Dunston, P S and Reed, A G (2000) Benefits of small projects team initiative. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 126(1), pp. 22-28. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Ordinarily, minimum design costs are associated with all construction projects regardless of their size or complexity. Consequently, the design costs are a higher percentage of the overall costs for small projects. This paper presents an analysis of the effectiveness of the Small Projects Team Initiative (SPTI) developed and implemented by the Seattle district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. SPTI is intended to lower the design costs on construction projects where the design scope is simple and/or the administrative and construction processes are somewhat routine. The Small Projects team consists of representatives from contracting, construction, engineering, and project management. This team produces specifications for selected projects with simplified design, design by shop drawing, and innovative contracting arrangements. Data from 77 projects completed within the Seattle district are compared with the data from 146 pre-SPTI jobs. Statistically confirmed benefits include reduced design costs and reduced schedule growth (when user requested changes are excluded). Lower median change-order rates are not confirmed, but further analysis of the nature of changes is recommended.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Index terms: | project management, small project, schedule growth, effectiveness, design cost, engineer, Seattle, complexity, construction project, construction process, drawing, routine, specification |
| Subjects: | Geography, contractual condition, production management, project management theory and practice, performance management, economics, systems engineering, project controls, sociology, building construction, profession, technical documentation |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Design Practice, Contract Administration, Time Control, Organizational Design, Site Management, Geographical Context, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Cost Management, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
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