How Cross-Functional Teams Are Critical to Drive Innovation

By John Peavey, PE
Published Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Building Science is a complicated, interdisciplinary term, but it's essential to understand. For the design professional, it often means answering the question, “How do these building components work together as a system?” For the contractor or builder, it poses the question, “How do I actually build this and make sure it works, when the drawing is not clear to me?” For the product manufacturer, it means contemplating testing beyond the building code requirements to understand “What is the mode of failure of my product and how long will my product perform under these conditions?” A building owner may wonder, “What maintenance must I do to make sure my building product performs as expected?”

The burden to provide these answers falls primarily on building product manufacturers to ensure their end-users are comfortable with the product's installation and use and confident in its performance and longevity. In order to best answer these questions, collaboration with a cross-functional team will help improve decision-making and reduce errors. The best way to assemble such a team begins with clearly defining the project scope, objectives, and team member roles. Start by identifying key representatives from each discipline, then identify critical questions as they relate to design, specification, construction, and performance. Avoid groupthink or relying on one expert to make all the decisions. Foster an environment of mutual respect by encouraging open dialogue, recognizing each party’s expertise, and integrating feedback from all disciplines into design and construction phases. The benefit of assembling a cross-functional team lies in its ability to address complex trade-offs between design intent, building code, constructability, and operational (or preventative maintenance) goals.

If a product or building has a unique design feature, you may need to conduct special performance modeling and testing to ensure the approach is technically sound. If the building product is being used in a novel way, manufacturers need to provide clear instructions and policies to ensure the product can be used in that way such that the warranty is not voided. In some cases, a construction mock-up might be necessary to demonstrate to the owner and design team that the contractor understands the design intent before construction starts. A mock-up can also be used to clarify any construction details that are new or unique to the project, with a pre-construction demonstration by the design team with the contractor. This step requires some additional cost, but it may reduce the chance of contractor errors in the field due to incorrect interpretation or misunderstanding of the drawings. A mock-up may be used to evaluate conceptual design ideas before construction.

This integrated approach (with architects, engineers, contractors, product manufacturers, maintenance, and owners) helps prevent costly rework, accelerates construction timelines, enhances quality, and ensures a good outcome. Moreover, it reduces risk by catching conflicts early and identifying potential issues. In a world where buildings are increasingly complex and high-performing, cross-functional teams are no longer optional—they are essential to project success.

Home Innovation has assembled cross-functional teams for many purposes: to evaluate new products and building practices (like 3-D printed construction systems), to define best practices for broad construction challenges (like resilience), to develop detailed instructions for specific construction challenges (like constructing balconies and decks), and more. This approach guarantees a holistic understanding of the issue at hand and comprehensive tools for stakeholders at various levels of the supply chain.