Civil and Structural Engineering Computing: 2001
Chapter 3 A.P. Chassiakos
School of Engineering, University of Durham, United Kingdom Keywords: information management, construction, project management, project planning, project control, project management software, communication, internet
The aim of this paper is to present the key elements of the information management process in the construction industry. Construction projects typically require substantial effort, time, and capital outlay. Information management provides the means for improved project management, coordination of individual efforts, time and cost reduction. The paper describes the development stages and the organisational structure of a construction project, the information needs at each stage and the ways in which information is collected, recorded, reported, and used for project control purposes. In addition, the use of computers for information management and communication is discussed. The genesis of a construction project involves four general development phases. In concept and initiation phase the project scope and requirements are outlined and a preliminary evaluation of alternative proposals is performed. The design and development phase includes a detailed project design and planning as well as the necessary tendering procedures to establish contracting. In the implementation phase facility construction takes place while simultaneously project progress is monitored to raise early warning signals of potential problems and, if required, modifications in the project plan or construction methods are decided and implemented. Finally, the termination phase includes project commissioning and handover as well as documentation of experience gained for use in future projects. The project organisation consists of the contractor (construction company) and other external participants. A number of functions within the construction company dealing with project management, planning, engineering, line and staff, administration/finance, marketing, maintenance, quality assurance, and research & development are directly or indirectly involved in project construction. In addition, external groups such as, consultants, subcontractors, the project owner, financial institutions, and suppliers have their own contribution to project development. Proceeding to particular components of the project life-cycle where information management can be appreciable, project estimating deals with the determination of expected project activity durations and costs. Estimating is generally based on work quantity, type and number of resources used, average values of productivity, and unit costs. Estimating requires a considerable amount of data to be processed as a result of a large number of project activities and resources used and can be facilitated through the employment of appropriately designed tables which summarise the analysis results. Project planning outlines the general project structure and work flow (work activities, sequencing and interrelationships among them, and resource requirements). A graphical output indicates the work breakdown structure while the logical sequence of operations is depicted with a network diagram and the project schedule with a bar chart. The tendering process requires that sufficient project information be documented and presented in specific forms in order to enable candidate contractors to prepare competitive and well-informed tenders. Required documents include the form of tender, the general conditions of contract, the specifications, the drawings, the bill of quantities, and the form of agreement. Resource management starts with recording resource needs (manpower and equipment) for each particular activity, and resource availability for each resource type. Based on this information and on the project schedule, resources are allocated to project activities and histograms are developed presenting resource requirements over time during the construction period. Further resource levelling is performed and resource overallocations are resolved. Procurement management deals with the acquiring of goods and services required to perform the project's scope of work such as, drawings, materials, professional services, and supplies. Procurement planning identifies the type and quantity of needed products, the time and the way of procurement. Procurement control assures the timely receipt of goods according to the needs and specifications. A number of documents such as, a purchase requisition form, a purchase specification form, a bid summary form, a purchase order form, and an invoice are used in the procurement process. Monitoring and control of project progress constitute the main filed of information management application. Monitoring includes data collection and recording and preparation of summary reports and graphs. The primary functions of project control are to identify deviations between project planning and actual progress, investigate possible causes and expected effects on project completion, and propose corrective actions. Progress control information comes from project planning documents, progress reports, problem reporting forms, and alteration proposals. The project cost system performs detailed planning, monitoring, and control of construction costs. In project planning phase, costs are analysed with respect to each particular type (labour, equipment, material) and the budget is established. The accounting system records detailed information about expenses incurred as work progresses and identifies cost overruns. A number of standard forms are used for this purpose. The financial management function keeps a record of all financial transactions, payments in and payments out. Cash requirements to meet payrolls, material purchasing, etc are recorded and outflow summaries are produced. Progress payments by the owner (cash inflows) are also considered with respect to amount and time of occurrence. A cash-flow statement is then developed to present the flow of money in and out of the project, possible cash deficits are recognised, and appropriate actions are taken. Information management can be greatly facilitated by computer use. There exist a number of computer programs for project scheduling, resource management, cost budgeting, project monitoring and control. The employment of software improves data organisation and processing, ensures accurate calculations, allows extensive what-if analyses to be performed, provides large capabilities for information reporting and presentation, and standardise information management methods. A final issue discussed in this paper refers to the capabilities of the information system to share information among members of the project team. The traditional way of communication through hard copies to deliver reports, drawings, etc or through face to face meetings to discuss project development matters is progressively replaced by advanced methods of communication through the internet and the World Wide Web. The evolution of intranets and extranets is expected to highly improve remote collaboration of the project team members.
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