Holistic Study and Analysis of Factors Affecting Collaborative Planning in Construction

Abstract

The fragmentation of the construction industry led to the development of innovative approaches including collaborative planning, relational contracting, integrated project delivery, advancements in technology, and lean construction. Existing research focused on certain aspects of collaborative planning without providing a comprehensive analysis of the factors affecting collaboration. To this end, the goal of this paper is to provide a holistic list of factors affecting collaborative planning in the construction industry and guiding future research needs. This study followed an interrelated research methodology. As such, the authors (1) conducted an extensive review and analysis of the literature on collaboration and collaborative planning in the construction industry within the last 30 years, (2) identified and defined the factors impacting the effectiveness of construction collaborative planning, (3) performed social network analysis (SNA) to quantify the importance and impact of each of the identified factors and verified the output using a simple analytic method, and (4) highlighted the gaps in the literature and created a roadmap for the factors that need further investigation. Consequently, this study provides substantial addition to the body of knowledge at multifacets. To this effect, the results include (1) presenting 50 factors that could collectively affect collaborative planning in construction projects; (2) indicating that future research endeavors need to investigate the understudied key factors for collaborative planning comprising vision, goal alignment and integration, early involvement of key project stakeholders, project parties relationship, and willingness for collaboration and cooperation; and (3) substantiating the need to develop models that simultaneously incorporate all 50 factors to have simulation environment that is as close as possible to reality. Ultimately, this research provides a foundation for a broader and more holistic framework to further advance the utilization of collaborative planning in the construction industry.