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ISSN 2639-0574 Research Article

Implementation of Knowledge Management

in Construction Projects
Kasim A Korkmaz* and Saeed Bahidrah
School of Visual and Built Environments, Eastern Michigan University, USA
*Corresponding author: Kasim A Korkmaz, School of Visual and Built Environments, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA

Abstract

Knowledge management is a tool that can be used by construction companies at management level to reduce time consumption on data process
and transmittal in various stages of existing and future projects. This tool helps in communication between different layers of the companies and in
transferring data and information from the completed projects in the past. Since the construction industry is one of the biggest industries in the world, it
has lots of different applications and practices with diverse projects. Based on a comprehensive literature review of empirical research and detailed case
studies, it is found that, there have been general, as well as project specific elements existing to prevent firms from applying knowledge acquired from
their past performance. Lack of coordination and communication slows down the transfer of data from past to present and future projects. Complexity
of projects constitutes the main obstacle blocking firms from utilizing knowledge in new settings. Further, the study proposes several strategies for
effective utilization of knowledge management in existing and future projects to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of knowledge management
use in construction projects resulting in reduction of time and cost and an increase in quality.

Keywords: Knowledge management; Construction industry; Communication; Data transfer; Recommendations to use of knowledge management

Introduction
in any project must identify the essential information to be
In the Construction industry, it is critical to transfer data and
shared and utilized for the goodness of the project. Second, the
information from projects completed in the past. However, there is
information identified should be organized, analyzed, presented
still a lack of systematic approaches in place to learn from previous
and disseminated in the optimal manner where all stakeholders can
projects in many ways [1]. Valuable data collected from small,
easily understand and utilize the output, knowledge, produced by
medium and large residential and commercial projects are rarely
the process. Third, stakeholders must retain, refine and validate the
used to make decisions on similar projects firms undertake in their
information obtained from projects to be used in future endeavors.
future work. The industry is still dominated by non-systematic
This information does not only include raw numbers collected
individualized idiosyncratic approaches relying on extensive
from a specific project, timelines, projected costs and standards/
personal experience and attitudes [2]. Construction professionals
benchmarks, but also the rich expertise offered by project staff
mostly give their decisions based on time, cost and quality associated
and stakeholders in dealing with the challenges, problems,
with a given project depending on their judicious judgement.
opportunities and completion of projects.
There is no frequent practice for using previous knowledge from
past projects. The manufacturing and service industries have long This study highlights the main barriers standing between
applied the concept of knowledge management to maximize efforts knowledge management and its implementation in the construction
of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their projects. industry. The research also proposes a framework for optimal
Empirical, as well as case studies have concluded that knowledge utilization of knowledge management in construction projects
management reduces time span of projects, diminishes the costs reducing time and cost while increasing quality and sustainability.
associated with the undertaking of projects and increases the The study proposes four stages in the road for construction firms
quality, as well as sustainability of projects. and professionals to maximize the use of knowledge management in
projects (Figure 1). Functions of knowledge management systems
Knowledge management is defined as identification,
is given in Figure 2 [4]. Based on this approach, there are four steps
optimization and active management of intellectual assets to create
for implementation. first, construction firms and professionals
value, increase productivity, and gain and sustain competitive
must increase awareness of the importance and significance of
advantage [3]. Knowledge management is a multidimensional
knowledge management to stakeholders. Second, since every
construct composed of three principal areas. First, stakeholders
project is unique in the industry, an identification of crucial data

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and knowledge components must be specified prior to the project a project is the main reason behind the limited application of
implementation phase. Third, construction firms must invest in knowledge management within the industry [9]. On-site workers do
efficient technologies to retain, share and validate the information not communicate well with off-site staff in many situations resulting
obtained from projects. in delays, higher costs and lower quality. Infrequent meetings
between construction staff, stakeholders and suppliers reduces the
efficiency in implementing best practices standards in completing
projects. The proliferation of virtual teams in construction projects
also lowers face-to-face interactions among staff, which is likely
decreasing levels of coordination among various parties to the
project. Further, outsourcing and subcontracting decentralizes the
tasks associated with the project making it difficult on the various
stakeholders to coordinate meetings, share information and utilize
collective or even individual expertise.

Figure 1: Four stages of knowledge management.

