Weber, S L (1999) A dynamic, integrated data management system for the 21st century construction company. PhD thesis, Arizona State University, USA.
Abstract
Competitive pressure in the construction industry has inspired new strategies for creating strategic advantage. Although some of these strategies have helped meet the industry's competitive challenges, more improvements can be made, especially in the area of information management. Many information management solutions have been designed for distillation of information from data; however, the heterogeneous nature of construction data makes the implementation of most traditional solutions impossible. New methods must be devised to obtain integrated information extraction from construction's disparate data sources. In order to identify the construction data users and uses, a modified Zachman Architecture was employed. User perspectives were matched with unique dimensions for three interrelated construction frameworks. The resulting Weber Architecture was the principal means for identifying the diverse nature of common construction-industry information-users and their data needs. A management system that would aid in the aggregation and extraction of information from heterogeneous data sources was needed. Such a system would be advantageous in solving complex, often ill-defined problems. A review of available client/server technologies revealed that one of the most appropriate information management solutions was groupware. Lotus Notes® Groupware was used to demonstrate this methodology within the construction domain. It was shown that Lotus Notes ® databases could be utilized to store and retrieve disparate data, were capable of containing a myriad of attached file types, and provided data security. In addition, the Lotus Notes® environment furnished a variety of standard database templates, including the discussion database for collaboration in the solution of unstructured problems. The groupware approach is an improvement over other new information management strategies such as project-specific Web sites because of its capacity for integration and collaboration. The construction industry has made strides in the application of computer technology, but it needs to be more aggressive. The next advancement is available now. This dissertation lays the groundwork for a more powerful implementation of a dynamic, integrated data management system for the 21st century construction company.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Smith, R L and Wolfe, P M |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | security; collaboration; data management; information management; integration |
| Index terms: | collaboration, integration, methodology, construction company, user perspective, strategy, management system, dissertation, dimension, implementation, construction industry, database, data management, management strategy |
| Subjects: | research methods, management, organizational analysis, data management, industry analysis, organization, user focus, research dissemination and communication, health monitoring assessment and metrics, contractual arrangements |
| Topics: | Procurement, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Organizational Design, Digital Applications, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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