Application of the Analytical Design Planning Technique in the project process

Traditionally, the building design process has been poorly understood and planned, and has been treated as completely separate from the construction process. This has resulted in a range of inefficiencies in the overall project process. This paper describes two related research projects which have produced techniques for planning and managing the design process, and improving the way the design and construction processes interface. These techniques are based around the use of process models and the application of dependency structure matrix (DSM) analysis, an optimisation tool, and have been developed through joint industry and UK government research. The research is being undertaken at Loughborough University in the UK, and the findings and techniques are being tested and applied in industry by designers and planners from the projects’ collaborating organisations

DePlan: a tool for integrated design management

The iterative and information-intensive nature of the design process during detail design phases makes it hard to plan and schedule design work using computer tools for conventional project management. The success of design projects depends on the quality of the available information. Having the right information at the right time is crucial. This paper proposes DePlan as a method for integrated design management, i.e. for planning, scheduling, and controlling design activities during the detail design phase. DePlan integrates two techniques, namely ADePT (Analytical Design Planning Technique) andExtended WorkPlan Last Planner, each involving a software tool.. ADePT implements the dependency structure matrix (DSM) analysis method and helps identify the iterative processes and the planning strategy for managing them. Last Planner is a production management philosophy that focuses on scheduling and controlling design activities. Combined as DePlan, these techniques help planners generate quality plans, i.e., plans that express what is ready for execution by sequencing activities in the right order, identifying informational and resource requirements ahead of design execution, and by scheduling only activities that have met these requirements. This collaborative research has successfully developed the DePlan approach and associated computer software and tested them on a typical office building

Integrating design planning, schedule and control with Deplan

The planning and management of building design has historically been focused upon traditional methods of planning such as Critical Path Method (CPM). Little effort is made to understand the complexities of the design process; instead design managers focus on allocating work packages where the planned output is a set of deliverables. All too often there is no attempt to understand and control the flow of information that gives rise to these deliverables. This paper proposes the combined use of the Analytical Design Planning Technique (ADePT) and Last Planner methodology as a tool called DesPlan to improve the planning, scheduling and control of design. ADePT is applied during the early planning stages to provide the design team with an improved design programme that takes into account the complex relationships that exist between designers, and the information flows that flows between them. Then the Last Planner methodology is employed, through a program called ProPlan, to schedule and control the design environment

A problem-solving approach to value-adding decision making in construction design

Purpose – To illustrate the use of a Value Adding Toolbox by construction industry designers when addressing customer value expectations using problem solving. Design/methodology/approach – Focused literature review establishes the need for construction industry design solutions to deliver customer value and a Value Adding Toolbox is proposed in response. Case studies validate Toolbox use and one illustrative example is provided. Interviews with prospective Toolbox users identify barriers to adoption and inform a recommended approach to organisational adoption. Findings – The Toolbox is found to be effective at helping construction designers to solve technical design problems with regard to customer expectations of value. However, designers are found to be initially reluctant to adopt the new tool. Organisation learning is therefore required to establish the importance of customer value satisfaction as a prerequisite to Toolbox adoption by designers. Originality/value – This paper provides a useful insight into the practical application of problemsolving tools by construction designers to better understand customer needs

Design chains: introducing supply chain management into the construction design process

The continued fragmentation of the construction sector has led to a demand from clients for greater integration of the companies engaged in the construction process. Supply chain Management (SCM) which has been successfully applied in other industry sectors is now being viewed as a potential solution within construction. This paper proposes that whilst the practices of SCM are very much dependent on the industrial context, the principles are equally applicable to the design process within construction projects. The differences between the flows of goods or materials in traditional SCM contexts and the flows of information in the design process are discussed. The concept of the ‘design chain’ is introduced as a cognitive framework, which can inform and underpin the development of SCM practice for design and can provide the basis of integrating organisations and technical disciplines to provide a collaborative integrated approach to developing design solutions

Integrated collaborative design

This paper describes an approach to managing the supply chain from the perspective of design. It describes the concept of a Design Chain and argues that the industry needs to centre the development of Integrated Teams (as proposed in Accelerating Change) around collaborative working of all parties involved in the design process. Integrated Collaborative Design (ICD) recognises that we are too often focussed on the short-term objectives of projects, rather than long-term business strategy and organisational relationships. In simple terms, it involves three steps: identifying tasks (process management); allocating roles (as part of supply chain management); and focusing design solutions to deliver value. The paper outlines the principles and approach to ICD, which is supported by a handbook contain 25 supporting practice notes, published by Thomas Telford