Shah, M; Tang, L and Hughes, W P (2012) Exploring process, productivity and structure in design. In: Smith, S D (ed.) Proceedings of 28th Annual ARCOM Conference, 3-5 September 2012, Edinburgh, UK.
Abstract
It is increasingly difficult to benchmark performance and record, manage and transfer information effectively. Modern construction projects are complex and the roles and responsibilities of designers are inconsistent. This raises concerns about rework and inefficiencies in construction projects. To address these concerns is an opportunity to improve project performance and profit margins. Increasing calls for innovation, growing client involvement and input from a range of stakeholders have led to the creation of complex project management structures. This has added to the centrality of the design process, underlining the need to understand and assess the design process and its productivity. The research forms part of a project intended to investigate the productivity of designers and engineers, with the aim of enhancing design process productivity. An improved understanding of design processes and identification of the factors that may contribute to design productivity within a design-led organization is intended to help improve the management of design activities. As part of an ongoing PhD project, the aim is to present a critical review of literature in order to understand the complexity of design and to explore the roles of effective management, organizational structures and emerging tools in the potential success of design. The literature reveals that the design process and interactions with stakeholders increasingly requires operational and managerial complexity. The relationships between technical, operational and managerial complexity requires a better understanding of what design actually is, why it is complex and how this impacts project organizational structure. It would be useful to focus the next stage of the research on the effectiveness of the design process, than its efficiency.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | design complexity; design process; organizational structure; productivity |
| Index terms: | efficiency, benchmark performance, design process, organizational structure, engineer, productivity, rework, designer, profit, construction project, effectiveness, client involvement, project performance, project organizational structure, interaction, complex project, complexity |
| Subjects: | design methods, profession, client relations, economic analysis, strategic project management, operations management, production management, project management theory and practice, performance measurement, management, performance management, systems engineering, behavioral psychology, organizational analysis, sociology |
| Topics: | Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Business Strategy, Organizational Design, Quality Management, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
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