Innovations within DBFMO projects from a maintenance and energy-use point of view

Abstract

In most literature integrated contracting and procurement is assumed to result in more innovative solutions as a result of the intended process integration. This paper explores Design Build Finance Maintain Operate (DBFMO) cases in the Netherlands on resulting innovations focusing on maintenance and energy-use. It is assumed that in DBFMO contracts innovations on these aspects are of direct benefit for the contractor and thus the most easy to detect. Two DBFMO office projects were compared with five traditionally build office projects. Applied research methods are explorative interviews with clients and contractors about DBFMO-contracting, case-studies focusing on maintenance costs and energy-use calculations and expert interviews with contracting parties. Within the DBFMO cases four design choices can be considered to be innovations on maintenance and energy use. Out of the expert interviews it has been identified that four design choices of the two DBFMO cases are new solutions directly related to the way the projects were procured. The innovations detected in the case studies can be considered as the successful transfer of knowledge between departments of one contractor that would have worked independently in case of a traditional procured project.