Integrated Project Delivery

Here's a link to an interesting post today from the folks at Tradeline on Integrated Project Delivery (IDP). http://www.tradelineinc.com/reports/63186B14-D0E4-FDA2-6DA5927B9B479B68
IDP is a way of managing projects that brings together all parties -- owner, architect, engineer, contractors and agencies -- at the very inception of a project. They work as a team through the design and construction phases, solving problems on a team basis as the project proceeds.
In the words of the article, "Their relationship becomes a partnership rather than the traditional one of adversarial roles."
Bricsnet Enterprise and Bricsnet Retail offer support for IDP project management methodology through the concept of project teams, which can be formed at any stage in the project process, and provide team members with streamlined ways to communicate and update each other.
Team members can have varied roles that give them capabilities focused on their areas of expertise, or all team members can have the same privileges.
Tradeline Inc. points out that by using IDP, project teams can begin looking at cost controls earlier in the process. The design process becomes front-loaded, in a sense, so that from the very beginning, as ideas are being developed, some team members are looking at cost ramifications and providing alternates that could save money.
This is an idea that makes a lot of sense in difficult economic times.