Enhancement of IPD Characteristics as Impelled by Information and Communication Technology

Abstract

Although the benefits of integrated project delivery (IPD) and the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in realizing those benefits have been recognized generally, the adoption of IPD—both philosophically and contractually—in the US construction industry has been slow and lacks necessary enthusiasm, particularly in the public sector. Lack of experience and understanding is perhaps a contributing factor. It is important to fill this gap in knowledge and understanding pertaining to IPD. One way to improve understanding is to provide public owners means to assess the readiness of their organizations for adoption of IPD so that hindrances can be identified and eliminated or mitigated. Recent advances in the field of ICT are making effective information modeling (collecting, storing, processing, and utilizing data) feasible. ICT can significantly facilitate IPD projects. In this study, essential IPD principles were studied in the context of public building projects, and an IPD assessment model (scoring mechanism) to determine the extent of improvement in IPD characteristics as a result of augmenting ICT was presented. Project functions were identified and examined to study interdependence between IPD principles and ICT levels. Once the IPD scores and ICT levels were assessed, an analysis could be conducted to identify ICTs where further enhancements would result in higher IPD scores. An ICT push/IPD pull concept was introduced to identify (1) IPD principles that can be fostered using ICT tools and techniques (ICT push), and (2) IPD principles that provide opportunities for increased use of ICT (IPD pull). The model will assist public project owners in making informed ICT investment decisions to improve performance in IPD characteristics. A real-life case project is described to demonstrate the use and application of the model using push principles of IPD.