Written by Bart van Vliet with HOK, IPI Mission & Research Committee Member

Introduction 

Partnering as a structured collaborative process is gaining ground, especially on the West Coast. Many owners are starting to see the benefit of a third-party arbiter to keep the team focused on teamwork and problem-solving. This has always been important to design and construction projects, and in this article,we’ll explore how Partnering is an excellent approach to this, no matter the delivery method or specific tools and processes that a project may require. 

Towards a Collaborative Process 

Traditionally, the industry has created a more adversarial relationship between the architect and the contractor, with the goal of increasing value for the client. This typically leads to a reluctance to share information, discuss issues, and look for the best solutions. Alternative delivery methods such as Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), design-build (DB) and integrated project delivery (IPD) have tried to solve this problem by tying the success of the different parties (owner, architect, and contractor) together. But these are contractual relationships, not working relationships. Some of these delivery methods have become more common, but it’s fair to say that the majority of projects and clients continue to favor the traditional design-bid-build delivery method. 

To support the contractual relationship with these alternative delivery methods, create, we need a culture of collaboration. Cultures are hard to create, and they definitely don’t come about by themselves. One approach that supports this cultural change that most people will have heard of is Lean.  

Lean 

Lean in design and construction was developed to optimize manufacturing at Toyota, focused on efficiency, with a goal to increase value, reduce waste, and value people. Ensuring that staff take pride in their work and know that their work effectively contributes to increasing value can best be done by reducing waste. This waste comes in the form of performing unnecessary tasks, redoing work, or providing the wrong information at the wrong time, to name a few. Most of this waste comes from a lack of collaboration and understanding of others’ needs.  

With a start in manufacturing, and principles widely adopted by leading construction firms, Lean intends to break down silos around architects, designers, engineers, and general and trade contractors, which led to a lack of trust between parties. Contracts became ways to isolate parties from each other, rather than promoting collaboration through shared goals. One of the leading organizations to promote Lean thinking in our industry is LCI, or the Lean Construction Institute. This organization provides participants with tools and resources and tracks the benefit of Lean thinking in design and construction. Their research suggests that projects that follow Lean principles on average are completed faster and at a lower cost than typical projects. With contractors leading the way, architects and designers are catching up, while owners are slower to adopt these principles.  

At the center of Lean is respect for people through the continuous promotion of respect and trust amongst all team members. Partnering is a structured process to bring team members together throughout the life of the project for open communication, improved strategy and issue resolution through building trust, a reliable predictor of high performing teams.  

Partnering 

Partnering not only builds trust and collaboration but also tracks trends to expose changes in attitude within the team. This results in a level of accountability that is critical to the success of Partnering. Because these discussions are not always easy, it is important that the Partnering facilitator is someone outside the project team. To an extent, not understanding every minute detail of why and how things went off track, allows the facilitator to ask those honest questions that force the team to expose and confront issues within the team. This neutral facilitator is a unique aspect of partnering. Another benefit of Partnering is that it does not require that teams are familiar with specific tools or processes, as long as an experienced facilitator leads the way. There are no specific software platforms required, and there is no need to change how teams execute their work. This results in a low threshold for teams to embrace Partnering, and a short time to see the benefits.  

​​ The Payoffs 

The size and complexity of a project do not need to be a criterion in deciding whether to engage a Partnering facilitator. The Partnering approach can be easily scaled, and the smaller the project, the fewer hours will be required. As an example, the City and County of San Francisco, California requires partnering for all their projects, varying from in-street utility work and playground updates to full airport terminal replacement projects. San Francisco has found that partnering leads to better outcomes and lower cost. According to their website, 39 projects have saved more than $138 million. The International Partnering Institute (IPI) notes that for each $1 invested in Partnering, the project saves on average $114. In addition, the average claim in the US costs $29.6 million and takes 16 months to resolve. Addressing issues before they become claims is a worthwhile investment.  

Conclusion 

Partnering is a unique approach to solving common problems that befall all projects and delivery methods. It is a structure for teams that look to achieve greater outcomes by breaking down silos and barriers. For projects that are already adopting a culture of working together through the Design-Build delivery method, or by implementing Lean principles and tools, using Partnering is a no-brainer, while everyone should take a closer look: The benefits are independent of delivery method and size: higher quality outcomes, better safety records, value at a lower cost and shorter schedule, and improved relationships and job satisfaction. It should be everyone’s mission to increase trust amongst partners and thereby deliver a better product for our clients. Let’s Partner up!