Design chains: introducing supply chain management into the construction design process

The continued fragmentation of the construction sector has led to a demand from clients for greater integration of the companies engaged in the construction process. Supply chain Management (SCM) which has been successfully applied in other industry sectors is now being viewed as a potential solution within construction. This paper proposes that whilst the practices of SCM are very much dependent on the industrial context, the principles are equally applicable to the design process within construction projects. The differences between the flows of goods or materials in traditional SCM contexts and the flows of information in the design process are discussed. The concept of the ‘design chain’ is introduced as a cognitive framework, which can inform and underpin the development of SCM practice for design and can provide the basis of integrating organisations and technical disciplines to provide a collaborative integrated approach to developing design solutions.