Managing collaborative space in multi-partner projects

Abstract

Collaboration across company borders in multi-partner construction projects has proven to be challenging. An increasing number of projects aim to strengthen such collaboration by collocating project members from different companies in the same physical space. Yet we know little about the management practices required for taking advantage of such a collaborative space. To begin to remedy this shortcoming, we present an in-depth case study of a hospital construction project that applied a collaborative space and focus on the management practices influencing this space. With the help of affordance theory, we identified two types of management practices and show how they transform across project phases. These management practices included designing the physical elements of the collaborative space, and creating shared collaboration practices for the space. We contribute to the construction management literature by taking the first step in conceptualizing the connections between space, management and collaboration practices in the context of multipartner projects. We suggest managers to consider carefully what kind of collaboration practices the space is expected to enhance and plan the physical and social space to support it.

Collaborative Project Delivery Methods: A Scoping Review

“…The main author followed up with case studies to explore IPD from the standpoint of trust (Pishdad-Bozorgi, 2017). Lastly, Kokkonen and Vaagaasar (2018) investigated how management produces positive effects for collaboration in multi-partner, temporary collaborations. Hanna (2016) collected quantitative data and evaluated performance and success of IPD in building construction projects across a wide range of performance metrics.…”

Elaborating factors affecting visual control in a big room

“…Visual management that utilises visual tools and visualisation methodologies is an increasingly used means to support the control and management of complex construction projects. The crucial role of visual elements in facilitating information sharing and communication across individuals and organisations in co-locational working spaces such as Big Rooms has been acknowledged in prior literature (Kokkonen and Vaagaasar, 2017). Despite its acknowledged practical relevance and potential in communicating project-based and accurate information to various stakeholders, only few studies to date (Tezel et al, 2016;Williams, 2015) have addressed the factors and elements that actually facilitate proper visual control in the context of a multi-organisational co-locational space.…”

“…These focus on technological infrastructure, the planning of the meetings, time management, the prioritisation of issues to be addressed, the use of integrated concurrent engineering (ICE), space planning and the arrangement of people in the space. In addition, Kokkonen and Vaagaasar (2017) particularly emphasise the planning of physical and social space and proper facilitation and leadership to support collaboration in multi-party construction projects. In their explorative study on the role of co-locational space and its use in collaborative projects, Bosch-Sijtsema and Tjell (2017) make empirical observations about the use of Last Planner, one of the most commonly-used tools in Big Room environments.…”

Influence of Integrated Teams and Co-Location to Achieve the Target Cost in Building Projects

“…To solve these kinds of problems, integration strategies and solutions have been proposed, such as involving the main participants of the project from early stages to develop the objectives of the project as a whole (Forgues, Koskela, and Lejeune, 2008;Reed et al, 2017). Within these solutions, many times the proposed way of working includes that project members who are part of different organizations share the same physical space (Kokkonen and Vaagaasar, 2018). This variable "workspace" according to research is used to improve efficiency and reduce waste in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) projects revealing great advantages (Majava, Haapasalo, and Aaltonen, 2019).…”

“…There are models that propose that using collaborative design, requirements management, and collaborative spaces achieved a company with a better value proposition (Alhava et al, 2015). In addition solutions such as the location of the members of a project in collaborative spaces (co-location), can increase collaboration (Kokkonen and Vaagaasar, 2018;Tezel, Aziz, Koskela, and Tzortzopoulos, 2016). Also the integration of the teams and the achievement of collaboration is important to have a successful project that generates value and customer satisfaction (Choi, Yun, Leite, and Mulva, 2019;Lee, Tommelein, and Ballard, 2010;Forgues, Koskela, and Lejeune, 2008).…”