A UK based design and construction civil and building engineering company is trying
to improve its design management practices. It has entered into a partnership with
Loughborough University and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC) to develop and deploy design management tools capable of making
significant improvements to its design management performance. Before suitable
tools could be identified it was necessary to understand current practices within the
organisation. This paper describes the methodology, results and conclusions of this
initial study. The results and conclusions discuss current design management
practices within the company, identify areas where improvement is necessary and
suggests a research scope capable of driving change throughout the company. This
paper is likely to be of interest to those involved in design management and the
development of tools and practices to help the industry improve design management
performance
