Chua, D K H and Godinot, M (2006) Use of a WBS matrix to improve interface management in projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 132(1), pp. 67-79. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Many researchers agree that smoother construction would result from better communication between designers and constructors about specific requirements and constraints for construction that can be incorporated into the design. The same principle can be generalized to apply to all the phases of a construction project (design, equipment procurement, transport, delivery, installation, and testing, as well as hand-over activities), to the different partners (main contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers), and even internally to the teams working on different parts of a system for the same contractor. Specific requirements and constraints at work interfaces that are technical, organizational, temporal, and geographical in nature have to be made transparent so that they can be managed and resolved to avoid unnecessary reworks and delays. This paper proposes to use the work breakdown structure (WBS) concept to improve work interface management. In the manufacturing industry, the WBS concept is well exploited by crossing a horizontal breakdown of production activities with a vertical breakdown of final products, thus obtaining a WBS matrix, which is more complete and useful than the classical WBS tree. In this paper, the WBS and interface management concepts are first clarified. Then, it is proposed to transpose the WBS matrix concept into the construction industry and to analyze, in a case study, how it may be used to improve interface management. The case study involves the construction of a segment of a mass rapid transit system comprising many specialty trades spanning track works, power supply, signaling, passenger vehicles, and control.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | communication; internet; project management |
| Index terms: | case study, main contractor, designer, project management, construction industry, testing, internet, rework, manufacturing industry, interface management, construction project, subcontractor |
| Subjects: | operations management, professional practice, profession, data collection methods, business, practitioner, computing systems, industry analysis, production management, project management theory and practice |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Engineering Principles, Project Management, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here