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Imagine a healthcare construction project where silos crumble, innovation thrives, and budgets are not just met but undercut by millions. At HealthSpaces '24, Denton Wilson presented this vision as an achievable reality, leaving attendees both intrigued and challenged.
Wilson, a seasoned industry veteran with a career spanning both sides of the construction fence, isn't your typical consultant. With over 25 years in the owner's seat at health systems, including Atrium Health, Methodist Health System, and Texas Health Resources, he's witnessed the industry's challenges firsthand. Now, as the founder of IC3, he's on a mission to reshape the status quo.
His proposed solution? Engage all three pillars of great project delivery: collaboration, integration, and alignment. Often, the focus is only on one element: collaboration. Collaboration by itself is simply asking people to play well in the sandbox. Integration is the true re-alignment of knowledge it takes to deliver a project holistically (not just parts and pieces). Alignment is the clarity that all teams must have to understand what each other does for a living and how to help each other.
Bridging the Gap: Industry Desires vs. Current Practices
Throughout his presentation, Wilson engaged the audience with live polling, creating an interactive experience highlighting the gap between industry desires and current practices. When asked about their project expectations, attendees overwhelmingly prioritized clarity of expectations, integrated teams, and meeting project goals. However, a follow-up question revealed a stark reality: 50% of respondents said their typical RFPs don't ask for these expectations, while the other 50% only somewhat included them.
The Four "Rocks" of Successful Project Delivery
The heart of the IPL methodology lies in what Wilson calls the four "rocks" of successful project delivery:
- Team Environment: Creating the right atmosphere for success and clearly defining who owns this responsibility.
- Team Integration: Ensuring all key players are at the table from the beginning.
- Team Alignment: Formalizing the alignment process and onboarding to get everyone on the same page.
- Timely Decisions: Establishing clear expectations and processes for decision-making is particularly crucial for elements like prefabrication.
Wilson introduced several innovative tools and strategies, including:
- Dual Critical Paths: Implementing on-site and off-site critical paths to improve efficiency and leverage prefabrication opportunities. The off-site critical path is particularly crucial for ensuring holistic product delivery, allowing for better coordination of prefabricated elements, and significantly impacting procurement, labor efficiency, quality, and schedule.
- Comprehensive Alignment Sessions: Intensive team meetings that establish clear project goals and individual responsibilities, crucial for shifting from siloed to truly integrated teams.
The "Dot Test" is a color-coded feedback system that allows team members to anonymously assess various project aspects. It fosters a vulnerable and honest environment for identifying and addressing issues early. - Target Value Design with Cluster Groups: A formal, measured process bringing key stakeholders together early in the design process to ensure value-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Clinical Core Team: A dedicated group of medical professionals to stabilize decision-making, maintain living standards/guidelines, and prevent costly last-minute changes.
Real-World Impact: A Case Study
Wilson shared a compelling case study to demonstrate the real-world impact of his approach. A hospital project utilizing these methods finished $12 million under budget, 14 weeks ahead of schedule, with 53% off-site construction and 38% savings in mechanical work.
A Call for Industry-Wide Transformation
Wilson's message resonates beyond individual project success, calling for an industry-wide transformation. He challenged owners to reconsider their RFPs and project conception processes, emphasizing that the key to success lies not in the building itself but in the environment created for the project team.
"Our focus must shift from managing projects to leading integrated teams," Wilson asserted. "By creating an environment where all stakeholders can excel, we unlock unprecedented potential for innovation, efficiency, and value in healthcare construction."
Wilson didn’t stop there. After HealthSpaces, he shared the polling online through LinkedIn to collect more data. Post-event polling agreed that the integrated approach he described is achievable as an industry norm and defines project success. When asked about team expectations, respondents prioritized skilled facilitation, proactive approaches, and asking the right questions - all critical aspects of the IPL concept. This data underscores the industry's readiness to adopt more integrated, collaborative project delivery methods.
For the full report, click here.
As the healthcare industry evolves, Wilson's integrated leadership approach offers a compelling roadmap for navigating complex projects and delivering exceptional results. His vision of breaking down silos, fostering true collaboration, and aligning teams around shared goals promises to reshape the future of healthcare construction.
Watch Denton’s full talk here:
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