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Assessing the impact of project brief clarity using project definition rating index tool and system dynamic

journal contribution
posted on 2022-02-02, 00:00 authored by Ali Vahabi, Farnad NasirzadehFarnad Nasirzadeh, Anthony MillsAnthony Mills
Purpose: Briefing in a project delivery context is one of the most critical factors in the project success. It defines client requirements, translates these needs into design criteria and generates a design concept. A lack of briefing clarity is one of the main causes of design changes and may lead to project cost and time overruns. This research aims to assess the brief clarity and its influence on project cost and duration. Design/methodology/approach: This research created the PDRI-SD technique by utilising a system dynamic (SD) approach and project definition rating index (PDRI) tool to model the complex system of project briefing and associated variables. Stock and flow diagrams of the main subsystems including the briefing, the detailed design and the construction process, were developed to assess the influence of brief clarity on project cost and time. The PDRI was adopted to measure the briefing clarity and apply in the model. PDRI-SD was then tested in Australian building refurbishment projects to assess the model's effectiveness. Findings: The simulation results indicated that a minor reduction of the lack of clarity throughout the initial briefing process could significantly mitigate unpredicted delay and cost overruns during the detailed design and the construction stage. Originality/value: This research contributed to the existing body of knowledge by developing an effective technique to measure the impact of lack of brief clarity on project cost and time performance. PDRI-SD can also aid project clients to predict the influence of the initial defined brief on the detailed design and construction process using the historical data of similar previous projects. It provides clients with feedback, indicating whether the brief meets project requirements or whether parts of the project brief require more clarification/rectification before the project handover to the builders.

History

Journal

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

Pagination

1 - 17

Publisher

Emerald Publishing Limited

Location

Bingley, England

ISSN

0969-9988

Notes

In press

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal