Construction value management revisited: the designer's role

Value management is well established in construction. The method provides a\nstructured, documentable consideration of project stakeholders to ensure that projects\nare required, framed to satisfy values and sufficiently supported by all stakeholders to\nensure successful completion. A variety of construction-specific value management\nmethods exist and many UK design management contractors offer the practice to\nclients as a structured method of considering the role of each project in adding value\nto clients’ business activities.\nValue management in construction has grown from the manufacturing sector, but\nhistorical review suggests it was extrapolated verbatim, with limited revision for\nconstruction application. The soundness of this foundation is examined. The paper\nreviews the extent to which designers are currently provided with mechanisms to\nconsider stakeholder values during the project stages when most design output is\nproduced. Integral Value Engineering is proposed to continuously relate ongoing\ndesign activity to the project values current at the time of each design task’s\ncompletion.\nThe paper describes a toolbox of value-adding tools that provide project designers\nwith methods of structuring design activity to relate technical design solutions to\nstakeholder values. Development of the toolbox as a web-based resource is reviewed,\nand its supporting role confirmed by validation exercises. The paper concludes by\nestablishing the need for all designers in the supply chain to be provided with methods\nof structuring their problem solving processes to address value delivery, and the\nsuitability of the value-adding toolbox to them. Future work must develop means of\nactively maintaining a shared understanding of values throughout project progression,\nproviding a framework and objective for ongoing design activity.