Essential for Party A: What is design management? What are the essential skills?

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Essential for Party A: What is design management? What are the essential skills? What is design management? In a broad sense, design management involves organizing and integrating elements such as corporate strategy and brand culture, which are part of the value framework, during the initial planning stage. For example, in a company where I used to work, the philosophy behind its products was: “To blend the best elements of Eastern and Western architectural cultures and pioneer modern home gardens.” “ The brand culture established by the boss represents a top-level design, falling within the broader scope of design management; he is the \"chief designer\". All products should revolve around this essence, while the \"form\" can certainly be diverse. In a narrow sense, design management refers to the specific implementation of design-related tasks such as company operations, department management, and project management. For example, the daily tasks of a design director or design manager – such as the various suppliers they need to work with, the meetings they have to attend, and the errands they need to run – all fall under this narrow definition. I. What does design management “manage”? The specific contents can be summarized as follows: 1. Clarify the status and role of design within the enterprise, and establish design strategies and goals. 2. Formulate design policies and strategies to establish a comprehensive corporate design management system. 3. Provide a favorable design environment and make effective use of the resources in the design department, while coordinating the relationships between the design department and other parallel departments as well as external parties to the company. Design management at the corporate tactical level can be divided into two categories: one focuses on \"doing things,\" while the other focuses on \"being a person.\" II. “Doing things” in design management A. Task management The design manager is the one who sets tasks, while the designers are those who carry them out. How to efficiently formulate reasonable tasks is the foundation of design management. Take the design requirements of preliminary planning as an example to illustrate ① Planning indicator requirements (derived from **the planning conditions specified for this plot**) ； ②Product formulation requirements (derived from market research and planning analysis, cost estimation, and preliminary planning studies) ； ③Planning principles (derived from market research and planning analysis, as well as preliminary planning studies) ； ④Requirements for planning outcomes (derived from the owner’s understanding of the design results at this stage, the continuity of design work in the next stage, and **approval requirements) ； ⑤Design schedule requirements (derived from the project’s overall design plan). When evaluating the design outcomes, the designer from Party A should do so from the perspective of the product’s positioning, or in other words, from the viewpoint of the end customers. Good design management is not solely focused on design; rather, it goes beyond design to address broader aspects related to it, involving more participation in planning and cost estimation processes, so that task allocation can be done in a targeted manner. B. Resource Management: Most of the design services provided by development companies are purchased. Finding the \"right\" design resources in such a vast market is not an easy task. Therefore, the management of design resources becomes particularly important. There are no fewer than twenty teams from different specialties working together on a project, and coordinating their efforts is a very challenging task. Depending on the specialty and stage, it generally consists of the following: ① Planning and design unit ； ②Architectural design firm ； ③Building construction drawing design firm ； ④Civil air defense design firm ； ⑤Landscape design firm ； ⑥Landscape construction drawing design firm ； ⑦Integrated design unit for community pipeline networks ； ⑧Units for further optimization (curtains walls, stone materials, doors and windows, low-voltage systems……) ⑨ Units for optimizing design costs ； ⑩Interior decoration design firm ； After the design (consulting) team is determined, how do the client’s designers manage so many entities? Aside from using contracts and task requirements, it relies more on coordination and communication. C. Progress management: Real estate companies usually finalize their operational plans before the new year. The timing of land acquisition, the start of construction, and the time of sales are all carried out according to the plan, with each step building on the previous one. Design is just one aspect of the development process; although it accounts for a small proportion, its responsibilities are significant. Whether it’s delays caused by approval and permitting processes or rework during construction, we hope that the design can help to make up for the lost time. Therefore, the prepared schedule should be detailed and actionable. Under no circumstances should one compromise under pressure or act impulsively and carelessly, as one will eventually pay the price for such recklessness. D. Quality control (technical) management: Real estate must stand the test of the market, so quality