Design management: a value based approach

The philosophy of lean thinking has been adopted relatively quickly by contracting organisations, keen to reduce waste in the realisation of construction projects. Given a strong argument for greater synergy between design, manufacturing and construction there would appear to be considerable potential in moving the lean thinking upstream, starting with the briefing and conceptual design stages and managing the flow of decisions through to the completed building, thus helping to deliver value within a lean framework. Value is the end-goal and therefore value parameters are key to the achievement of improved productivity and client/user satisfaction. The three-phase Value/Process/Operation (VPO) model starts by identifying value parameters, then moves to designing the process and finally onto the operations. The model lies at the heart of a lean design process model implemented by a consulting company and a contractor in Denmark. The case study helps to illustrate the benefits of taking a more holistic and integral approach based on the agreement of value parameters at the project outset. Through the use of creative workshops, that encourage open communication and knowledge sharing, the lean design process model has been instrumental in delivering value and improving productivity.