A knowledge-based automated development permit approval process in the housing industry

Purpose - The residential construction industry has a major share in Canada's GDP. In spite of huge spending and technical advances in the residential construction sector, the current permit approval process still adheres to traditional manual permit approval process. Consequently, this has contributed to project delays and increased monetary costs to the stakeholders associated with the process. The research presented in this paper seeks to explore key issues related to the current housing development permit approval process. Design/methodology/approach - This paper describes a proposed methodology for the automation of the residential construction development permit approval process. The proposed methodology has been incorporated into a computer system that integrates a knowledge-based expert system (KBES), database management system (DBMS), and computer-aided design (CAD). Various concepts related to the database structures, system architecture, process flow and user interfaces are introduced and described in the context of the development permit approval process. Findings - This paper presents a knowledge-based prototype for the development permit approval process that can be customized as per the needs of various cities. A case study is also presented in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and to illustrate the implementation of the research. Research limitations/implications - The prototype is application-independent and may be implemented anywhere in the AutoCAD environment. The research paves the way for the setting of drafting standards for the residential industry. Originality/value - Prototype provides significant gains in productivity and accuracy over the current practices by minimizing the redundancies involved in the development permit approval process.