Figure 3: Barriers in implementation of knowledge

management.

Second reason impeding the efficient implementation of

knowledge management in the construction industry is the limited
utilization of communications networks. Despite, the proliferation
of advanced applications for workers’ communications in real
Figure 2: Functions of knowledge management systems [4].
time, many construction projects still do not heavily rely on this
form of communications. Further, many small and medium size
Finally, construction firms must recover all relevant knowledge construction firms do not effectively communicate the detailed
before the commencement of new projects to better estimate books of previous projects adding time, effort and cost to doing an
the time, costs, quality and sustainability of projects. Using this already conducted research. This failure of communications slows
framework, construction firms are expected to reduce time, down the project and does not effectively create a knowledge base
costs, delays and increase quality, efficiency and sustainability. that is shared by projects’ staff overtime [10].
Knowledge management has infiltrated the world of managing and
organizing organizational activities [5]. Construction organizations Third, the absence of firms’ efforts and desire to generate a
have utilized the project management tools in project planning and useful body of knowledge that can be transmitted into other projects
execution to achieve project management performance outcomes is a significant hindrance to the successful implementation of
in terms of time, cost and quality [6,7]. As the construction industry knowledge management in the construction industry. Construction
uses a considerable number of knowledge workers, implementing projects are highly idiosyncratic requiring unique processes and
Knowledge Management for project planning and execution is procedures that are difficult to generalize as a usable collective body
the key to sustaining the growth of construction organizations of knowledge [1]. This leads stakeholders, experts and professionals
and industry, particularly when Knowledge Management to develop an attitude of “every project is unique, thus there is no
implementation is linked to project performance outcomes. point of building a knowledge base.” While unique elements exist
Gunasekera et al. [8] have reviewed the knowledge management in every project, they do in every production, manufacturing and
processes, knowledge conversion modes and critical success service protocol and this has not prevented. Fourth, empirical
factors. investigations and detailed case studies in the construction
management field have noted to the lack of education, awareness,
Barriers in implementation of knowledge management training and implementation of knowledge management among
In construction projects, there are various barriers in construction professionals. Construction workers, site engineers,
implementation of knowledge management as given in Figure 3. managers, clients and the administrative apparatus in many
The lack of coordination among construction professionals during cases do not know the potential benefits gained from knowledge

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How to cite this article: Korkmaz KA, Bahidrah S. Implementation of Knowledge Management in Construction Projects. Adv Civil Eng Tech .2(3).
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ACET.000539.2018. DOI:10.31031/ACET.2018.02.000539
 Adv Civil Eng Tech Copyright © Kasim A Korkmaz

