Levels of Design / Development / Detail - Beyond just Design

Contractors can improve business results by applying many of the same processes and vocabulary to their business that the industry is applying to projects.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Leadership Tools: Levels of Development Design, and Detail (LOD).

Consider how the different Levels of Design / Development / Detail (LOD) could be applied to your planning processes.  Starting with a basic high-level value-stream map of how your company acquires and delivers projects to your customers.  Think about a simple diagram with 10-20 components; level 100.  

Now consider the series of meetings and teams you would setup on a project that will take that high-level diagram through increasingly granular design details.  Consider all the frustrations of working through that design-development process going from concept to details and specifications that are fabrication / construction ready.  Consider the process rigor including RFIs and change management including value-engineering.  

Imagine your business with a complete set of plans, specs, as-builts, inspections and O&M manuals with training upon turnover similar to what we have on every project.  That is Level 500 of the BIM standards.   


What if you applied that much rigor to your business management processes?   

Schedule a call to learn how




Management Team Development Phases Within Each Stage of Growth
The management team leading a contractor through the different stages of growth will typically navigate three phases at each stage - Emerging, Hollow, and Ready. Understanding these phases guides growth planning, recruitment, development, and succession.
Changes - Early Identification is Always Better
Early identification of changes and conflicts is the first key to success. The capability to identify changes and conflicts early in the process is a combination of organizational structure, systems, management, training, and coaching.
6 Progressive Levels of Standards Development
Standards progress through six basic levels as a contractor grows based on impact, frequency, and quantity of different people doing them. Optimum outcomes including scalability are based on choosing the right level - higher is not always better.