Skip to content

Integrated Collaborative Design

As one of four researchers, I worked on this project for Loughborough University and eleven construction supply chain members.  The work examined the theoretical principles of construction supply chain management, the more practical aspects of value delivery within it, and further practical issues of process alignment between chain partners.

My contribution to this work focused on the value aspects.  It followed the understanding of its time and thus focused on value engineering and sought to find connections between front-end briefing and conceptual design development to back-end, site-based problem solving.  Connecting with the principles of supply chain management it clarified that the greatest expertise (and, thus, value-adding potential) for each building system is to be found in thus closest to the physical manufacture, installation or trade activity.  This core principle was developed in the context of value chain modelling and practical approaches to value-adding problem solving as the new paradigm of design chain management, in which the location of expertise, rather than traditional professional and supplier roles, defined the interactions of supply chain members.

The project’s key output, a handbook for design chain management endorsed by Sir. Michael Latham, was well-received by UK construction industry practitioners and commentators alike.

Published works:

  • Austin, S.A., Thorpe, D., Root, D., Thomson, D., & Hammond, J. (2007). Integrated Collaborative Design. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 5(1), 7-22.
  • Thomson, D.S., Austin, S.A., Root, D.S., Thorpe, A., & Hammond, J.W. (2006). A problem-solving approach to value-adding decision making in construction design. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 13(1), 43-61. doi:10.1108/09699980610646494
  • Austin, S.A., Thorpe, A., Root, D.S., Thomson, D.S., & Hammond, J.W. (2005). Integrated Collaborative Design. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Civil Engineering, 158(4), 148.
  • Root, D.S., Thorpe, A., Thomson, D.S., Austin, S.A., & Hammond, J.W. (2003). Design Chains: Introducing Supply Chain Management into the Construction Design Process. Journal of Construction Procurement, 9(2), 29-39.
  • Thomson, D.S. and Austin, S.A. (2001) “Construction Value Management Revisited: The Designer’s Role” Proceedings of Cobra 2001 Conference, 3-5 September, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK, RICS Foundation, Vol. 1, pp.98-106.
  • Austin, S., Baldwin, A., Hammond, J., Murray, M., Root, D., Thomson, D., Thorpe, A. (2001). Design Chains: A handbook for Integrated Collaborative Design. London: Thomas Telford, ISBN: 0727730398.
  • Austin, S.A., & Thomson, D.S. (2001). Solving Design Problems to Add Value. In Value Through Design, CIB Publication 280, Rotterdam: CIB, pp 1-8.
  • Thomson, D.S., & Austin, S. (1999). Integral Value Engineering in Design. In Cobra 1999, RICS Construction and Building Research Conference, Salford, UK, pp. 1-10.

Website:

www.designchains.com