THE BOTTLE NECK OF DESIGN CLASHES- PART 1 THE ARCHITECT’S GUIDE

A GUIDE TO MINIMIZE PROJECT DELAYS

Architect’s Guide: Managing Procurement and Long Lead Items to Minimize Project Delays

Imagine your meticulously planned project coming to a halt because of a delayed chiller or custom facade. Understanding procurement and long lead items is crucial for architects to prevent disruptive project hang-ups.

Why Long Lead Items Matter to Design

Items like chillers, elevators, switchgear, or custom facade panels often require months to manufacture and deliver; especially when imported or customized. Design revisions that affect these items reset procurement and delivery schedules, causing disruptions to construction sequencing and project milestones.

Lessons for Architects: Coordination and Early Action

A) Early Identification and Specification

• Flag all custom, imported or complex fabrication items early.

• Collaborate with suppliers and procurement consultants to validate availability and lead times before finalizing drawings.

B) Proactive Risk Assessment

• Discuss with clients and the broader team which items carry the highest delay risk, incorporating supplier feedback, testing/certification requirements, and production schedules into design and specification choices.

• Formalize risk assessments and contingency scenarios as part of the design deliverables to justify specification decisions and manage expectations.

C) Early Design/Procurement Integration

• Integrate design and procurement process early. Sync design milestones with procurement “gates”, focusing on the points where long-lead items must be reviewed and confirmed before moving forward.

• Break up the approval cycle: Schematic, detailed, and construction milestone reviews should include supplier status and lead time confirmation for critical components.

D) Collaborative Coordination and Communication

• Involve manufacturers and core suppliers in key schematic and design development meetings.

• Foster open, cross-discipline dialogue to avoid design silos and ensure procurement realities are reflected in the project design freeze.

• Keep procurement logs accessible and updated for the entire team.

E) Best Practices to Reduce Delays

• Whenever possible, specify standard or “off-the-shelf” components instead of custom, singular-supplier solutions. Standardization shortens lead times and gives more options if something goes wrong.

• If delays occur, explore alternative suppliers and materials early to maintain momentum.

• Plan for buffer time on critical-path components and sequence work to minimize stop-work scenarios if deliveries slip.

Key Architect’s Point to Remember

1. Think lead time risk just a construction issue? Think again. It's a design challenge too.

2. Early procurement planning should be integral to the design process from day one.

3. Transparent communication, active risk management, and collaborative scheduling are the architect’s tools to keep projects moving.

By integrating supply chain insight into the design workflow, architects can help prevent avoidable delays, support more predictable project delivery, and add direct value to both clients and contractor teams.

Here are several real-world case studies illustrating how architects have handled procurement delays and supply chain challenges through various strategies and project responses.

Case Studies:

A) The Holyrood Parliament, Edinburgh: The project faced major delays to a challenging program and tight timetables. Lengthy design revisions, late change requests and slow approvals extended lead times for the custom design facade materials and some of the specialized structures. Lesson Learned: Early risk identification, allowance for design freeze milestones, and proactive supplier engagement are essential to mitigate creeping delays for bespoke projects.

B) Case Study: Long Lead Equipment on Utility Projects: A leading utility company faced supply chain constraints for transformers and electrical equipment, with lead times of over two years. Lesson Learned: The team secured future production slots with suppliers, negotiated contract flexibility, and streamlined approval and internal forecasting processes. The outcome on future projects: A 5% cost reduction and improved project budgeting by recognizing and actively managing procurement risks from the start.

C) Case Study: Custom Switchgear Delays and Sequencing: Technical drawings for custom electrical switchgear were delayed in approval, causing critical path disruptions and expensive labor standstills on-site. The Contractors encountered additional costs via change orders and liquidated damages due to postponed installation milestones. Lesson Learned: Early coordination between architects, engineers, and suppliers with real-time tracking of approval and submittal cycles can minimize exposures to long-lead procurement risks.

D) Case Study: Supply Chain Breakdown Impacting Construction Timelines: Projects with fragmented sourcing and weak logistics oversight saw delays emerge long before construction started, often in the design and procurement phases. Without centralized material tracking and integration between design/scheduling, blind spots grew, site work resequenced, and several trades stacked, reducing productivity. Lesson Learned: Design teams need to structure procurement oversight as part of the build process, establish clear accountability, and integrate tracking tools to reduce hidden risks.

In summary, architects can learn from these examples by engaging suppliers early, assessing procurement risks systematically and collaborating closely with contractors. Integrating supply chain planning into the design workflow ensures more predictable project delivery and adds value to both clients and contractors teams. These few case studies repeatedly show that delays often begin in fragmented or poorly coordinated technical drawing phases, and recovery requires structure, visibility, and strategic material management.

Is this more work for the architect? OF COURSE! But the delays can be far more costly than the up-front work.