Application of the Domain Theory to Warehouse Concept Development: A Case Study

The need to manage and coordinate design has been recognized in different industries, including construction. However, teams need to have a shared language, which requires a design framework or in other words ontology, providing a terminology, principles and methods. Systems thinking approaches have been used in variety of design ontologies, here we have focused on the Domain Theory (DT). The purpose of this work is to understand how a common design framework aids the design inquiry and management. For that the DT is outlined, its implications to construction are reviewed and a case study as a main method is carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of this design theory for practice. The DT provided the common framework for studying end users, their needs and requirements based on their business operations. Also, the DT supported the design team in understanding the purpose of verification and validation. Results indicate that the common theory reinforced focusing on key parameters, issues and design requirements. However, outcomes also illustrate that system approaches tend to be resource intensive, requiring a more thorough analysis up-front.