“Motivation and Means: How and Why IPD and Lean Lead to Success”, co-sponsored by the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance, explodes several myths about Lean and IPD.
Myth #1: Delivery matters less than choosing the right people; behaviors can’t be dictated by a contract. You won’t get the A Team every time, but you can still foster positive behavior, says principal author Renée Cheng, PhD, AIA, Professor, School of Architecture, University of Minnesota. Think through which players you want on your team, how to create the right culture, and how to get rid of nonperformers.
Myth #2: IPD contracts are too complicated, Lean tools are too rigid. IPD and Lean are “a lot more flexible than people think,” says Cheng. Investing the time up front for designing your IPD and Lean procedures can pay off in huge ROI. Teams also vary in how they use IPD and Lean. It’s not as rigid as commonly believed, she says.
Myth #3: IPD only works on large complex healthcare projects. Teams new to IPD and Lean are at a disadvantage. Cheng says there’s no evidence that small projects cannot benefit from using an IPD and Lean. Moreover, you can have a team that’s new to IPD, or one that has half its team members experienced in IPD and Lean, and both can still work, she says.
Myth #4: Owners aren’t getting best value; or, owners are getting value but the team is not making a profit. Cheng says it’s hard to get at “pure results” for owners because “it usually depends on how well the owner sets the cost and schedule targets.” The research did show that 100% of owners in the study said their IPD/Lean projects met or exceeded expectations.
In terms of meeting schedule, some teams were just a bit over, a number were under. Similarly, with regard to budgets, one project team went over, some were at budget, a number were under.
As for profitability, Cheng says some project teams have reported making 20-30% more in an IPD than under a non-IPD. “I did see teams working collectively with the owner to determine a target cost, and this drove the original allowable cost way below market, and the profit was distributed.”
Myth #5: IPD and IPD-lite are essentially the same; financial incentives and release of liability are no big deal. Cheng says the behavior is “strikingly different” between those who have skin in the game and those who do not. “Those in the signatory pool behave much more collaboratively, there’s a lot more fluidity in how they’re willing to trade scope, and they’re much more willing to call out behavior that’s not productive.”
Finally, there’s a lot more “fun and enjoyment” in true IPD projects, says Cheng—“a lot more time being spent on positive things. It’s very positive and collaborative.”
Related Stories
| May 2, 2013
New web community aims to revitalize abandoned buildings
Italian innovators Andrea Sesta and Daniela Galvani hope to create a worldwide database of abandoned facilities, ripe for redevelopment, with their [im]possible living internet community.
| May 1, 2013
A LEGO lover's dream: Guide to building the world's iconic structures with LEGO
A new book from LEGO master builder Warren Elsmore offers instructions for creating scale models of buildings and landmarks with LEGO.
| May 1, 2013
Data center construction remains healthy, but oversupply a concern
Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are among the major tech companies investing heavily to build state-of-the-art data centers.
| May 1, 2013
Groups urge Congress: Keep energy conservation requirements for government buildings
More than 350 companies urge rejection of special interest efforts to gut key parts of Energy Independence and Security Act
| May 1, 2013
World’s tallest children’s hospital pushes BIM to the extreme
The Building Team for the 23-story Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago implements an integrated BIM/VDC workflow to execute a complex vertical program.
| Apr 30, 2013
Healthcare lighting innovation: Overhead fixture uses UV to kill airborne pathogens
Designed specifically for hospitals, nursing homes, child care centers, and other healthcare facilities where infection control is a concern, the Arcalux Health Risk Management System (HRMS) is an energy-efficient lighting fixture that doubles as a germ-killing machine.
| Apr 30, 2013
First look: North America's tallest wooden building
The Wood Innovation Design Center (WIDC), Prince George, British Columbia, will exhibit wood as a sustainable building material widely availablearound the globe, and aims to improve the local lumber economy while standing as a testament to new construction possibilities.
| Apr 26, 2013
Apple scales back Campus 2 plans to reduce price tag
Apple will delay the construction of a secondary research and development building on its "spaceship" campus in an attempt to drive down the cost of developing its new headquarters.
