Hussey, H; Thurairajah, N; Ginige, K and Goulding, J (2019) Establishing descriptions of building work in UK. In: Gorse, C and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 35th Annual ARCOM Conference, 2-4 September 2019, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK.
Abstract
There is a continual need to describe building work. Whether programming, estimating, issuing instructions, writing up a journal or other activity, it is difficult to conceive of situations where such descriptions are not required. It is therefore surprising to find that there is no standard method of describing the physical effort of construction in use in the UK. The descriptions believed to perform the task are derived from SMM/NRM2, and from quantity surveyors' methods of working. Despite those descriptions being thought to describe building work, the documents state that labour and other items are not included, deeming that contractors must include for them. Coupled with that situation, current tendency toward collaboration between designers and contractors at early stages of design increases the need for a means of communication between both parties which can express financial consequences of designers' decisions. This paper, through critical literature review, exposes the misunderstandings surrounding the use of SMM/NRM2, looking at why it is criticised for failing to do that which was never intended, how information which it is expected to provide may be given effectively, and how creation of a system of dealing with that additional information can synchronise with the existing. The method of constructing such a system requires that 'work' and the products of that work are defined in a particular manner so that it may be observed and recorded. By conducting interviews with experts, document analysis and literature synthesis, the criteria for such definition are examined and listed, and suggestions given for further work in the field. It is hoped that development could pave the way for a comprehensive standard method of description of building work that takes all factors of contractors' cost into consideration.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building work; communication; cost significance; descriptions |
| Index terms: | programming, documents, collaboration, estimating, quantity surveying, interview, journal, cost significance, designer, literature review, document analysis |
| Subjects: | professional development, management, programming, profession, research dissemination and communication, data collection methods, financial and cost management, data analysis and analytics, data science |
| Topics: | Cost Management, Research Practice, Information Management, Roles and Professions, Digital Applications, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
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