Walker, D H T (1997) Construction time performance and traditional versus non-traditional procurement methods. Journal of Construction Procurement, 3(1), pp. 42-55. ISSN 1358-9180
Abstract
Research into construction time performance (CTP) suggests that inter-team working relationships, created and maintained when using a traditional procurement approach for construction projects, fail to create an environment where the construction team can best contribute its expertise to achieve a fast build rate. Numerous attempts have been made to explain why this may be so, using case studies as exemplars of best practice. It is generally agreed that traditional procurement approaches tend to set the constructor in a lower position of authority with respect to the design team and thus sound practical constructability advice is not properly considered. Many researchers believe that traditional procurement systems tend to isolate the clients representative from the manager of the construction process. It has also been unclear whether this applies to the construction industry in general or only to categories of construction projects such as commercial office or shopping centre construction. Recent research findings, which help bridge a gap in construction time performance knowledge, provide evidence that can be used to explore possible reasons for good construction time performance across a wide range of construction categories. The work reported upon in this paper helps to explain why traditional procurement projects perform less well than systems that include the manager of the construction process as a valued consultant, early in the projects development. Results clearly indicate that sound working relationships between the construction management team and the clients representative team help achieve good construction time performance. These results also indicate that sound planning and risk management for project time control strongly affects construction time performance. Furthermore, the research results clearly indicate that early involvement of the construction management team in project design assists with time planning and control.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction time, procurement, project management |
| Index terms: | manager, commercial office, design team, evidence, construction process, construction project, time control, case study, project design, shopping centre, traditional procurement, construction team, risk management, best practice, construction time, project management, construction industry, client's representative, constructability |
| Subjects: | project management theory and practice, construction integration, industry analysis, project controls, business, data collection methods, risk assessment, project delivery, production management, building construction, practitioner, evaluation and assessment methods, construction type, professional practice, contractual arrangements |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Site Management, Time Control, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Roles and Professions, Construction Technology, Project Management, Risk Management, Procurement |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
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