Is Integrated Project Delivery the Future of Construction?

For construction projects, there are an increasing number of methods that are saving money, and enriching collaboration. Conversations within the industry are shifting to integrated project delivery (IPD), but IPD still isn’t widely used.

Lean Construction Institute says that the design-bid-build method is still the most popular, even though it is not collaboration heavy. “That’s not to say that you can’t encourage, require, or foster cooperation and collaboration,” said Michelle Schaap, of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, “but I think if you’re doing design-bid-build, you’re starting out behind the eight ball.”[1]

There are plenty of factors that contribute to the reluctance to use IPDs, including loss of control, or exclusivity to relationships.

But Schapp believes that that total collaboration is the key to a successful project. “If you can bring more [of them] to the table earlier,” she said, “by definition, your design is going to be more efficient, and [project members] are going to feel better that they were taken into consideration.”

[1] https://www.constructiondive.com/news/the-dotted-line-why-is-design-bid-build-still-the-no-1-process/517308/