The complexity of construction projects and what is described in the manufacturing industry as the 'fuzzy front end'. The participants in the process are the fragmentation of the construction industry undertakdescribed in terms of the activities that need to be ing those projects has effectively resulted in linear, uncoundertaken in order to achieve a successful project and ordinated and highly variable project processes in the UK construction sector. Research undertaken at the Univer-process execution. In addition, the decision-making mechanisms, from a client perspective, are illustrated sity of Salford resulted in the development of an improved project process, the Process Protocol, which and the foundations for a learning organization/industry are facilitated within a consistent Process Protocol. considers the whole lifecycle of a construction project whilst integrating its participants under a common frame-Keywords activity zones, design and construction, project process, process map, Process Protocol, stage work. The Process Protocol identifies the various phases gate of a construction project with particular emphasis on
Relevant literature is synthesized to provide a holistic picture of our current knowledge of innovation in small, project‐based firms, highlighting significant gaps in the broad areas of ‘focus and outcome’, ‘organizational capabilities’, ‘context’ and ‘process’. Research findings from fieldwork focused on the construction industry are offered to address these gaps. In particular, a consensus model is given of the organizational factors dynamically at play. It is shown that typically the innovations of small, project‐based firms are closely tied to their operational activities and are pushed forward by owners who utilize very scarce resources to make progress in the interstices of normal business. This leads to an emphasis on taking up established technologies through ‘learning on the job’. Growth per se is not an important target. The motivation to act is generally to get past a survival mode of operating and to achieve stability by satisfying clients. These characteristics contrast with large organizations, especially in terms of the role of the owner, the close focus on niche markets and the lack of slack resources to innovate in parallel with normal business. It is hoped that these results will be of interest to other sectors where small, project‐based firms operate.
Innovation-led performance improvement in the construction industry is significantly influenced by the innovation performance of small firms. There is a dearth of research investigating innovation from the perspective of the small construction firm. This paper contributes to this underdeveloped area by offering relevant empirically based results. The findings stress the important role that owners of firms play in successful innovation. The type of innovation undertaken, and the different organizational factors which are brought into play, is shown to depend on the characteristics of the interaction environment in which the firm is operating. Small construction firms need to incrementally nurture, or identify and move into, supportive enabling interaction environments. This is achieved through an integrated development of a firm's business strategy and market positioning, organization of work, technology and people. The process of innovation is demonstrated to be subject to cyclical peaks and troughs as the progress of the innovation competes with day-to-day pressures. Small construction firms have their own distinctive characteristics, which are profoundly different from those of large construction firms. The implication for policy is that any initiatives geared toward improving appropriate innovation need to appreciate these differences.Construction, innovation, small firms, research results,
Construction firms are being challenged to be more adept at successful innovation to better meet client needs and to enhance business competitiveness. The substantial contribution that small construction firms make to the output of the industry signifies the importance for this body of firms to improve their innovation performance if the performance of the industry as a whole is to move forward. The literature on innovation in small construction firms is synthesized and structured around a generic model to provide a holistic picture of our current knowledge. Significant gaps in the understanding and practice of innovation in small construction literature are identified, which severely hamper understanding of the myriad complex and systemically interactive issues embodied within the theory and practice of innovation. The gaps identified by this literature synthesis are the basis for a number of important questions that, the authors propose, form an integrating agenda for future research.Construction, innovation, small firms, research agenda,
The construction sector is under growing pressure to increase productivity and improve quality, most notably in reports by Latham (1994, Constructing the Team, HMSO, London) and Egan (1998, Rethinking Construction, HMSO, London). A major problem for construction companies is the lack of project predictability. One method of increasing predictability and delivering increased customer value is through the systematic management of construction processes. However, the industry has no methodological mechanism to assess process capability and prioritise process improvements. Standardized Process Improvement for Construction Enterprises (SPICE) is a research project that is attempting to develop a stepwise process improvement framework for the construction industry, utilizing experience from the software industry, and in particular the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), which has resulted in significant productivity improvements in the software industry. This paper introduces SPICE concepts and presents the results from two case studies conducted on design and build projects. These studies have provided further insight into the relevance and accuracy of the framework, as well as its value for the construction sector.
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