Book Description

It is no secret that problems in the construction industry canquickly escalate into full-fledged conflicts; adversarial positionstaken by the various parties involved in a project routinely leadto disrupted schedules and costly litigation. It doesn't have to bethat way. Project Partnering for the Design and Construction Industryprovides powerful tools for improving working relationships amongcontractors, designers, clients, and suppliers. Speaking directlyto the construction professional, author Ralph J. Stephensondemonstrates numerous ways to avoid conflict and ensure successful,on-time project deliveries by promoting teamwork, establishingnoncontract ground rules for ethical and responsible behavior, andemploying a variety of conflict-resolution techniques. This thoroughly practical handbook describes all the steps,procedures, and guidelines you need to make project partnering workfor you. You'll discover how to identify possible sources ofconflict before the work begins and learn to plan and write aproject partnering charter. You'll develop the ability to identifycommonly encountered problem-types and avoid miscommunications anddisputes that may arise from incompatible personalities andmanagement styles. Using real-world case studies, examples, and his own personalobservations, the author examines construction projects of allsizes and types, from inception and design through completion andbeyond. He offers a historical overview of the constructionindustry, comments on its nature as a business, analyzes itsvarious components, and offers helpful tips on management methodsfor specific projects and organizational structures. This comprehensive and enthusiastic book demonstrates how effectiveproject partnering fosters competent, high-quality work throughoutthe entire life cycle of a project. It also enables constructionprofessionals to make each project more profitable and lessstressful, while finding renewed job satisfaction in a revitalizedworking environment How to manage construction projects on time, within budget--andwithout major conflicts . . . To many contractors, architects, design engineers, and suppliers, aconflict-free construction project may seem like an impossibledream. Not so. Project Partnering for the Design and ConstructionIndustry provides step-by-step instructions on how to conduct ahigh-quality, on-time, profitable construction project, whileavoiding strife, adversarial behavior, or debilitating legalaction. Written in plain English and spiced with humor, this enormouslyuseful guide: * Examines all practical methods and procedures needed to createsuccessful partnering systems for a wide range of projects * Shows how project partnering dispute resolution techniques candefuse problems and disagreements quickly and inexpensively beforethey get out of hand * Describes a variety of preventative measures to help containliability and reduce time spent on nonconstruction activities * Helps establish productive relationships among all participantsin a construction project, including designers, contractors,clients, and suppliers * Provides numerous case studies where project partnering has beenapplied successfully, as well as real-world examples, charts,illustrations, and actual partnering charters * Offers alternative dispute resolution techniques for situationswhere project partnering is inappropriate * Discusses background, history, and the general organizationalstructure of the construction industry For contractors, engineers, architects, subcontractors, suppliersand owners, and anyone involved in the decision-making process onconstruction projects, this book provides the key to undertakingprojects with confidence and building a solid reputation in themarketplace.