SPICE: a business process diagnostics tool for construction projects

Abstract

The construction sector is under growing pressure to increase productivity and improve quality, most notably in reports by Latham (1994) and Egan (1998). 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. Standardised Process Improvement for Construction Enterprises (SPICE) is a research project that is attempting to develop a step-wise process improvement framework for the construction industry, utilising 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.

Six‐sigma as a strategy for process improvement on construction projects: a case study

“…The absence of clear guidelines has meant that improvements are often isolated and benefits cannot be coordinated or repeated. Sarshar et al (2000) attribute this to the industry's inability to assess construction processes, prioritize process improvements and direct resources appropriately. Subsequently, the concept of process improvement varies for construction firms, unlike in manufacturing, where variation can be eliminated because the standards by which it is measured are themselves invariant -e.g.…”

“…This framework was founded on the principles of the capability maturity model (CMM) and argues that the outcome of a process is a function of the maturity of the organization and its associated processes (Hutchinson and Finnemore, 1999;Sarshar et al, 2000). The philosophy of this framework is that a process becomes more predictable and reliable as the organization and its processes simultaneously mature.…”

“…To look beyond financial measures, Sarshar et al (2000) developed the standardized process improvement for construction enterprises (SPICE) framework. This framework was founded on the principles of the capability maturity model (CMM) and argues that the outcome of a process is a function of the maturity of the organization and its associated processes (Hutchinson and Finnemore, 1999;Sarshar et al, 2000).…”

Modeling and evaluating construction project competencies and their relationship to project performance

“…According to the work of Willis and Rankin [36,37], maturity assessment involves measuring the extent to which different evaluation criteria exist in a construction project. This paper integrates Sarshar's [32] and Willis and Rankin's [36,37] maturity models to benefit from the advantages of both. The newly developed maturity scale is presented in Table 3.…”

“…The first -the maturity scale -was developed based on the research presented by Sarshar [32] and Willis and Rankin [36,37] in the area of construction industry maturity. Sarshar [32] introduced the Structure Process Improvement for Construction Enterprise (SPICE) to measure the maturity of practices and processes. The SPICE framework evaluates the extent to which different practices and processes are measured, managed, and controlled in construction projects.…”