The impact of a design management training initiative on project performance

Over recent years there has been a significant drive away from traditional procurement routes where contractors find themselves with an increasing responsibility for the control of the design - a process they have had little experience in managing. Yet this is an area of significant opportunity for those contractors who can adapt quickly and effectively to the changing construction market. However, many current processes are insufficient to manage today’s demanding and fast moving projects. The paper reflects on the deployment of a design management training initiative to improve performance in a major UK civil and building design and construction company. It investigates the impact of the training initiative, critical practices and a suite of 25 tools on design management performance across the company. It highlights benefits delivered by the initiative as well as the practices and tools crucial to successful design management. The paper also explores the range, significance and hierarchy of implementation barriers that affect the success of design management practices and reports on strategies that have been used on a case study project to overcome such barriers. The paper is likely to be of interest to those involved in design management and the development of tools and practices to help the industry improve design management performance.