Q: Why is early manufacturer engagement such an asset for collaborative delivery?
A: We know collaborative delivery offers the best value in terms of cost and scheduling. It provides creative solutions from the project’s start and ensures materials are there when customers need them.
Collaborative delivery works best when expertise is shared early and openly across the entire team. While owners, engineers, and contractors are usually on board from the start, manufacturers are often brought in late, after key decisions have been made, despite pipe and other manufactured items typically making up a large portion of the total project cost.
As a domestic pipe manufacturer, we can provide extensive knowledge about materials, product performance, and life cycle costs. When we’re included at the outset of a project—whether during feasibility discussions, developing the risk registry, or early design development—we can help the team avoid issues that might lead to redesign later. Early engagement by manufacturers reduces uncertainty and supports more efficient design progression.
Q: How does early engagement specifically benefit progressive design-build (PDB) and construction management at-risk (CMAR)?
A: In PDB, early-stage involvement and clarity are critical. Manufacturers can provide insight into product feasibility, market conditions that may influence cost or schedule, and long-term performance and life cycle considerations relevant to early-stage design decisions.
In CMAR, manufacturers understand how infrastructure systems perform and can help evaluate risks. Sharing this knowledge early helps teams identify potential challenges such as installation requirements, design configuration limits, and/or maintenance implications well before construction begins.
Q: Does involving manufacturers early limit competition or create bias toward specific products?
A: Early involvement of manufacturers is not tied to a specific product but rather focuses on helping the team understand options and provide creative solutions. A responsible manufacturer contributes technical context and provides solutions. Our goal is to explain the pros and cons objectively, allowing owners and designers to make informed decisions and understand potential risks. The intent is to inform the owner and design team early in the process by objectively outlining options, risks, and tradeoffs.
Q: What opportunities are missed when manufacturers are added late in a project?
A: The most common issue is redesign. A project may specify something that doesn’t align with manufacturing capabilities or field realities. When manufacturers participate early, the team gains clarity on compatibility, constructability, and life cycle considerations. This often translates into real time and cost savings.
Q: What does effective early engagement look like?
A: Effective early engagement doesn’t require formal commitments. It simply means inviting manufacturers to share insight while foundational decisions are taking place. This can include participating in early project workshops, discussing feasibility, developing specifications, or brainstorming sessions where constraints and priorities are outlined.
The best and most productive interactions happen when manufacturers are invited to be collaborators. When teams ask open-ended questions such as what they should know about a material or if there are alternatives they should consider, manufacturers can offer perspectives that are backed by years of product innovation and field experience.
Q: How can owners, engineers, and others encourage more meaningful manufacturer participation?
A: This is easy. Invite manufacturers to contribute! We are eager to support collaborative delivery teams and welcome opportunities to help solve project challenges early.
Q: Any final thoughts on the value of engaging manufacturers early?
A: Collaborative delivery is built around shared problem-solving and leveraging the strengths of each partner. Manufacturers bring unique insight informed by years of industry-wide experience. While early engagement by manufacturers is still underused, when embraced it supports innovation and helps teams deliver projects that perform better for communities long term.