is an essential consideration. To ensure product quality, it is necessary to manage technology within design management. While standardizing processes, the actual work still relies on the application of specialized technical skills. Typical technical management tasks fall into the following categories: ① Technical research; ② Formulating task requirements; ③ Comparing technical solutions; ④ Reviewing design documents. Aspects related to personnel in design management: A. Inter-departmental collaboration. http://img.civilcn.com/d/file/zhishi/gcgl/2018-05-02/e7602a345f2e97b367f4ac49b7462db3.png The diagram above shows the process of inter-departmental collaboration within a design team. The horizontal axis represents departments, and the vertical axis represents the development process. It may seem that design plays an important role in the process and holds significant influence, but this is not the case. The design department has always struggled to survive in the cracks of the entire architecture. How do the engineers from Party A coordinate the relationships among all parties involved in project construction? Project construction involves the project owner, construction contractors, material suppliers, design firms, supervision companies, survey agencies, various government departments, monitoring units, various companies providing municipal services, as well as local residents and businesses. The scope of work involved in a project is wide, and coupled with conflicting interests, it becomes extremely complex. It often results in the project managers on the client’s side dying before they even have a chance to succeed. It is indeed difficult to coordinate the relationships among all parties involved in a construction project. In project construction, the most difficult aspect is managing relationships properly with the construction contractors, who include general contractors, sub-contractors, as well as secondary and primary sub-contractors. The construction employer may have disputes with the contractor over various aspects, such as progress, quality, payment for work, verification of the volume of work, design errors or omissions, and design changes; the timing of material delivery, inspection, and delivery location; as well as the handover of the construction work area, coordination during construction, inspection, and protection of finished products. I. How to manage relations with the contractor: The most effective way to handle relations with the contractor is to establish detailed, clear contract terms that are in line with construction industry practices. The contract is finalized, and it serves as the basis during the construction process. During the construction process, following the contract and specifications strictly makes it easier to gain acceptance from all parties involved in the construction. An important issue in managing the relationship with the contractor is to make as few changes as possible to the contract terms during its execution; a particularly prominent problem is design changes. Some clients have the habit of making constant changes during the construction process, which leads to ongoing disputes, prolongs the project timeline, and ultimately makes it impossible to finalize the settlement. To achieve this, the first step is to draw up a detailed contract. The contract terms should be detailed; some companies that are involved in development work even include the relevant standards as part of the contract provisions, which is a good practice as it facilitates reference during the construction process and helps to avoid disputes arising from the use of different standards. In fact, contracts should follow conventions and not be overly customized. In terms of construction segmentation and schedule progress, it is necessary to follow industry* practices. Adhering to industry* practices helps to leverage workers’ professional expertise and skills, while also reducing the occurrence of quality and safety incidents caused by violations of the natural technical constraints inherent in construction projects. Thirdly, there should be few changes during the construction process. Fewer changes help to maintain the client’s image as a party that respects contracts and keeps its promises, and they also reduce the need for rework during construction. To minimize the frequency of changes as much as possible, it is necessary to strengthen design organization and drawing reviews prior to commencement, so that any drawing-related issues can be resolved beforehand. Managing the relationship with the contractor properly means not only ensuring that the contractor carries out work in accordance with the contract, but also requiring the client to fulfill their own responsibilities as stipulated in the contract. This includes the arrival, inspection, and handover of materials supplied by the client; the organization and management of subcontractors appointed by the client; the selection of manufacturers from brands designated by the client. The client is required to provide services to the contractor as stipulated in the contract, such as ensuring access to temporary water, electricity, and roads. The client must also pay the project costs as specified in the contract, and furthermore, it is necessary for the client to handle the necessary approval procedures as outlined in the contract. II. Relationship with the supervisor: According to **regulations**, the