Assessing research issues in Automated Project Performance Control (APPC)

The temporary nature of construction sites and project organizations makes the use of standard industrial monitoring systems impractical for construction. The current practice of manual collection of monitoring data is expensive, inaccurate and inefficient. Automated data collection for project performance control, on the other hand, enables construction activities to be controlled and managed in a real-time and in a closed loop. Many new automated data collection technologies have become available, and as a result, most construction control automation research has been technology-driven. The authors propose an alternative approach, whereby research focuses first on the needs for control information. The paper presents a new tool with which the gap between the desired functionality of control information systems and that provided in current construction practice can be identified. The tool can be used to identify the gaps in this area within individual companies, or at an industry level. The results of testing the tool with a select group of 26 professionals, serve to define research issues aimed at closing the aforementioned gap.