Construction industry productivity and the potential for collaborative practice

The construction industry is widely recognised as a laggard in terms of productivity improvement. This research study identifies the factors inhibiting collaboration and provides a model for developing a collaborative network approach. The case studies conducted examine the factors impacting on collaboration in the project networks of three large construction organisations. It was found that excessive fragmentation in the industry together with disparate project management processes and non-standardised information is impeding efficiency gains. A panel of project experts reviewed the findings to explain the basis of the practices. This has led to four primary conclusions: (1.) the construction industry lacks the ‘strength’ of relationships necessary to create a network of organisations that trust and have shared values; (2.) design processes should include both value engineering and lifecycle costing; (3.) procedures and information need to be standardised; (4.) there should be more emphasis on value adding project management activities.