management. They also are not aware of the costs, efforts and time integrating the personal talents, skills or special experience and
that is saved simply by applying knowledge management processes competence of the staff. Moreover, it is a somewhat direct measure
and methods. of the efficiency of the firm’s cross-organizational knowledge as
it is set-up to establish and protect business relationships with
Finally, cultural elements prevent the construction industry
contractors, architects, and engineering.
from the effective implementation of knowledge management
[11]. The construction industry is growing at an exponential The third axis of the knowledge concept is the more specific,
rate in developing countries such as Brazil, Turkey, India and the one-off set of knowledge which is required per the specific nature
Middle East. The industries in such countries lack the technological of a specific project. Thus, project knowledge represents “the
sophistication, men powers’ skillsets and maturity compared to the potential for usable knowledge and is at the source of much of the
markets of the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. knowledge on which these firms depend” [1]. A competent project
Many professionals working in those markets are still skeptical knowledge process should be capable of not only managing the
about the usefulness and benefits of knowledge management. They trove of data and information generated by the project, but also
favor the individual unique approach to the utilization of knowledge the less constrained knowledge that is created by the interaction
based on experience, merit and good judgement. between the various firms and professional entities involved.
Therefore, this valuable information such as what were the optimal
Implementation of knowledge management in
solutions to technical problems, or how mistakes were avoided
construction
or dealt with in the past, the multitude of company partnerships
Knowledge is a quantity which had a multitude of components that arise during each project are generally not able to capitalize
attached to it. The concepts associated with knowledge. They on this potential for creating and more efficiently using knowledge.
usually are centered around the traditionally definition of the set Specific problems in this area include the formalized recording, or
of “facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or general lack thereof, of project records and the often-unrecorded
education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject memory of processes, problems and related solutions. The fourth
or the sum of what is known as information held on a computer type of domain knowledge involves that relevant to the indicators
system; awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or of the performance and efficiency of the operations of the company
situation [2,12,13]. A distinction between the different classes of themselves. This knowledge is crucial to understand correctly to
knowledge at play can be precisely defined and categorized into be able to assess the state of progress in the other domains. In a
three main knowledge types as they relate to the construction DKM Economic Consultants report, major construction industry
industry: domain knowledge, organizational knowledge and indicators are included “Gross fixed capital formation, construction
project knowledge [9]. Domain knowledge includes administrative employment, construction earnings, wholesale prices for
information, including local laws, zoning regulations, permits construction materials, construction cost, price inflation, planning
and regulations, standards and the maintenance of an adequate permissions for constructional development, registrations, house
product databases, for example. This type of information is meant price and construction confidence [14].
to be available to all companies who operate in a common business
Establishing a knowledge sharing culture - potential
environment. This knowledge, stored in a wide variety of ways which
solutions
range from the systematic, highly organized electronic storage
techniques to human storage as well as cultural transmission, Due to the complexity of most construction projects, from
represents all that there is to be known about a particular exterior design to inception and operational review, these three knowledge
environment in which a particular construction company happens categories are often inter-linked and integrated into information
to operate at the moment. Issues associated with such knowledge layers which often affect each other, especially the more so in
are often relatively minor when compared to those which arise recent years with the widespread emergence and use of the
when considering the knowledge processes at next step. Issues may Internet and communication medias. While it is certainly true that
arise in terms of integration and operations under a multitude of knowledge involves the manipulation of data from the point of
concurrent set of domain knowledge requirements, such as when view of experience, the fact remains that what is precisely meant
operating abroad under different local rules yet abiding to the laws by knowledge must involve the even more abstract notion of
of the home nation. tacit knowledge. Within the last twenty years, there has been an
emerging interest in the tacit dimension of knowledge, which is
Another important aspect of the knowledge process as it
perhaps the hardest component to manage.
is relevant to the construction industry is the organizational
knowledge of the company. Such knowledge is most often company Individual knowledge is also an important aspect of the
specific and represents both an intellectual and financial capital successful implementation of the principles of Knowledge
for the firm. It is often stored in the company records formally, Management into the day-to-day practices of the construction
and informally in the day-to-day skilled processes that make up industry. Employees should be selected in terms of self-starting
the operational structure of the firm. Organizational knowledge abilities and the seeking out of opportunities and design in their
expresses the competence of the firm in bringing together and own work under little direction while their awareness of Knowledge

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ACET.000539.2018. DOI: 10.31031/ACET.2018.02.000539
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Management can be improved by using training and enhancing their Knowledge Management, for example by supporting the entire
participation in education, conferences and similar knowledge- lifecycle of the Knowledge Management process. The IT system
sharing activities. This will allow employees the opportunity to must also be a good source of performance indicators and other
reflect upon their work, trade stories and ideas with co-workers, or validating mechanisms, while its flexibility, ease of use and being
catch up on professional theory and practice [15]. able to be integrated with other systems is also a must [9]. This
type of knowledge management leverages the informational
In the context of Project Knowledge solutions for capturing
content of various communication technologies to unify the
and sharing project knowledge, to reduce the required amount
organization’s knowledge assets. Secondly, another approach
of reinventing the wheel, include site visits, audits, discussion
tracks people’s individual knowledge management and focuses
and informal meetings followed by their documentation [9].
on the organizational behavioral approach. Those two knowledge
In attempting to manage organizational knowledge within
management approaches underline the current distinction which is
construction organizations, one must worry about product, or the
made between process-centered and product-centered approaches.
technical knowledge; process, representing the procedural and
The leadership in the construction can influence the use of shared
regulatory knowledge; and people, which identifies and connects
knowledge between the senior and junior project personnel, which
specific skills with experiences [16]. Detailed components of such
subsequently affects the degree of success of project execution [18].
solutions include knowledge dissemination workshops; knowledge
Construction projects encounter many challenges throughout the
exchange seminars and departmental meetings; summary reports
project life cycle which affect the morale of project team members,
and project award scheme [16].
top management plays an important role in proper delegation of
Decision making in construction projects responsibilities and tasks at different levels [19].

