Integrated Contracting Systems

Conventional contracting suffers from two drawbacks: (1) With the contractor barred from the design process, contracting can not be oriented towards his particular know-how and resources; and (2) the construction can start only after the detailed design is completed. The integrated contracting procedure views design and construction as interrelated parts of the same process. This can be obtained if the project is realized throughout by the owner with the aid of a professional construction manager, or by a contractor who is to deliver both design and construction. In the latter case it is necessary to define carefully the user requirements, to limit the amount of information required from the bidders to a necessary minimum, and to devise an objective criteria for the choice of the most suitable offer.