The construction industry has long recognized the importance of rigorous project management for field operations, but design-phase project controls have historically lagged behind. Construction Feasibility and Project Delivery Feasibility Studies Design remain essential for project success, yet managing the design process itself requires specialized tools that many architecture and engineering firms still lack. InEight, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based provider of project and program management software, has addressed this gap with the launch of InEight Design, a module that delivers integrated project controls for professional services engineering and architecture scopes. This article examines the capabilities, market positioning, and practical implications of this new offering for construction professionals involved in design-build, engineer-procure-construct (EPC), and integrated project delivery environments.
The Evolution of Construction Software into Design Project Management
InEight began its journey nearly three decades ago with a focused mission: delivering project cost management tools specifically for construction. The original platform provided estimating, budgeting, and forecasting capabilities. Over time, the company recognized that the same data feeding cost estimates also connected to work plans, procurement plans, and overall project planning. This realization drove a steady expansion from cost management into a broader suite of construction project management capabilities.
From Cost Management to Full Project Controls
As InEight Chief Product Officer Brad Barth explained in a briefing ahead of the announcement, the software grew organically from project cost management to bridge the gap between expectations and realities on the job site. Today, InEight customers, whether owners or contractors, use the software to plan projects and control outcomes across three dimensions: progress against budget, delivery of scope, and quality with commissioning. The platform also supports post-project analysis to capture lessons learned and identify risks that were missed.
This trajectory reflects a broader trend in the construction technology sector. Key Facts About Construction Project Life Cycle Phases show that the design phase is increasingly recognized as a critical control point where early decisions have outsized impact on overall project outcomes. By extending project management rigor into the design phase, InEight addresses a significant blind spot in traditional construction software.
The Growing Demand for Design-Phase Controls
The introduction of InEight Design was driven largely by demand from the existing customer base. Many of InEight’s clients are large general contractors, project owners, or EPC contractors that maintain internal design teams. These engineers and designers frequently operate under shared risk models in design-build and integrated project delivery frameworks, where design and construction processes overlap significantly.
According to Barth, the pull toward design functionality came from customers who needed to manage design scope, track resources, assign the right personnel, and monitor progress through milestone intervals. Whether participating in a design-build project or operating as a stand-alone design entity within an EPC organization, these teams required project controls tailored to the unique workflows of professional services delivery rather than construction execution alone.
Core Capabilities of InEight Design for Engineering Teams
InEight Design brings structured project controls to the design process, enabling engineering and architecture teams to manage their work with the same rigor that construction teams apply to field operations. The module was piloted on more than $14 billion worth of design-build and alternative delivery projects, producing measurable results that include up to 20 percent reduction in design quantity growth risk and 10 percent reduction in engineering costs.
Key Functional Areas
- Design scope management – Define and control the boundaries of engineering and architectural work packages with clear traceability back to project requirements.
- Resource management – Assign personnel to design tasks based on availability, skill sets, and workload, ensuring the right people are working on the right deliverables at the right time.
- Completion date prediction – Forecast design deliverable dates using progress data and historical performance, enabling proactive schedule management.
- Progress tracking through milestones – Monitor design completion at 30 percent, 60 percent, 90 percent, and issued-for-construction (IFC) stages with objective measurement criteria.
- Earned value management (EVM) – Apply EVM principles to design work, quantifying both schedule and budget performance in terms that align with overall project controls.
- Design quantity traceability – Track quantities through the design evolution, providing audit trails required under alternative delivery contracts.
Measured Performance Improvements
The pilot program produced concrete evidence of the module’s value. The following table summarizes the key performance metrics reported from the pilot phase.
| Metric | Improvement | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Design quantity growth risk | Up to 20% reduction | Minimized scope creep during design evolution |
| Engineering costs | Up to 10% reduction | Improved resource allocation and efficiency |
| Pilot project volume | $14 billion+ | Design-build and alternative delivery projects |
| Design status visibility | Real-time | 30-60-90-IFC milestone tracking |
These results demonstrate that applying structured project management methodologies to the design phase yields tangible benefits. For firms accustomed to managing design work through spreadsheets and manual tracking, InEight Design offers a systematic alternative that integrates with the broader construction project management ecosystem.
Integration with the Broader InEight Construction Software Suite
InEight Design does not operate in isolation. It joins a comprehensive suite of construction project management modules that together cover the full project lifecycle. Construction Software Solutions a Comprehensive Guide to Project management ecosystems like this one demonstrate how integrated platforms reduce data silos and improve decision-making across project phases.
