Factors affecting building services’ coordination during the design development and review stages

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the factors affecting building services’ coordination during the design development and review stages of building projects. Design/methodology/approach: Literature review and interviews were conducted to identify the factors affecting building services’ coordination. In total, 36 factors were identified under six categories: planning phase of the project; design of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems; construction of MEP systems; operation and maintenance of MEP systems; owner; and design team and tools used. This formed the basis of a questionnaire survey designed utilizing a 5-point Likert scale of importance. The survey was assessed by practitioners in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Findings: The top five factors include the scale and complexity of the project, the level of experience of the design team, the quality of the preliminary/conceptual design of the building project, the clarity of the requirements and objectives provided by the owner, the allotted budget for the project and communication skills of the design team members. A high level of agreement between A/E professionals and contractors, and between contractors and facility managers was noted. The research provides the ranking of the identified factors for prioritization. Practical implications: The paper provides stakeholders in the building services industry with the ranks of the factors that affect building services’ coordination. Originality/value: The study provided a significant contribution to research and industry, especially in the regional context, where few studies have been conducted. The findings of the study will help in the reduction of construction wastes, delays and cost over-runs.