Project management information control systems

Abstract

Construction managers rely on ready access to a large amount of project information. The entry, processing, and flow of information are important in avoiding problems, delays, and claims on construction projects. This paper describes a study of the extent and nature of project documentation and project information flows within the construction industry. The study mapped various types of project information against the documents that typically provide the information and the construction management functions that provide and access the information. From this analysis, a computer system to support the task of project information management was designed. The problem analysis, requirements specification, system design, and system implementation are described. The system allows construction managers to enter information for a wide variety of project events, cross-reference the various bodies of information, and use the information to monitor and control various aspects of a construction project. The objective of the study was not necessarily to improve upon commercially available project information and documentation tools, but to deepen and formalize our understanding of project information as an input to a larger body of work on integrated project information systems and data standards for the construction industry.Key words: construction management, project management, document control, information flow, databases.