Start with the function, not the solution
Why describing what something must do, before deciding what it should be, leads to better alternatives and better value.
Most projects begin with a solution already in mind: a new system, a new building, a new process. The solution is described in detail long before anyone has written down, plainly, what it must actually do.
Value Engineering takes the opposite route. It starts by describing the required function in two words where possible: a verb and a noun. "Store records." "Approve payments." "Move people." This simple discipline changes the conversation.
Why function-first thinking works
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Editorial insight from PVology. This article is general information, not professional advice for a specific situation.