b'Construction briefingStandardize and reuse requirementsEvery client is differentwith different decision makers, different business processes, different priorities, and different budgets. Creating an understanding of these differences is one of the most crucial tasks of a briefing process. It is equally important, however, to understand the many commonalities between clients.Indoor climate requirements for classrooms, for example, will not differ much from one school to another. The same goes for hygiene requirements for hospitals or the ergonomic requirements for offices. Even in one-off projects, such as museum buildings or concerts halls, you will see a lot of similar requirements regarding matters like accessibility, safety and maintenance. This means that there is a lot of potential for the standardization and reuse of requirements, both within and across client organizations.Yet project teams tend to create their briefs from scratch and to reinvent the wheel with every new project. Such an approach is valid if working on a truly unique project, but it is more often a reflection of what the Danish scholar Bent Flyvbjerg calls a uniqueness bias: the tendency of project teams to see their projects as singular. In relation to briefing, such a bias can result in an emphasis on special wishes and atypical demands, which can make projects riskier and costlier than they need to be.Especially for professional clients, there is a lot to be gained from the standardization and reuse of requirements. Having a template brief or a requirements library (see page 175) makes it easier to develop project briefs. Another benefit is that it can help to create consistency across projects, which is relevant for repeat clients who build lots of the same kind of facilities (e.g. data centres or hotels). Perhaps the biggest benefit of standardization is that delivery processes become more efficient and less risky. When client demands become more predictable, architects, contractors and suppliers can work more efficiently and develop standardized solutions, which is likely to save time and money.Standardization is not free of risks, however. There is a risk of ossification, with standards becoming institutionalized and acting as a straitjacket that stifles innovation. So there should always be room for adjustments, in particular in relation to the specifics of the site and the identity of the client. Moreover, standardized requirements should be subject to continuous scrutiny. Systematic evaluation allows clients to iterate and improve their standards over time.Recommendations- Make sure that there is a requirements owner who is responsible for the standards.-Do not overstandardize: it is mostly technical requirements that lend themselves to standardization. -Evaluate how standards are being used in projects: are they understood and perceived as relevant? -Develop a procedure for dealing with change requests.-Make sure that requirements are continuously improved on the basis of user feedback and project evaluations.-Be clear about the standards applicability: do they e.g. apply to both new buildings and renovation projects?-Be clear about the standards status: can they be adjusted in projects or are they fixed? 105'