An exploratory study on the applicability of process transparency in construction sites

The Several industrial sectors have recently experienced important changes on the organization of their production activities, indicating that a new production management paradigm is emerging. Although there is no consensus in the literature about the meaning of this new paradigm, an opportunity has been created for establishing a coherent body of shared principles for the management of production systems. This paper discusses the increase of process transparency, which has been pointed out as one of the core principles of the new production management paradigm. It is concerned with making the production process observable in order to facilitate control and improvement. The main objective of this article is to investigate how this principle can be applied in construction sites, and to identify existing barriers for its implementation in this industry. It is based on a literature review, and on six exploratory case studies carried out in Brazil and England. The practical and theoretical implications of the principle are discussed and a number of examples from construction are used to illustrate its main points. The study has indicated that it is feasible and worthwhile to apply this principle in construction sites. It can bring direct benefits for the performance of production systems, and it can also be used as a support principle that enables other principles to be effectively implemented. The case studies also indicated that there is much potential for increasing process transparency in construction sites.