Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2019
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of digital technologies adoption on ... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of digital technologies adoption on the forms of organization of large architecture and engineering (A/E) firms. Network theory has attracted scholarly and managerial attention, particularly from the perspective of the changes of project organization. However, little research focuses on network theory as a lens for understanding and managing the new forms of firms’ organization. Additionally, conventional organizational analyses are hampered by the lack of methods for understanding the changes in roles and relationships due to the adoption of digital technologies and examining their impact on organizational structures.Design/methodology/approachTo address this gap, this research adopted a mixed-method case-study approach. This approach combined interviews, regular check-ins, and document analysis with data mining and social network analysis (SNA) to capture the changes of intra-organizational roles and relationships and fo...
Examined is how contractor or construction manager decision making and judgment in response to cl... more Examined is how contractor or construction manager decision making and judgment in response to client objectives and project constraints can be aided by a structured approach to construction strategy selection and assessment using time-space project process and product modelling. The context studied is one of high-rise construction. Construction strategy is expressed in terms of strategy modes and tactical variables and accompanying values, which in turn are expressed in terms of a formal plan using a linear planning modelling paradigm. Highlighted is the important role that data visualization can play in both formulating strategy and assessing its workability via the medium of linear planning graphics complemented with other data representations that make use of quantitative product model data. Of particular interest is the ability to formulate and assess alternative construction strategies in a relatively fast and cost effective manner in order to achieve best value as a function of project constraints, context, and project participant objectives. Included in the assessment task is consideration of the impact of strategy on construction process productivity and production rates by way of performance metrics that relate directly to strategy workability. The concepts presented are illustrated through their application to a large-scale, mixed-use project.
The promise of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Facilities Management (FM) is based upon b... more The promise of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Facilities Management (FM) is based upon building information models as reliable sources of information for decisions during a facility’s life cycle, from the planning to end of life. However, the premise of BIM as an enabler for the delivery of reliable information for FM has numerous challenges. Previous studies have shown that the quality of information provided through current design practices with BIM is inadequate for FM. These information quality (IQ) issues are mostly related to incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent, and unintelligible facility information that ultimately reduce the usefulness of BIM-based information for FM purposes. In order to support BIM-enabled delivery of useful asset information for FM, certain IQ criteria must be met. Based on three ethnographic case studies, including the analysis of more than two thousand documented BIM for FM-related compliance issues, this research identifies ten key IQ criter...
The most common problem facility managers face is information accessibility. While BIM has been p... more The most common problem facility managers face is information accessibility. While BIM has been posited as a potential solution to increase the quality and availability of asset information to support facilities management (FM), few studies have captured the challenging aspects of developing and delivering this information within the context of real-world projects with owner-defined information requirements. Based on three longitudinal ethnographic case studies that included a set of comprehensive and formal information requirements within the supply contracts, this research contributes to a better understanding of the BIM-enabled asset information delivery process and its challenges by (1) characterizing the process in eight main activities with examples, and (2) mapping the challenges of using BIM for FM that have been identified in the literature and establishing connections between them. The results demonstrate that even with the early involvement of owners through the developme...
Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Oct 1, 2003
It is the cost estimator's task to determine how the building design influences construction... more It is the cost estimator's task to determine how the building design influences construction costs. Estimators must recognize the design conditions that effect construction costs and adjust the project's activities, resources, and resource productivity rates accordingly to ...
In current project management practice, the overall task of designing, managing, and constructing... more In current project management practice, the overall task of designing, managing, and constructing a building is carried out by organizing the work into many distinct tasks assigned to many different groups. Most project effort is then directed towards carrying out these tasks in the most ...
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 2019
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of digital technologies adoption on ... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of digital technologies adoption on the forms of organization of large architecture and engineering (A/E) firms. Network theory has attracted scholarly and managerial attention, particularly from the perspective of the changes of project organization. However, little research focuses on network theory as a lens for understanding and managing the new forms of firms’ organization. Additionally, conventional organizational analyses are hampered by the lack of methods for understanding the changes in roles and relationships due to the adoption of digital technologies and examining their impact on organizational structures.Design/methodology/approachTo address this gap, this research adopted a mixed-method case-study approach. This approach combined interviews, regular check-ins, and document analysis with data mining and social network analysis (SNA) to capture the changes of intra-organizational roles and relationships and fo...
Examined is how contractor or construction manager decision making and judgment in response to cl... more Examined is how contractor or construction manager decision making and judgment in response to client objectives and project constraints can be aided by a structured approach to construction strategy selection and assessment using time-space project process and product modelling. The context studied is one of high-rise construction. Construction strategy is expressed in terms of strategy modes and tactical variables and accompanying values, which in turn are expressed in terms of a formal plan using a linear planning modelling paradigm. Highlighted is the important role that data visualization can play in both formulating strategy and assessing its workability via the medium of linear planning graphics complemented with other data representations that make use of quantitative product model data. Of particular interest is the ability to formulate and assess alternative construction strategies in a relatively fast and cost effective manner in order to achieve best value as a function of project constraints, context, and project participant objectives. Included in the assessment task is consideration of the impact of strategy on construction process productivity and production rates by way of performance metrics that relate directly to strategy workability. The concepts presented are illustrated through their application to a large-scale, mixed-use project.
The promise of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Facilities Management (FM) is based upon b... more The promise of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Facilities Management (FM) is based upon building information models as reliable sources of information for decisions during a facility’s life cycle, from the planning to end of life. However, the premise of BIM as an enabler for the delivery of reliable information for FM has numerous challenges. Previous studies have shown that the quality of information provided through current design practices with BIM is inadequate for FM. These information quality (IQ) issues are mostly related to incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent, and unintelligible facility information that ultimately reduce the usefulness of BIM-based information for FM purposes. In order to support BIM-enabled delivery of useful asset information for FM, certain IQ criteria must be met. Based on three ethnographic case studies, including the analysis of more than two thousand documented BIM for FM-related compliance issues, this research identifies ten key IQ criter...
The most common problem facility managers face is information accessibility. While BIM has been p... more The most common problem facility managers face is information accessibility. While BIM has been posited as a potential solution to increase the quality and availability of asset information to support facilities management (FM), few studies have captured the challenging aspects of developing and delivering this information within the context of real-world projects with owner-defined information requirements. Based on three longitudinal ethnographic case studies that included a set of comprehensive and formal information requirements within the supply contracts, this research contributes to a better understanding of the BIM-enabled asset information delivery process and its challenges by (1) characterizing the process in eight main activities with examples, and (2) mapping the challenges of using BIM for FM that have been identified in the literature and establishing connections between them. The results demonstrate that even with the early involvement of owners through the developme...
Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Oct 1, 2003
It is the cost estimator's task to determine how the building design influences construction... more It is the cost estimator's task to determine how the building design influences construction costs. Estimators must recognize the design conditions that effect construction costs and adjust the project's activities, resources, and resource productivity rates accordingly to ...
In current project management practice, the overall task of designing, managing, and constructing... more In current project management practice, the overall task of designing, managing, and constructing a building is carried out by organizing the work into many distinct tasks assigned to many different groups. Most project effort is then directed towards carrying out these tasks in the most ...
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