Ensuring design documents fitness in construction management (CM) projects

Construction management (CM) contracts are today frequently used in large building projects in Finland. Subcontracts for the first phases of construction are awarded while building designs and construction plans for subsequent phases are being scrutinized or revised, and all this according to a master plan. For the most part. Finnish owners have been satisfied with their CM projects, but there are some exceptions. The content and development of building design documents seem to have caused major troubles. Herein, the aim is to introduce the key parts of the Finnish design management system (FinSUKE) and the US Performance Information Procurement System (PIPS). The focus is on the FinSUKE and PIPS-based ways of ensuring that one has eligible design documents before breaking ground on a construction site. In the FinSUKE model, design management is a combination of push and pull techniques. Initially the nature of design management is a push technique until the inspections of the design packages advancement takes place. After each inspection, the management of the work drawings and the specifications becomes a pull technique exercised by management at the construction site. The selection of project parties and design review methods are principal factors in our model which enables to ensure design documents fitness before the awarding of subcontracts in CM projects. The idea is to attract project parties to look ahead in order to both recognize and minimize design-related risks before actual construction takes place. Final designs can be developed jointly among a CM manager, designers, and suppliers. True teamwork is advocated between the parties involved so that the CM contract (and building) in question is fulfilled.