Definition and Measurement of Engineering/Design Deliverable Quality for Building Facilities

Since design deliverables with errors and omissions often cause project cost overruns, schedule delays, and/or construction rework, ensuring design quality is essential to successful project outcomes. In a previous study, CII Research Team 320 (RT-320) identified the 11 most problematic design deliverables on capital projects in the industrial sector and found 73 significant design defects. Recognizing the significance of these findings, CII chartered RT-320a to focus on improving design quality on projects in the building sector. To accomplish this research objective, the team sought to identify common, high-impact design defects associated with the most problematic design deliverables on building projects, and to develop a proactive process to assess design quality, and to promote timely and appropriate preventative action.

Design Quality Drivers are an important project consideration for project design quality. The team identified 11 Design Quality Drivers, along with 47 high-priority design deliverable defects. From these findings, the team generated 160 leading indicator questions, which it then incorporated into an Excel-based design quality assessment tool, the Design Quality Leading Indicator Tool. With this tool, users can identify potential design defects and anticipate their associated impacts, by answering the leading indicator questions. This proactive risk management tool gives practitioners information in advance to help mitigate and prevent potential risks to design deliverable quality on building projects.

This project was funded by the U.S. Department of State.