The Secret to Standardization: 6 Steps to Success
Design standards are an essential part of any firm – or at least they should be. These rules and best practices outline specifications, procedures, dimensions and even materials and processes. That said, compliance is often a challenge. In many cases, not everyone follows them or even knows where they are. The development of standards can vary considerably from company to company, and in some cases, even project to project.
When standards are not followed, inconsistencies in deliverables can lead to rework, errors and lack of cohesion across an organization, particularly for new hires. Employees may waste time reinventing the wheel or using inefficient methods, resulting in longer project timelines and higher costs. This could also expose your organization to legal or financial risks.
Six Critical Components to Organizational and Project-Wide Standards Adoption:
Make Them Accessible
Ensure consistent implementation by raising awareness. Find ways to help design teams cross-reference or verify standards on a project. Incorporate standards training into onboarding for new hires and ongoing professional development.
Stay Current
Standards need to be a living document that is regularly reviewed and updated to maintain relevance. Regularly review and update your standards so that they evolve with project needs.
Address Concerns/Encourage Feedback
Engage employees and leadership in the update process, providing a way to address concerns and incorporate feedback, which further builds buy-in. Establish a process for employees to suggest updates or improvements to the standards.
External Variations
When working with clients who have their own standards, focus on prioritizing those requirements while also customizing/aligning internal standards where possible. The BIM Execution Plan should be used to document and communicate how the project team will address the various standards in play. The BEP can help establish a clear record and a hierarchy for reconciling differences between the company’s standards and the owner’s standards.
Enforce Adherence
Without a clear system for enforcing standards, employees have little incentive to follow them. Regularly discuss and review the standards in team meetings and training sessions. Implement peer reviews or quality checks to verify adherence to standards. If appropriate, consider disciplinary actions for non-compliance. Integrating company standards directly into templates, training programs, and workflows is an effective way to ensure compliance without being heavy-handed.
Communicate Value
If the benefits of standardization are not clearly communicated, employees may not see the value in adopting the standards. Actively promote awareness; quantify, and communicate the measurable benefits of standardization, which include improved efficiency, quality, and reduced errors. Use pilot projects to showcase the advantages of adhering to the standards.
By taking a proactive, collaborative approach to standards management, companies can drive greater consistency, efficiency, and quality across their projects. Establishing and maintaining effective company standards is a critical, but challenging aspect of project delivery. The key is to make standards easily accessible, well-documented, and regularly communicated to all employees.
To hear the complete discussion about design standards, see the on-demand webinar, Your Standards, My Standards, Let’s Talk? If your firm needs help in the development, use and deployment of standards, our technical experts can help. We have a wide variety of services to help from the development of standards to current standards workflow assessments.
