Exploring the Significance of Change Management in Construction Projects

Projects in Construction

A construction project is a brief and purposeful undertaking initiated to create a unique product, service, or outcome (PMI, 2008). Such projects are typically designed to achieve a specific and well-defined goal, characterized by a finite timeline and a non-repetitive sequence of events (Atkinson 1999). Any project can be defined through its objectives/goals, performance expectations, cost and the allocated timeline, as illustrated in the figure below

Figure 1: Key parameters associated with a construction project (Source: Atkinson, 1999)

The introduction towards giving due contemplation to project members and partners is key to acquiring accomplishment from the project (Müller & Turner, 2010). Construction-based projects can either be named "one-of-a-kind" in terms of manufacturing or "unreliable" activities (Atkinson 1999). According to CII (1994), there are some basic issues a construction project faces that are totally different from other industrial projects, and which results in the need for modifications and revisions to the original plans;

• Construction projects include numerous stakeholders/teams such as the owners, consultants, designers, constructors, architects, etc.
• The development supply chains are transitory and are based on a particular project.
• Different systems for product delivery are implied, with distinctive styles of project management and costing frameworks being employed. For example, "traditional" (PMA 2008), "management construction" (CII 1994), and "design-build" contracts all employ different techniques of construction and project developments, risk allocations and project costs.
• One-of-a-kind needs to deal with the included lawful contracts and other related records (for instance, change orders)
• