Use of a WBS Matrix to Improve Interface Management in Projects

Abstract

Many researchers agree that smoother construction would result from better communication between designers and constructors about specific requirements and constraints for construction that can be incorporated into the design. The same principle can be generalized to apply to all the phases of a construction project (design, equipment procurement, transport, delivery, installation, and testing, as well as hand-over activities), to the different partners (main contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers), and even internally to the teams working on different parts of a system for the same contractor. Specific requirements and constraints at work interfaces that are technical, organizational, temporal, and geographical in nature have to be made transparent so that they can be managed and resolved to avoid unnecessary reworks and delays. This paper proposes to use the work breakdown structure (WBS) concept to improve work interface management. In the manufacturing industry, the WBS concept is well exploited by crossing a horizontal breakdown of production activities with a vertical breakdown of final products, thus obtaining a WBS matrix, which is more complete and useful than the classical WBS tree. In this paper, the WBS and interface management concepts are first clarified. Then, it is proposed to transpose the WBS matrix concept into the construction industry and to analyze, in a case study, how it may be used to improve interface management. The case study involves the construction of a segment of a mass rapid transit system comprising many specialty trades spanning track works, power supply, signaling, passenger vehicles, and control.