The Construction Commitments
Design Quality
North East - 21st May 2008
Big issue:
- How do we pay for great design?
Good ideas:
- Commission for value not 'cost' alone
- Select intelligently
- Look at payback through asset growth
East Midlands - 4th June 2008
Big issue:
- How do we change the attitude to a pragmatic approach to accept change and innovation?
Good ideas:
- Talk to customers and get feedback, possibly through one person
- Involve staff in decision making for changed and training if needed.
- Investment and time in quality control
Yorkshire and the Humber - 16th July 2008
Big issue:
- How do you balance cost against value?
Good ideas:
- Clear brief
- Clear budget
- Good design team
- Design management
South East - 3rd September 2008
Big issue:
- How can client produce a clear enough design brief for the job before appointing designers?
Good ideas:
- Set core principles to ensure funding - This ensures flexibility throughout the design process
- The design brief should set out stakeholder involvement
- Engage different designers
West Midlands - 1st October 2008
Big issue:
- Satisfying time, cost and quality constraints
- Limited funding restricts implementation of creativity and innovation in design
- How can we align funding streams and design?
Good ideas:
- Talk to each other
- Advice - Early and throughout project
- Support - Financial/Resource/At Risk
- Honesty - Be open at all times
- Experience - Benefit of
- Be prepared to lose some arguments
- Think differently - Provide solutions
South West - 5th November 2008
Big issue:
- How do we make design quality a single conversation?
Good ideas:
- Listen to - client, funder, contractor, designers, CDM co ordinator
- Common objective
- Not a packaged approach - bespoke
North West - 4th December 2008
Big issue:
- As a manufacturer how can we get more involved in long term design innovation and whole life costing?
Good ideas:
- Establish long term goals and objectives
- Link to like minded supply chain partners and clients
- Establish reasearch and development process for future innovation to achieve competitive advantage
East of England - 25th February 2009
Big issue:
- How do we balance good design with cost concerns?
Good ideas:
- Clear client specification and design criteria
- Design team involvement at early stages
- Best product awareness to achieve best initial and whole life cost
- In summary: collaborative working
