INTEGRATED PROJECT DELIVERY

October 17, 2019

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) has become a larger part of today’s construction market even in just the last 10 years. Per the AIA, “Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a project delivery approach that integrates people, systems, business structures and practices into a process that collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all participants to optimize project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste, and maximize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction.” IPD, if applied correctly, can yield a more efficient delivery for costs that are equal or less than thru a more traditional delivery.

An integral part of this delivery is also outlined in our previous blog post, Design-Build vs. Design-Bid-Build Delivery Methods. We discussed the design-build/assist delivery method in comparison to the traditional design-bid-build delivery method.

To boil the desired results down to the real estate development market and subsequent construction efforts, the simple focuses have to be: a better product outcome, enhanced development schedule and minimized resources compared to the conventional method. Our goal Is to demonstrate the necessary steps to a successful delivery from initial concept to final execution in the real estate & construction world.

Early Involvement

First, the involved parties have to align their interests and be completely transparent in their goals and intentions. Only if this parameter is clear, understood and met, can an IPD be achieved.

For example, a developer desires to construct a “green” facility but does not yet understand the cost or time implications that come with this idea. Only if a contractor can provide an early and accurate assessment of this phase, can the developer then make a good business decision early in the development. IPD in this case means to assert good information before the entire team heads into a direction that is unsustainable and requires the team to change directions late, and with that, have spent valuable time and resources in the process.

IPD also means a collaborative design and planning process. Early involvement, and integration, of members of the operations team with insight into constructability issues, system delivery schedules and potential maintenance concerns can add a quantifiable value to each project delivery. The early integration of estimating/pre-construction can identify high cost and low value items versus lower cost and higher value assemblies. This is all part of the IPD idea to maintain a project delivery that provides the greatest value for any client.

Integrated Project Delivery and Resources

TECHNOLOGY

In some cases, IPD may utilize modern technologies during the design phases. Building Information Modeling (BIM), virtual reality or other 3-D digital means of coordinating a multitude of trades to ensure proper planning that works onsite. These programs allow planners and contractors to find the problem areas but allow us in most cases to apply the most efficient ways of designing and planning a system or assembly.

PERMITTING

IPD permits the contractor to streamline the project schedule, coordinate scopes and deliveries to maintain a lean timeline from mobilization to final closeout ­­–– all the way through the specified warranty issues.

TIMING

IPD, in addition to the above description, should consider the time resources used in planning and construction. Successful integration will optimize meeting times and frequencies to allow all individuals to better focus on critical tasks and create more unrestricted time as a group to work towards the ultimate end goal for each project.

Time and Money

In many ways, IPD allows concurrent tasks as opposed to a more linear and time-consuming approach. More critical tasks are prioritized and expedited when a multi-lateral team can further exacerbate the challenges at hand.

WASTE REDUCTION

A recent study documented an upwards of 30% waste in the United States Construction industry. Collaborative IPD can greatly reduce this excess and increase productivity by up to 150%. As a result, construction costs will be lowered between 2% to 8% and overall schedules will be reduced by up to 12%.

Conclusion

In our rapidly evolving industry, where building-related technologies are progressing at the same speed as other technologies, IPD is most helpful to ensure that clients, designers and builders can meet and compete with the highest standards while also providing the most flexibility and adaptivity for the future.

Of course, like with most methods, individuals need to collectively come together as a team and fully buy into the course set before them. That’s why we like to think of Symmetry Builders, Inc., as the best possible partner in construction projects and much more than a commodity.

Cheers!

October 17, 2019
by Henry Zurbrugg