Will "integrated project delivery" (IPD) fade away? The term might, but not necessarily the concept, according to a report that five organizations released earlier this month.
"The term 'integrated project delivery' may fade away and be replaced by the newest way to describe collaboration, but a recognition that the power of people working together with a shared vision and common goals will always be much greater than any individual working alone will last forever," the report states.
The report, entitled "Integrated Project Delivery for Public and Private Owners," was jointly released by the Associated General Contractors of America, the National Association of State Facilities Administrators, Construction Owners Association of America, the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers and the American Institute of Architects.
"Equip these teams with technology to improve their efficiency, remove the shackles of institutionalized transactional contracts that create the wrong behaviors, and replace them with relational contracts that incentivize behaviors that benefit the goals of the team, and the ability of these groups will likely go far beyond what can even be imagined today," according to the report. "Of course, all of this is simply theory without the ability to find partners in the process. How does one go about looking for willing participants? Finding them is not so different from searching for people interested in other new ventures.
"One must first identify what stakeholders are needed to fulfill the various roles (designers and contractors to start with) and demonstrate a willingness to venture into the unknown. If the topic has been properly researched and a reasonable plan of action has been developed, one will find that there are many who are willing to step out to try new methods. When one considers that this presents an entirely new opportunity for businesses to gain commissions for new work, the task is an easy one.
"Owners make many decisions that ultimately determine the potential for success on their projects. Among them are choosing which process to use, which team members to work with, and which contracts are going to be used. Each of these decision points has implications about their migration toward improved collaboration and ultimately into the IPD arena."
The report contains sections on IPD principles and catalysts, the related industry trends involving lean construction and building information modeling, early lessons learned, addressing potential barriers, procurement options, standard form agreements and other areas.
