In engineering projects, design institutes and clients often argue – share your views!

This is all a sign of a lack of planning. At the beginning of a project, there is usually a design kickoff meeting, and the client needs to play a role in coordination, thinking rationally, and managing well the relationships between the process package provider, the designer, the contractor, and the suppliers. Only by having an understanding of the entire process can effective coordination be achieved. The process package documents that generally constrain the design schedule, along with the feedback from suppliers, are needed so that the owner can assist the design team in reaching the design requirements as soon as possible. At the same time, it is necessary to understand the construction sequence and determine the order in which the design drawings will be prepared; some material lists can be prepared in advance so as not to disrupt the construction process. In short, it is necessary to ensure the construction progress; as the owner, one must first understand the situation, clarify the sequence of tasks, and actively coordinate all parties involved.

It is quite normal for conflicts to arise between the designer and the client regarding the design timeline, as they have different priorities: the client wants the drawings to be delivered as soon as possible, construction to begin promptly, and the project completed and put into operation early in order to generate economic benefits； The design institute aims to follow the regulatory requirements; it cannot reduce the number of steps just because the client is pressing for the drawings, as after all, the designer is responsible for the design throughout its lifetime. To resolve this issue, both parties need to work together; close cooperation is required from the start of the project. It is essential to reach a consensus on ideas and plans at an early stage. The design firm should submit the ordering requirements to the client as soon as possible, while the client must determine the overall plan early on ； The owner should place orders as soon as possible to restore the design conditions and create the necessary conditions for design work ； The design institute needs to seek the owner’s opinions; those drawings need to be submitted in advance, so that preparations can be made early and the drawings can be produced sooner – even rough drafts will do. The client should determine the sequence in which the drawings will be prepared in advance, based on the actual requirements of the project, and avoid making last-minute changes to the plan, so as not to catch the designers off guard and affect efficiency. To improve design efficiency and motivate designers, a rush bonus plan can be provided alongside the drawing delivery schedule, giving designers a reason to work overtime proactively!

The key is to communicate more and coordinate in a timely manner: when signing a formal contract, both parties should adopt a scientific, reasonable approach and show mutual understanding. They should not make unrealistic demands, avoid being overly ambitious or vague in their requests, and should not blame each other or shirk responsibilities. By discussing things thoroughly, problems can be resolved easily

The current situation is that the two parties argue a lot over progress and lack consensus, with tensions seeming quite pronounced.

This is a common issue in the project construction process; the root causes lie mainly in the communication between the owner and the designers, as well as the efficiency of project management within each party. Generally, the planned schedule does not match the actual progress, as the information available at the time of planning and the available resources are insufficient, which often results in the initial plan being rather unreasonable. At the same time, issues will continuously arise during the actual implementation process, requiring time to discuss and resolve them. It’s fine if there are no fundamental issues or no need for major changes; otherwise, it becomes even more difficult to keep track of the project schedule. That’s why it’s important for both parties to exchange conditions and opinions thoroughly from the outset of the design process. Furthermore, it is also very important for both the owners and designers to exercise control at various stages of the project’s progression; this is closely related to the efficiency of the project manager and the supervisors of various specialties. For example, if you ask someone to produce drawings by tomorrow without first explaining what goals you want to achieve, or without providing them with the necessary requirements – and even if those requirements are incorrect – then it’s unfair to expect that person to complete the task. It’s especially troublesome when some homeowners themselves don’t even know what they want.

I agree with you! Now, construction units vary in many ways; it’s not just a matter of different systems. There are significant differences in the quality of the staff, their technical skills, and their project management capabilities among these units. Indeed, some units don’t know what they actually need and simply keep pressing design firms to deliver drawings, regardless of when the design requirements must be met, when the plans will be finalized, or what the design process entails. This is probably one of the reasons why designers find clients to be very troublesome. I wonder if low design fees, low bonuses for designers, and insufficient design time might affect their morale and lead to delays in delivering the designs

These days, design work is carried out through bidding processes. In order to win projects, many design firms keep the design costs very low. As a result of these low costs, employees’ salaries and bonuses are affected, which in turn reduces their motivation to work. This has an impact on both the pace of design work and the speed at which designs are completed. If the client is smart, they can use the savings resulting from the bidding process as bonuses for the designers, which will **accelerate the design process, improve cooperation between the client’s representatives and the designers, and make coordination easier. This is indeed a good approach. Worth learning from by owner units!

Using the EPC turnkey contract model, the design schedule is linked to the on-site construction schedule, and the owner only needs to handle contract management.

How many projects truly \"value\" the importance of design? Everything is guided by the construction progress and the completion date of the project. The market system is virtually non-functional, with varying levels of management quality that are inconsistent. What homeowners say most often is, “It’s just about drawing diagrams; I can work some extra hours to do it – it’s very simple.” Even regarding design changes, there are too many instances of vague or thoughtless statements like “this makes construction easier.” Countless. It must be admitted that even among designs of the same quality, there are differences in level; indeed, unreasonable elements or certain mistakes do exist. However, the trend in the construction industry of showing no respect for design considerations is becoming increasingly apparent. In the end, the design becomes nothing more than a key to obtain **approval**. Is design truly the key to ensuring engineering quality, controlling economic efficiency, and guaranteeing project safety? There is still a long way to go.

In principle, when a client pays for design services, the designer is obligated to deliver high-quality design outputs. Regardless of who is right or wrong, it is hoped that the design firm will make improvements in the following areas to ensure client satisfaction and also to enable the design firm to turn a profit. 1. Respect for contracts and agreements. By the agreed-upon deadline, the corresponding amount of design work should be completed. If it is affected by changes or conditions proposed by the owner, a corresponding delay in the plan should be requested. 2. Designers need to learn more* and gain more experience. Working in isolation and following scripts mechanically won’t work. Design experience, technology, knowledge, and skills are the guarantees of high-quality design products. 3. Consider the interests of the owners; under the condition of meeting regulatory standards, strive to minimize investment and improve project quality. 4. Design firms should focus on long-term development by establishing and fostering an effective corporate culture, systems, and procedures, particularly a mentorship system between experienced senior designers and younger newcomers, in order to comprehensively enhance the strength of the firm.