Integrated Project Delivery and Building Information Modeling are the buzz of the industry. In 2007, the AIA stated that IPD is a project delivery approach that integrates people, systems, business structures and practices into a process that collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all participants to reduce waste and optimize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication and construction. So how is IPD implemented today and why is everyone chasing after this idea?

Many people speak of IPD synonymously with a specific contract type (often tri-party agreements, the Sutter agreement, ConsensusDocs, or the AIA IPD agreements), but this does not have to be the case. The biggest idea behind IPD is that everyone works in collaboration for the benefit of the project. This idea is not held solely in a contract, but ultimately in the way that the team interacts together.

There are many contract types that can be used and still implement IPD concepts including more traditional Design-Build, CM/GC and industry standard design and CM at risk contracts. The key to the success is following the principals of IPD: the early involvement by key participants; collaborative innovation and decision making; mutual respect and trust among participants; utilization of innovative tools such as BIM; commitment to work as a team in the best interests of the project; shared benefit and reward; shared risk and downsides; and Owner, designers, and contractors have more information to make better decisions.

So why is everyone talking about and chasing the idea of IPD? It comes down to the desire to increase the productivity of the AEC industry. In an IPD world, there is redefinition of the lines between the traditional roles of design and construction and some of the biggest benefits of IPD come in the synergy of this integration. IPD pushes away from the traditional design and construction roles and fully embraces collaboration, innovation and efficiency.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) are essential tools for implementing IPD and are creating some of the biggest movements in efficiency within the industry. Constructability reviews and 3D building coordination allow the different system that makeup the building to be fully coordinated before anything is built full scale or full cost. Project planning is being taken to new levels by bringing in the user groups, facilities personnel and owners into the process earlier, helping everyone involved understand work space needs better and planning for expandability within the system more efficiently. BIM/VDC has allowed large scale prefabrication to become a reality in the building construction world. This helps improve quality, increases productivity, improves safety and saves money. Bottom line, using BIM/VDC on an IPD project increases the overall efficiency of the design and construction and gives much more certainty to the process with superior quality.

As we have discussed, IPD creates an environment that integrates the people, approaches and systems can be realized through many different methods, not just a specific contract type. The success of IPD is really about the team, the processes and the trust that team creates. IPD is a great concept and efficiency through collaboration is real and measurable, but we are still learning and every project is still a prototype. What we must realize is that we do not need altogether new delivery models to realize the results of IPD.