Developing a Protocol for Managing the Design Process in the Building Industry

The performance of the design process in the building industry has a great influence on the success of subsequent processes in construction projects and also on the quality of the final product. Despite its importance, relatively little attention has been given to the management of the design process. The main objective of this article is to present the preliminary results of a research project which aims to devise a protocol for managing the design process in house building firms. The protocol will consist of a general plan for developing design activities, including the content of the main activities, their precedence relationships, the role and responsibilities of different actors, and a model of the information flow. The protocol has been developed through case studies, carried out in four different construction companies from the South of Brazil. The development of this research is based on the conceptual framework of the New Production Philosophy (Lean Production). The suitability of its concepts and principles has been tested on the management of the design process.