For many years, the DELTA group has been involved in innovative project management methods that pursue a more cooperative approach than the “classic” model of collaboration that is common in the construction industry. One possible approach is integrated project management. This is based on a partnership-based approach to collaboration in which all key project stakeholders are involved in the planning process at an early stage. Goals are defined collaboratively; the expertise of contractors and planning disciplines is brought together and risks are shared fairly.
Our experienced construction project managers Hildegard Utermöhlen and Doris Schmidtberger explain the advantages of the IPA management method and how it works in practice.
Integrated project management focusses on a holistic, cooperative approach. The basic intention is that the best rather than the cheapest partners are chosen for all contracts, right from the outset of planning. This ensures that the planning is optimised through the combined expertise of planners and contractors. Planning is carried out jointly, target costs are defined and risks are identified and assessed. Non-quantifiable risks are placed in a neutral risk sphere on a project-specific basis and are also budgeted for there. This approach ensures that the project achieves the best possible result on the one hand and that everyone involved actually identifies with the defined objectives on the other.
“Instead of classic win-lose variants, low-price offers that are usually only profitable through excessive claim management, there is a shift in thinking towards a process that focuses on win-win relationships and project success as a shared vision,” explain Utermöhlen and Schmidtberger.
“With IPA models, all key partners are on board even before the planning phase,” explains Hildegard Utermöhlen. “The best for the project is therefore also the best for everyone involved,” adds Doris Schmidtberger.
To summarise: with integrated project management, a system was created to ensure greater fairness for everyone involved and a greater success of the entire project.