Integrated Concurrent Engineering

Abstract

Construction business have by the last decades been facing a negative trend when it comes to efficiency. While other industries increase efficiency by time schedules and economically, the construction industry seems to be heading the other direction.

Integrated Concurrent Engineering, ICE, are a method used in other industries and now implemented in construction projects to make the projects more efficient. The method grabs old challenges like easy misunderstandings, formulations and other challenges which was common earlier when the communication and workflow was, and still are in most cases, by email, telephone and file sharing. By facing and solving challenges in an early design phase face to face with the different disciplines in work sessions, is the idea that the project will run smoother with less complications and collisions in the project phase. The method is not new and are used in industries, and large engineering companies have made their own guides which employees can use. Projects in Norway and Denmark are successfully using the method.

The article will look further into ICE as a working method. The method will be explained step by step, and with examples from the industry. The article will show how the method can be implemented into a new project, and how a management team will benefit from the method. Numbers and examples will also show how efficiency could increase.