DPM and DFID: Interactive tools for evidence-based decision making

As engineering managers, we can learn lessons from the healthcare sector concerning evidence-based tools. When new healthcare facilities are built, providers seek design evidence from their peers to make design decisions that have positive impacts on the patient and on their employees. Two tools are profiled: the design performance matrix (DPM) and the design feature implementation dashboard (DFID). The DPM uses the house of quality from quality function deployment (QFD) to map demanded qualities to specific design features. The DFID uses the resulting design features in an interactive Web-based (or intranet-based) tool. These tools use the existing evidence base for design decisions and, in the process, continue the cycle of producing evidence for other providers. Managers can set up several scenarios to find the right mix of decisions to suit customer needs and organizational budgets. Case data from a healthcare example are used to demonstrate the DPM and DFID tools. Implications for using these tools in typical engineering management settings are identified.