Brooks City-Base, TX — The theme of this year’s conference, “Building on the Promise; Successfully Implementing Integrated Products” is a great concept for us to rally around as we gather in Las Vegas. Those who have been ardent advocates of design-build for any length of time know its promise as a means of transforming the construction industry. We’ve put it out there as the answer to difficult questions that those in the more conventional or traditional construction community have been asking for years. Given that, how could we possibly better frame the way we think of the state of design-build today and position it for the future of our industry? I don’t think there is one.
I do think, though, that in order to move ahead and build on the promise and potential, we must also look behind and learn from our mistakes. Based on that, I propose that we, as an industry, examine this thesis: too often in the past we have not lived up to the promises we’ve made with regard to the ability of design-build to meet our customers’ expectations. Further, I say that it is within our power to change that, but we each have to take responsibility for making that change.
The most important single issue we face as advocates of design-build is that we too often neglect to educate our clients fully about the process. The corollary of this is that in committing that failure we also fail to educate ourselves fully as to the client’s expectations.
As professionals in the construction industry we know what it takes to make design-build live up to its promise. All I’m saying is that we have to make sure the customer knows as well. The customer needs to understand what design-build is and is not, how it works, what our and their responsibilities are, and why it’s so important to ensure that upfront planning is completed and agreed upon to everyone’s satisfaction. That way, before the first shovel of dirt is thrown, there are no questions about what we’re doing, where we’re going, and what are our expectations.
Not only does this serve as the client’s education, it is yours as well. By walking the client through the process and making sure they understand the requirements for a successful design-build project, we open the opportunity for them to have an “aha” moment in which they recognize that it is incumbent upon them to be absolutely sure that they communicate fully with us about their expectations. That, in turn, provides us with additional information about their perspective so that we can clarify aspects of the process and validate our own understanding of what the customer really wants. The end result is that all stakeholders are completely engaged in the critical planning and decision-making that precedes a successful design-build project.
Ultimately, it’s all about ensuring that everyone’s expectations are realistic and that we, as the design-build professionals, have taken ownership of our responsibility to educate customers so that they can give us informed feedback. Lacking this critical step we ought not be surprised when we find ourselves well into construction believing we have, but are really lacking, 100 percent customer buy in for our plans. Educated customers form a vital part of a cohesive design-build team, in which all members take ownership of the process and the resulting design product.
I believe that design-build is the way of the future. I am excited to be a part of it and want to see design-build become the method of choice for the entire construction industry. But before that can happen, we must stop making promises we can’t keep. And when things go wrong we must stop pointing fingers at others because they “didn’t understand the process.” When that happens we need only look in the mirror to see the person who didn’t take the opportunity to ensure success.
As we approach this year’s conference and exposition I propose that we take the opportunity to discuss the following with regard to design-build projects:
- What has worked in the past and why.
- What hasn’t worked in the past and why.
- What best practices we can glean from this.
I believe that education and training of our customers ought to be a major theme for us as a growing, vital industry. To that end I will devote my energies, and I hope you will join me in this. I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas and continuing this dialogue and discussion.
With confidence,
Paul A. Parker
Director of the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence
Brooks City-Base, TX
2005 DBIA Board Director