supervisor has full authority to act on behalf of the client during the construction process. Therefore, supervising and restricting the powers of supervisors during the construction process is the key to managing supervisor-related relationships. If the behavior of the supervisor cannot be properly controlled, it will put the client in a very unfavorable position. It is the common wish of all clients to collaborate and work together with the supervisor to ensure proper oversight of the construction. How to achieve it? First, it is necessary to support the work of the supervisor; second, to oversee that work; and third, to control the supervisor’s actions. To handle the relationship with the supervisor well, it is first necessary to respect the supervisor’s work. Supervision is a profession with low pay and high work intensity. Plus, life is hard. If Party A also disrespects their work, their enthusiasm for the project will vanish. Secondly, it is to help address difficulties in work and life. Given its small size, the on-site supervision team is unable to handle living and working conditions on its own, so the client should provide support. Such as resolving food supply issues, providing standardized texts and various construction manuals and atlases for supervisors to refer to. Secondly, it is necessary to cooperate with the supervisor’s work. During the construction process, disputes between the supervisor and the contractor are inevitable; at such times, the support of the client is both necessary and crucial. Finally, there is the supervision and control of improper behaviors by supervisors. The current social reality is that such phenomena are widespread in all industries, and supervision is no exception. It is common for the contractor to collude with others in order to deceive the client; therefore, the client needs to supervise and control the actions of the supervisor, ensuring that the supervisor obtains the client’s approval before signing any documents. III. Relationship with design and surveying agencies: The client’s on-site staff should maintain regular and necessary contact with the design and surveying agencies. Any correspondence with the design unit must be relayed by the Party A’s on-site staff. Any design changes must be predicated on a written request submitted by the Party A’s on-site personnel. Otherwise, things will get chaotic. IV. Relationship with supervision departments such as quality inspection and safety supervision agencies: Party A shall comply with their requirements and hold the contractor accountable in order to avoid unnecessary troubles. At the same time, it is necessary to carefully study various regulations regarding quality supervision and safety supervision, and ensure that actions are in compliance with these requirements. Additionally, we must take the supervision plans formulated by quality supervision and work safety supervision seriously, and handle them as important matters. Managing the relationship between quality supervision and safety supervision properly can not only reduce unnecessary troubles, but also leverage their efforts to improve construction quality and progress. V. Maintaining good relations with various internal departments of the company
Some clients have their own design, contracting, and budgeting departments. Client-side engineers must also maintain good relationships with these departments. Frequent communication can help reduce disagreements and eliminate misunderstandings. Especially when it comes to paying for construction work, Party A must seek the opinion of the on-site engineer when making such payments, and should give the on-site engineer a certain degree of involvement and say in these decisions; otherwise, the engineers will not be able to manage the construction contractors on site. VI. Division of labor and cooperation among on-site managers Arguments occur frequently at construction sites, and they are something necessary. Arguing is also an important tool in project supervision; therefore, on-site personnel need to act as different roles during arguments, with some being assertive and others gentle. A carrot-and-stick approach should be used with the contractors. What is the bidding process? Whether you are in a construction company, a project owner, or a bidding agency, it is necessary to understand the entire bidding process. I. Preparatory work by the tenderer 1. Project initiation (1) The main contents of the project proposal include: the necessity of undertaking the investment project, preliminary ideas regarding the scale and location of construction, a preliminary analysis of available resources, construction conditions, and potential collaboration partners, estimates of investment costs and plans for funding, an overall schedule for the project, as well as a preliminary assessment of its economic and social benefits. (2) Prepare the project pre-feasibility study and feasibility study report; the main contents to be submitted include: **, relevant local policies, the unit’s existing construction conditions, and its construction needs ； Feasibility and necessity of project implementation ； Market development prospects ； Technical feasibility ； Feasibility of financial analysis ； Benefit analysis (economic, social, environmental), etc. 　 2. Submission of construction project applications: The tenderer shall submit the application for approval to the construction administration department at the engineering trade center, along with relevant approval documents such as those for project initiation. 