Modules in the InEight Platform
- Estimating and project cost management
- Document management
- Connected analytics
- Capital and contract management
- Field execution management
- Safety, quality, and commissioning
- Virtual design and construction
- InEight Design (new)
How Design Data Flows Through the System
While InEight Design can deliver value as a stand-alone solution, the real benefit emerges from its interplay with other InEight modules. Design documentation created within the module routes through high-level or detailed design review processes managed by the document management solution. Design quantities and percent-complete data connect back to budget management and construction work planning systems, enabling work plans to be updated dynamically as design evolves.
This internal integration is a key differentiator. Barth noted that design work does not require extensive external integration with enterprise systems. Instead, the value comes from the internal connections within the InEight suite that tie design progress back to budget management and construction planning. For firms already using InEight for field operations, adding the design module creates a unified data environment from early design through project closeout.
Practical Considerations for Implementation and Adoption
Construction and engineering firms evaluating InEight Design should consider several factors related to deployment, pricing, and organizational fit. Understanding these parameters helps firms determine whether the module aligns with their project portfolio and operational needs. Masonry Design and Formwork Engineering Reinforced Masonry Walls and other specialty design disciplines each have unique project control requirements that a platform like InEight Design must accommodate.
Deployment and Infrastructure
InEight runs on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform and is available through two deployment models:
- Multi-tenant SaaS subscription – All customers run the same software instance. Updates are applied uniformly, and software conflicts are rare. Customers can preview each update in a test environment before production deployment.
- Single-tenant enterprise agreement – Dedicated instance for organizations with special requirements. Customers have more flexibility in choosing which updates and versions to adopt, though most stay within one or two releases of the current version.
The product team ships updates every nine weeks, a cadence that balances continuous improvement with stability. The test environment preview feature allows customers with custom integrations to verify compatibility before committing to an update.
Pricing Structure
InEight uses a per-module, per-user pricing model. This structure means organizations pay only for the modules and user seats they need. For situations involving multiple user types, varying usage levels, or fluctuating team sizes, InEight offers enterprise-level all-you-can-eat pricing arrangements.
A notable aspect of the pricing philosophy is predictability. Unlike some competitors that base pricing on annual construction volume, InEight does not increase costs as customers win more work. As Barth stated, the goal is to provide predictable costs that do not penalize growth.
Target Market and Organizational Fit
InEight Design is positioned for engineering and design firms with approximately $25 million or more in annual revenue. For construction contractors, the broader InEight platform typically fits organizations with more than $50 million in annual construction volume. However, company revenue is less important than project size and complexity.
Barth noted that smaller projects can be adequately controlled using sophisticated spreadsheets. The value of a platform like InEight Design becomes apparent on large, multi-year projects with multiple collaborators and stakeholders, where manual tracking methods break down and the cost of errors is high. Projects involving design-build delivery, EPC contracting, or integrated project delivery benefit most from the design project management capabilities, given the overlapping responsibilities between design and construction teams.
Key Considerations for Adoption
- Evaluate whether your current design workflow relies on manual tracking methods that could benefit from automation and structured project controls.
- Assess the size and complexity of your design projects. Multi-year programs with multiple stakeholders typically yield the highest return on investment.
- Consider your existing technology stack. Firms already using InEight for construction operations will realize the greatest integration benefits from adding the design module.
- Review your delivery methods. Organizations engaged in design-build, EPC, or integrated project delivery will find the traceability and cross-phase visibility particularly valuable.
- Plan for the organizational change required to adopt structured design project management. Moving from spreadsheet-based tracking to a formal system requires training and process adjustments.
Conclusion
InEight Design represents a significant step forward in bringing construction-grade project controls to the architecture and engineering phases of building projects. By extending proven project management methodologies into design workflows, the module addresses a longstanding gap in construction technology. The pilot results, drawn from over $14 billion in project volume, demonstrate that structured design project management can reduce cost growth and improve engineering efficiency.
For construction firms, owners, and design practices operating in design-build and alternative delivery environments, InEight Design offers a path to tighter integration between design and construction operations. The module’s position within the broader InEight suite means that design data flows naturally into budget management, work planning, and field execution systems, creating a unified project control environment from concept through completion. As the construction industry continues to demand greater efficiency and accountability across all project phases, tools that address the design management gap will become increasingly essential for competitive operations.