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Standards Development
In the last decade, the importance of design management has increased dramatically with several reputable sources noting how misunderstood and underappreciated it is and how this can impact project performance. (Eynon, 2013; Sinclair, 2014; Knotten & Svalestuen, 2015; Emmitt, 2016; Emmitt, 2017). A major element of design management is the ability to manage people and process within a team environment that rely on information (Emmitt, 2017). The growing industry need to reduce waste and errors whilst improving our need to collaborate and manage our information management processes better is increasing the need for consistency in the design management function.
It is important that BS 7000-4 remains useful and up to-date. Several aspects of the latest BS7000-4 are out of date and not adding value to the industry.
They include:
BS 7000-4 refers to a raft of standards that no longer exist including the BS 1192 and PAS 1192 series.
BS 7000-4 contains strong references to the withdrawn framework of BIM Levels.
BS 7000-4 fails to include specific and granular guidance on design management activities along with their nuances that must be considered or completed as part of any project.
Design Management is greatly affected by recent developments and outcomes from Grenfell and the Golden Thread along with many of the emerging modern methods of construction and information management standards.
References
Eynon, J. (2013). The Design Manager`s handbook.
Sinclair, D. (2014). Design Management.
Knotten, V., & Svalestuen, F. (2015).Design management in the building process - A review of current literature.
Emmitt, S. (2016). The Construction Design Manager – A Rapidly Evolving Innovation.
Emmitt, S. (2017). Design Management.
Five primary key areas for further development have been identified for inclusion as part of any future revision of BS 7000-4. Several other minor proposals have also been considered but not included as part of this scope.
They include:
Proposal and Benefits
1 Greater focus on design management tools and outputs that should be present on every project.
Design management typically requires specific processes to be in place and well managed for almost every project. These processes typically have outputs or tools that facilitate the process. Having a standard perception of these tools and their importance will help drive consistency in the industry.
2 More focus on Design Management as a function, providing a detailed explanation and description of its importance.
Design management has long been misunderstood and seen as just something that happens or falls under general project management. There is evidence that design management is greatly impacted due to insufficient competencies.
3 Improve the document`s structure so that activities can be better understood within a project process.
It’s important to demonstrate that Design Management has a distinct process where activities be carried out at steps of the project
4 Greater focus on the specific activities and responsibilities that are associated with Design Management. Some guidance about how the function is managed by people or organisations/roles.
A greater focus on specific responsibilities and what may potentially be involved will help ensure the correct roles or individuals with the necessary competencies are assigned.
5 Feedback from industry has found that the bloated content of BIM philosophy and principles included within BS 7000-4 without referring to how it specifically impacts design management has had a detrimental effect on the understanding of the function.
A Reduced focus on BIM and digital principals specifically and more focus on the activities will help improve understanding of the process. Where activities could benefit from standardisation e.g. information delivery planning, we can refer to the latest standards e.g. ISO 19650
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