Specialist task organisations procurement approach for re-engineering construction project processes

Abstract

This dissertation provides a framework for improving owners' contracting strategies through a specialist task organisations (STOs) procurement approach for re-engineering construction project processes. The aim of this dissertation is to develop a procurement system that improves an owner's project implementation process in order to meet the project objectives in terms of time, cost and quality. This study involves the analyses of the construction practices, processes, and procedures, the conditions of construction management (CM) contracts, the review of the theoretical bases, the design of a novel procurement method (STO), its initial validation in terms of the theoretical and empirical validation as well as conclusions and summary. The study reveals interrelationships between contracting practices, processes, procurement routes, payments, and risk allocation. The contracting practices of the USA, the UK, Japan and Finland are used as a frame of reference. The dissertation proposes a task-oriented approach to procurement through the integrated product (task) development, the integrated management and the fragmented execution via task organisations. The application area of the suggested STO route is limited to the project and procurement management of large building projects. The STO route allows an owner's design team to produce an overall design that is used by STOs to produce technical detailed engineering design solutions and project cost estimates. The validation of the suggested STO route has been carried out through the mapping against the organisation theories, the case-questionnaire results and the case study examples. These outcomes support the applicability of the STO. 35 case questionnaires were used to compare the prevailing procurement routes in relation to the suggested STO route. The four case examples provide some additional validation. The suggested merits of the STO route include the shift from only-single-designs and cost-based competition toward more advanced competition based on multiple designs, life-cycle costs, alternative materials, constructability and maintainability. The STO route assumes a modular approach to building design. It allows the use of experts' knowledge in design and construction through their involvement in all project stages.