Defending Your Product During Value Engineering (VE)

Proving your product is the best fit for a design team’s project can be challenging and made even more difficult during Value Engineering. With the push from clients for architects to lower project costs, how can you defend your product’s cost and performance during this phase of the project?  

In this blog we explore valuable strategies and tools manufacturers can use to defend their products during the Value Engineering (VE) stage in architectural and design projects.  

Before we explore, let us unpack ‘What is Value Engineering (VE)?’ 

What is Value Engineering (VE)?

Value engineering in architecture and design is an imaginative and strategic process that harmoniously integrates functionality and aesthetics with the primary objective of optimizing the overall value of a building or design project. It involves a collaborative effort among architects, designers, engineers, and stakeholders to critically assess and explore innovative alternatives that enhance the project's performance, user experience, and cultural significance while being mindful of the budget and resources. 

Product Selection, Sustainability, and Code Compliance  

During product selection, architects and designers compare multiple alternatives to make informed decisions about materials, systems, and methods that will be used in construction. Design teams evaluate and compare products by assessing their performance regarding cost, environmental impact, functionality, code compliance, and the manufacturer's reputation.  

Many design teams may use reviews, testimonials, and case studies, as they can provide valuable real-world performance and reliability insights. While this is a valued marketing strategy, what happens when a product is innovative or new to the market? What are some of the things that manufacturers can do to ensure their product is selected? 

Questions to Ask in Value Engineering (VE)  

How can architects see what a product can do for their project?

The easiest way for architects and engineers to understand how products perform in the context of their project is by using an advanced performance simulation engine like revgen.tool.  

revgen.tool provides access to data that allows design assists teams to make unbiased decisions based on the performance of a product, rather than the relationships they have with an organization. While it may sound complicated to run these simulations, it is quite simple and can be performed by using only a few basic, customized inputs.  

Knowing where a product fits in can be incredibly advantageous, as it allows manufacturers to identify partners that are most likely to use their product and continue to consider it after comparing alternatives. Additionally, ensuring a product is selected early can provide design teams with enough time to solidify their decision before many of the alternatives are compared.  

How can manufacturers defend their product during this stage, especially when presented with several alternatives?

During VE, design teams are encouraged to compare several alternatives, threatening a product’s chances of being selected for construction. Building product manufacturers can defend their product by highlighting how it performs compared to competing products concerning quality, cost, carbon, and efficiency. Providing data and test results can help illustrate the product's reliability and long-term cost-effectiveness. 

Using revgen.tool, manufacturers can provide this data and ensure that their products perform optimally in the context of their project. Many architects will run building performance analyses, comparing multiple alternatives, and ensuring they meet project goals in the early design phase.  

If a product does not exist within the building performance analysis software used by the design team, there is little to no chance that the product will be selected. Having a product listed in cove.tool ensures that the architect or designer saves time and can easily make a comparison without needing the help of design consultants.  

Additionally, by using the revgen.tool Sales App, manufacturers can keep an open line of communication between their sales reps and the project design teams where architects and engineers can ask questions about products, negotiate discounts, and provide valuable feedback that can help generate more business. 

What are the methodologies that can be used to evaluate building performance with a product?

The Baseline Model is a simplified energy simulation also known as a Reduced Order or Grey Box model. Despite its simplicity, the model delivers highly accurate results when determining a project's Energy Use Intensity. The simulation employs the same fundamental Heat Balance equations found in the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers) Fundamentals Handbook, used by other major energy simulation engines.  

The baseline model is also built on the ISO (International Standards Organization) 13790 Standard, a set of guidelines established by the International Standards Organization (ISO). This is a globally accepted standard that provides a structured approach for calculating a building’s heat gain, losses, energy consumption, and other related factors.  

Summary

As design teams assess multiple alternatives for materials and products, manufacturers need to ensure their high-performance products stand out from the competition.

By providing data and test results, manufacturers can highlight their product's performance in terms of quality, cost, carbon footprint, and efficiency, ensuring it meets sustainability and code-compliance requirements.

Leveraging advanced performance simulation engines like revgen.tool allows architects and engineers to evaluate products objectively and make unbiased decisions.