Determinants of successful design-build projects

A construction project is mostly initiated by the needs of the client. In order to satisfy the client's requirements in terms of time, cost, and quality, various procurement methods are recommended for selection to increase the chance of success for the complex sequence of activities. Design-build (D&B) integrates design and construction to overcome some of the hurdles inherent in the traditional design-bid-build method. It has been extensively used worldwide and its distinctive features are claimed to deal with the problems of the traditional design-bid-build method. An investigation into the determinants of successful D&B projects can therefore help set a benchmark study for industry practitioners to compare their project performance. To better indicate the success level of D&B projects, the writers developed a project success index for D&B projects in the Hong Kong context, which is assessed by the key project performance indicators of time, cost, quality, and functionality. Multiple regression analysis is then applied to show that the project nature, the effective project management action, and the adoption of innovative management approaches are the critical success factors for D&B projects. The identification of success criteria can furnish project participants with indicators to attain success for their D&B projects for benchmarking and control purposes. The predictors for D&B project success were also determined to enrich the knowledge base for the D&B procurement system.