WHAT IS IPD ?

Integrated Project Delivery

Integrated project delivery (IPD) is a relatively new procurement process that

is gaining popularity as the use of BIM expands and the AEC facility management (AEC/FM) industry learns how to use this technology to support integrated teams. There are multiple approaches to IPD as the industry experiments

with this approach. The American Institute of Architecture (AIA) has prepared sample contract forms for a family of IPD versions (AIA 2010). They

have also published a useful Guide to IPD (AIA 2010). In all cases, integrated

projects are distinguished by effective collaboration among the owner, the

prime (and possibly sub-) designers, the prime (and possibly key sub-) contractor(s).

This collaboration takes place from early design and continues through project

handover. The key concept is that this project team works together using the best

collaborative tools at their disposal to ensure that the project will meet owner

requirements at signifi cantly reduced time and cost. Either the owner needs to be

part of this team to help manage the process or a consultant must be hired to

represent the owner’s interests, or both may participate. The tradeoffs that are

always a part of the design process can best be evaluated using BIM—cost, energy,

functionality, esthetics, and constructability. Thus, BIM and IPD go together and

represent a clear break with current linear processes that are based on paper representation exchange of information. Clearly the owner is the primary beneficiary

of IPD, but it does require that they understand enough to participate and specify

in the contracts what they want from the participants and how it will be achieved.