3. Qualifications of the contracting entity for conducting tenders: (1) It must have a business premises for carrying out tendering agency activities as well as the necessary funds. (2) It must have the appropriate professional expertise to prepare tender documents and organize bid evaluations. (3) If it is not qualified to conduct tenders on its own, the tenderer has the right to choose a tendering agency of its own to handle the tendering procedures. No entity or individual shall, in any manner, designate a tendering agency for the tenderer. 4. Obtain a transaction certificate: The tenderer shall go to the project trading center to complete the transaction registration using the project application form. II. Preparation of prequalification and tender documents 1. Preparation of prequalification documents The contents of the prequalification documents include: a prequalification application form, proof of the legal representative’s identity, a power of attorney, a basic information sheet on the applicant, financial statements for recent years, a list of similar projects completed in recent years, a list of projects currently under construction or newly undertaken, information on any lawsuits and arbitrations that have occurred in recent years, and other relevant materials. Click ☞ Free download of project documents. 2. Preparation of tender documents: (1) Contents of the tender documents include the tender announcement, invitation to bid, instructions for bidders, evaluation methods, contract terms and formats, bill of quantities, drawings, technical standards and requirements, and format for tender submissions. (2) Precautions for preparing tender documents 1) Specify the document number, project name, and nature ； 2) Bidder qualification requirements ； 3) Document release time ； 4) Method, location, and deadline for submitting tender documents. The tender documents should specify the method for submitting bid documents, whether mailing is permitted or telex is acceptable. Where and when should the bid documents be submitted? 3. Requirements for preparing the bid documents: The contents include the bid letter and its appendices, proof of the legal representative’s identity or a power of attorney, bid security, a list of the quantities with prices already assigned, a construction organization plan, information on the project management team, other relevant documents, and materials related to qualification assessment. ①Language of bidding ； ②Composition of the bid document ； ③Binding of tender documents ； ④Format and signing of tender documents ； ⑤Bid price ； 4. Bid validity period: The tender documents should specify the bid validity period based on the specifics of the project; it should neither be too long nor too short. In case of special circumstances, that is, if it becomes impossible to determine a winner after the bid opening for various reasons, the executing agency and the purchaser must request the bidders to extend the bid validity period before its original expiration date. Such requests and responses must be submitted in writing. Bidders may refuse such requests from the executing agency, and their bonds will not be forfeited. 5. Sealed submission of tender documents ① The bidder shall seal and submit the documents in accordance with the requirements specified in the tender documents. For example, sometimes the contracting authority requires bidders to seal all documents together, including the \"price documents\", \"technical and service documents\", and \"commercial and qualification documents\"; other times, they may need to be sealed separately and submitted individually, depending on the circumstances. However, this must be specified clearly in the tender documents ； ②The bidder shall ensure that the documents are properly sealed and stamped with the bidder’s company seal as well as the seal of the legal representative, so that the sealing condition of the documents can be checked prior to the bid opening. 6. Disqualification of bids: Bids falling under any of the following circumstances will be disqualified: ① The submission time of the bid documents exceeds the specified deadline for bidding (fairness and impartiality) ； ②The bid documents are not bound or sealed as required ； ③The bid document lacks the official seal of the bidder as well as the seals of the legal representative and authorized representative; moreover, a power of attorney from the legal representative is not provided ； ④The bid security has not been submitted, or its amount is insufficient; the form of the bid security does not meet the requirements specified in the tender documents, and the bank issuing the security is different from the bank where the bidder has an account ； ⑤The bid validity period is insufficient ； ⑥Those with incomplete qualification documents ； ⑦Bidding beyond the scope of business ； ⑧The bid goods are not produced by the bidder themselves, and no authorization or certification documents from the manufacturer are provided ； ⑨In the case of joint bidding, those who fail to provide proof of the responsibilities and obligations of each party involved in the joint bid ； ⑩Issuing tender notices that do not meet the main parameters specified in the technical requirements or are outside the allowable deviation ranges, etc.