DPR Identifies Three Key Benefits of Integrated Contract Strategies for Faster GMP Facility Deployment

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6 days ago

Experts discuss how early collaboration and innovative contracting methods are accelerating timelines, controlling costs, and improving project outcomes.
BOSTON, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "When you're in the business of life-saving scientific research, every day counts," shared Mike Forth, DPR Construction's Northeast Life Sciences Core Market Leader during ISPE Boston's discussion Accelerating Speed-to-Market for GMP Facilities. "The earlier Owners, designers, contractors and trade partners start collaborating on building a facility, the faster scientists can complete their research."
Adopting innovative contract strategies like design-assist and integrated project delivery (IPD) provides significant benefits for owners. "Any contract that prioritizes early collaboration will lead to a more efficient delivery. Right now, locally, we're seeing clients adopt design-assist contracts most frequently," Forth says. "This approach has gained traction nationally, but the adoption has been particularly impactful in the Northeast due to a growing need to balance complex contract terms with the urgency of life sciences projects."
The success of design-assist contracts stems from their unique ability to align stakeholders earlier in the process, fostering collaboration that addresses challenges proactively. Owners are finding greater confidence in navigating the nuanced demands of GMP facilities, ensuring streamlined delivery of critical spaces without compromising on quality or timelines.
For owners, there are three key benefits of integrated contract strategies:
1. Early Integration Drives Long-Term Success.
Early integration allows contractors and trade partners to support design decisions, evaluate material and layout options, and align procurement strategies with schedule demands. Contractors can conduct constructability reviews and develop logistics plans while design is still evolving. This proactive involvement uncovers challenges sooner and opens the door to solutions that accelerate delivery—such as prefabrication, modular systems, or phased construction—while improving safety and quality.
2. Collaboration Enables More Accurate, Predictable Costs.
Early collaboration also results in more accurate budgeting. When contractors are brought in during design, they can support real-time pricing, provide feedback on scope decisions, and help the team understand the cost implications of various design options.
This is especially important for GMP facilities, where critical equipment may have long lead times or limited manufacturers. "We don't want to receive drawings for an eight-month project and then realize a key component will take two years to deliver," Forth said. "Early involvement lets us consider current and future supply chain and labor conditions to avoid those costly delays." Overlapping design and procurement also opens the door to more competitive bids and cost certainty.
3. Team-Based Models Improve Quality and Reduce Risk.
Working together and holding each other accountable as a team is how you build a successful project. When all project partners collaborate in real time, decisions are made faster and with greater confidence. This reduces rework, limits change orders, and improves quality before construction even begins.
"Our goal is to eliminate the roadblocks before they arise," Forth says. "We want to have solutions before there's a crisis that prevents construction from moving forward, and we can't do that in a silo."
In today's fast-moving life sciences environment, projects that start with alignment finish with confidence.
About DPR ConstructionDPR Construction is a forward-thinking, self-performing general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and commercial markets. DPR's portfolio of work ranges from large-scale new construction to small tenant improvements and special projects. Founded in 1990, DPR is a great story of entrepreneurial success as a private, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with offices around the world. Strategically focused on delivering more predictable outcomes through applications of virtual design & construction, prefabrication, its team of self-perform craft, and leveraging data to learn and improve from DPR consistently ranks among the top building contractors and employs approximately 11,000 professionals across its family of companies. For more information, visit http://www.dpr.com.
For more information, please contact: Lisa RuanoDPR ConstructionTel: 908-451-9622Email: [e-mail]
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