Dave, B (2017) Business process management: A construction case study. Construction Innovation, 17(1), pp. 50-67. ISSN 1471-4175
Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate the need for a structured business process improvement effort needed while restructuring organisational processes within a construction company. Through the longitudinal study, the study also highlights the importance of a continuous improvement initiative to sustain such an improvement effort. Design/methodology/approach The research followed an action research and the case study approach using semi-structured interviews and group workshops within the case organisation. Overall, six departments were analysed, 35 interviews with senior and middle managers were conducted, existing business process documents were studied and processes were documented. The data were compiled using a process modelling software and Business Process Markup Notation methodology. Additionally, a longitudinal analysis following the completion of process modelling exercise was carried out over a period of eight years. Findings The overall study highlights the importance of business process management (BPM) for construction organisations. The case study also demonstrated that even smaller business units and its processes affected the overall value chain in a major way and the importance to analyse the process interdependencies between organisational units. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of the research was that it is based on a single-case-study company based in the UK. More research is needed with other organisations with different work practices and culture and geographic location. Practical implications Primarily, the research outlines specific steps taken during a structured process improvement exercise in a construction company, including procedures for collecting data, developing process maps and analysis of data. The longitudinal study highlights the challenges in sustaining such an initiative. For practitioners, strengths and weaknesses of various process improvement methods and a detailed description of a BPM implementation can be used as a guideline for future projects. From a research point of view, the paper highlights the need for deeper and long-term analysis of such initiatives and the importance of immersion of researchers within the environment. Originality/value The paper provides deeper insights into the structured process improvement exercise within a construction company. Second and more importantly, the longitudinal study is one of its kind in the construction industry to shed light on the factors affecting sustainability of such initiatives.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction management,process management,organisational culture,it management,information systems management,lean construction |
| Index terms: | workshop, exercise, case study, value chain, construction organization, information systems management, continuous improvement, implementation, construction industry, maps, action research, process modelling, longitudinal analysis, interview, process improvement, manager, lean construction, construction company, practitioner, documents, process management, work practice, methodology, organizational culture |
| Subjects: | performance measurement, management, software systems, spatial and geospatial analysis, research methods, value chain strategy, professional development, sociology, building construction, industry analysis, construction type, data collection methods, organization, health behaviours and lifestyles, practitioner, design analysis, contractual arrangements, data analysis and analytics |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Information Management, Business Strategy, Health and Safety, Construction Technology, Procurement, Roles and Professions, Quality Management, Supply Chain Management, Design Practice, Digital Applications, Organizational Design, Site Management |
| 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