Stakeholder trust and respect |
| Individually managed, transferred to the greatest extent possible |
risk | Collectively managed, appropriately share |
| Individually pursued; Minimum effort for maximum return; (Usually) first-cost based |
compensation/ reward |
Team success tied to project success; Value-based |
| Paper-based, 2 dimensional; Analog |
communicatitons/ technology |
Digitally based, virtual; Building Information Modeling (3, 4 and 5 dimensional) |
| Encourage unilateral effort; Allocate and transfer risk; No sharing |
agreements | Encourage, foster, promote and support multi-lateral open sharing and collaboration; Risk sharing |
Adoption of these philosophies and methodologies will create an environment in which the goals listed below can become a native part of all projects and lead to tangible benefits that can be fully realized by all members of the team.
Integrated Project Delivery Goals
- Early involvement of key participants
- Eliminate waste, inefficiencies and non-value added effort
- Lean construction techniques
- Reduce construction time
- Reduce design/construction conflicts
- Produce more environmentally responsible and sustainable projects
- Continuity of expertise, provide the best use of each team member’s expertise
- Cost structure developed earlier and in greater detail
- Project phasing supports the desired outcome, not purely based on traditional phasing structures
- Enjoy the process