Design Review Management

Design Review Types

Design reviews are structured checkpoints where the design is formally evaluated against requirements. The cadence and depth increase as the project advances.

Review Type	When	Purpose	Participants
Concept Review	End of conceptual design	Validate approach, layout options, technology choices before deep investment	Client leadership, project team
Preliminary Design Review (PDR)	30-60% design complete	Check design against requirements; identify open issues; approve baseline for detailed design	Technical leads, client ops, AHJ if applicable
Critical Design Review (CDR)	90%+ design complete	Final gate before procurement and construction; no significant open items	Full project team, client, contractors
Punch List Review	End of installation/construction	Walk completed work against design specs; document deficiencies	Commissioning team, client

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Structuring a Design Review

Preparation (1-2 weeks before):

• Distribute design package (drawings, specifications, model) with sufficient lead time for reviewers to read it
• Prepare open issues list with current status
• Define what decisions must come out of this review

Agenda structure:

1. Design intent overview (15 min) — what are we trying to achieve?
2. Design vs requirements walk-through — does the design satisfy each requirement?
3. Open issues and unresolved items (30 min) — owner, status, decision needed?
4. Decision items (30 min) — explicit decisions that must be made today
5. Action items assignment and close (15 min)

Post-review:

• Distribute meeting minutes with decision and action item log within 48 hours
• Owner closes each action by the agreed date
• Formally document that the review was completed and design was approved or conditionally approved

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Managing Scope Expectations During Design

Design reviews surface client requests to expand scope — “while you’re at it” additions that seem minor but are significant.

Value engineering: The process of finding lower-cost design alternatives that meet functional requirements. Distinct from scope reduction — value engineering delivers the same outcome at lower cost, not less outcome.

Common value engineering opportunities in warehouse design:

• Clear height optimization (build to the height the MHE requires, not default spec)
• Dock configuration (less doors at higher throughput per door vs more doors with lower utilization)
• Sprinkler system type (ESFR vs CMSA + in-rack when commodity class allows it)
• Automation scope (manual or semi-manual alternatives to full automation that hit the same throughput at lower CapEx)

Rule when client requests design additions: Scope additions go through the change order process. “We’ll just add that to the drawings” is how budgets overrun.

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Mock-up and Simulation as Review Tools

Physical mock-up: A full-scale or partial-scale physical model of a workstation, pick module, or aisle configuration. Used to:

• Validate ergonomics before fabrication
• Train workers on the intended workflow
• Surface problems that don’t appear in 2D drawings (reach distances, sight lines, interference)

Cost: relatively low (plywood, tape, mockup materials). Value: prevents expensive rework after installation.

Discrete Event Simulation (DES): Digital model of process flow used to validate throughput, identify bottlenecks, and test operating scenarios before go-live. See Discrete Event Simulation for Warehouse Design.

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Documentation: RFI, Submittal, Punch List

RFI (Request for Information): Formal question from contractor to designer seeking clarification on drawings or specifications. Each RFI must be answered in writing and logged. Unresolved RFIs at CDR are red flags.

Submittal: Contractor submits shop drawings, product data, or samples for design team review and approval before procurement or fabrication. Submittal review must happen before the item is ordered — not after.

Punch list: Deficiencies found during final walkthrough of completed work. Each item is assigned an owner, a completion criteria, and a target date. Final payment typically held until substantial punch list completion.

Why these matter: RFI, submittal, and punch list logs are legal documents. They establish what was communicated, when, and who approved it. In contract disputes, these logs determine liability for delays and rework costs.