Efficient onboarding is crucial for any construction team, especially when adopting lean principles. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) offers a collaborative approach that emphasizes teamwork and shared goals. To expedite the onboarding process and ensure team members understand IPD principles, leveraging online resources, such as the IPD Introduction course, is a smart move.
What is onboarding in lean IPD?
Onboarding describes the process of continually getting new team members up to speed on a construction project and aligning them with the initial team. During the onboarding phase, the project owner needs to explain expected work processes and ensure that new team members commit to project goals and embrace collaboration.
Having a robust onboarding process will help manage design and construction, maintain team continuity, and build a resilient group that can handle and resolve project challenges efficiently as they arise without blaming others if something goes wrong.
Waterfall strategy requires quick team integration
Continuously introducing new team members to an existing IPD project team is a challenging task. IPD teams are often hired in a cascading manner, aka waterfall strategy. Key players, such as the general contractor and the architect, are usually hired first. They then choose and hire engineering companies and specialized trades.
In such a scenario, the initial IPD team has already spent many hours together in early planning, aligning their goals, and identifying the many large and small shifts in their behaviors and attitudes required to move from a traditional construction contract team to an IPD team.
New members, often hired monthly, need to be integrated quickly while still allowing them to shape the team as it evolves. They do not need to know every detail of what happened before they joined, but they must fundamentally understand that IPD is different from traditional forms of project delivery.
Why Consider the IPD Introduction Online Course?
Onboarding benefits from adequate training and support
From the perspective of a project owner, onboarding team members for lean construction projects poses several challenges. Firstly, ensuring that all stakeholders understand and embrace the collaborative nature of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) can be difficult, particularly for those accustomed to traditional construction methods.
Project owners need to ensure that the team not only understands the principles of lean construction but also embraces a culture of trust and open communication with all involved parties from different disciplines.
Additionally, adapting to new workflows and project management processes inherent in lean construction can be a daunting task for both experienced and new team members.
The project owner must facilitate this transition by providing adequate training and support to ensure everyone is aligned with the project's goals and methodologies. Ultimately, overcoming these challenges is essential for maximizing the benefits of lean construction, such as improved project efficiency and enhanced value delivery.
Introduction to IPD online course
IPD online course as the first step of the onboarding process
The Introduction to IPD online course was designed by LeanIPD and IPDA (Integrated Project Delivery Alliance) to not only provide construction professionals with a good understanding of whether IPD fits their project and organization but also empower them with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a collaborative project environment, including the onboarding of new team members.
Project owners who manage large IPD teams, utilizing the waterfall strategy, can benefit from this online course as the first step of their onboarding process before onsite and in-person training.
What are the benefits for your IPD team?
The Introduction to IPD online course offers multiple benefits:
- Cost-effective
Utilizing the Introduction to IPD online course is cost-effective, as it eliminates any need for travelling and can accommodate large numbers of participants simultaneously.
- Convenient
Team members can access it from anywhere at any time at their convenience and finish it self-paced.
- Consistency
The course ensures that all team members receive the same consistent training on IPD principles, regardless of location or schedule.
- Interactive learning
Interactive learning, incorporating quizzes and case studies, enhances engagement and retention.
- Expert knowledge
With the combined knowledge and expertise of IPDA and LeanIPD, this online course gives project owners peace of mind when onboarding large construction teams.
Leveraging online courses for excellence in lean construction
Efficient onboarding is essential for construction teams embarking on lean projects, and leveraging online courses like the IPD Introduction course can streamline this process. By providing accessible, consistent, and interactive training on IPD principles, construction teams can ensure that all members are equipped to contribute effectively to collaborative, value-driven projects. Embracing innovative onboarding strategies not only accelerates the integration of new team members but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and excellence in lean construction practices.
Contact us to learn more about our team discounts for large IPD project teams.
Feature image: Alejandro Escamilla via Unsplash
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Why Consider the IPD Introduction Online Course?
James is an expert in the set-up and structure of large, complex capital projects using Lean and Integrated Project Delivery to drive highly reliable results.
He has negotiated IPD contracts and delivered over $650M in complex healthcare projects as an Owner's Representative with multiparty contracts, aligned team incentives and collaborative delivery models.