The Knowledge Management is a tool that helps in decision The process-centered approach looks at knowledge
making as well. Knowledge Management has started to evolve management from a social communication point of view where
into a mature reality and that today many worldwide industries, knowledge is closely tied to the person who developed it and is
organizations and various institutions are increasingly shared mainly through person-to-person contact. Product-centered
understanding and using the tools offered by Knowledge methods, on the other hand, focuses on documentary knowledge and
Management. In fact, the global Knowledge Management market the storage and reuse of computer based corporate memories. It is
expanded to the record amount of $8.8 billion in 2005 while also referred to as “content-centered” approach.” A complementary
applying Knowledge Management techniques also helped save approach whose design and implementation directly results from
$31 Billion in annual re-invention costs at Fortune 500 companies applying the principles of Knowledge Management in the specific
in that same year. The broader application context of Knowledge social-technical environment of the construction industry is the
Management, including learning and educational opportunities, Accident Root Cause Tracing Method. This procedure is established
offers similarly powerful forecasts [17]. Therefore, the inertia has in both the operational and project knowledge requirements and its
slowly built up and that the tide is now slowing stacking up on the philosophy, besides the logical immediate training considerations,
side of a near future when serious implementation of the tenets depends on management procedures which should be designed to
of Knowledge Management will allow true progress and advances identify and remove unsafe conditions in a proactive manner [20].
in the way that the overall informational content is managed by
Knowledge management covers two main parts as knowledge
construction industries, both in a manner directly relevant to
representation and knowledge interoperability. These parts
the project as well as, equally importantly, that pertaining to the
have an integration over the process representation, and process
domain and organizational aspects of knowledge dynamics.
exploration. In construction projects, process representation
Integration of knowledge management in the processes and process exploration are the main crucial items that leads the
communication process in construction. In the architecture of
Organizations manage knowledge in an intentional and
knowledge management tools for construction projects, storage,
directed manner. In recent years, a more intentional approach
access control, for various data/information security, interface
to organizational knowledge management has interested both
communication, interoperability, service and presentation will be
scholars and the industry, leading to numerous approaches on
the main layers to carry out with the development of the knowledge
knowledge management currently being analyzed, studied and
management model. Flow charts for Knowledge management
adopted and used by organizations, each having its own qualities,
model in an integrated approach is given in Figure 4.
requirements, strengths, weaknesses, benefits and potentials. The
first approach is generally IT dependent, and tracks knowledge A. Storage: An online repository is used for data storage. The
management and its spread and efficiency throughout the back-end database will be accessed using regular SQL queries.
company. This method is generally technologies centered and the
B. Access: Access control, for data/information security, is
necessary requirements for an IT system must render it sufficiently
provided through authentication and authorization.
capable of being a powerful tool for increasing the efficiency of

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ACET.000539.2018. DOI:10.31031/ACET.2018.02.000539
 Adv Civil Eng Tech Copyright © Kasim A Korkmaz

C. Communication: Interface communication is provided Interoperability of different data/ information/ knowledge is

through the Internet. An end-user or application can then achieved.
communicate within the portal using the following data
E. Service: A set of core services is available to portal users:
formats: OWL files, Extensive Markup Language (XML)
building and editing, merging, process structure building and
and process-structure and Microsoft Project data files, for
editing, and process-structure merging. Similar to the earlier
importing/exporting schedule information.
point, the service will be based on well-established Web
D. Interoperability: It is a semantic representation. Services standards.

Figure 4: Integrated knowledge management model.

Conclusion environment is one of relative waiting and looking to see which

opportunity present themselves with regards to revamping their
Activities in Knowledge Management in general, and in the
knowledge and communication systems from the ground up in
construction industry in particular, are still today all over the map
a way which incorporates the findings associated with better
and without a clear guiding light, even though the monumental
incorporating the academic understanding presented above as
increases in research and spending in this domain are not to be
solution to the problems arising in construction projects. Figure 5
discarded. The current climate in the general construction industry
summarizes the mechanism of the knowledge in construction.

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Figure 5: Mechanism of knowledge in construction.

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