Understanding and managing iterative error and change cycles in construction

Abstract

Errors and changes in construction often result in significant schedule and cost overruns affecting project performance. To understand the nature of these errors and changes and to ultimately reduce their detrimental impacts on project performance, this paper presents a system dynamics-based construction model, which focuses on the dynamics of error and change management in construction, including quality management, scope management, the request for information process, and the decision-making process for the approval of changes, and their consequent detrimental impacts on project performance. In particular, the developed model integrates several concepts in traditional network-based tools to enhance the applicability of the model. Describing the dynamic behaviors generated by the developed model and applying the model to a couple of real-world construction projects, this paper concludes that: (1) realism should be added to schedule planning; (2) an efficient coordination process is needed; (3) proactive contingency plans need to be taken into consideration; and (4) integration of network-based tools and system dynamics-based models can contribute to management of errors and changes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.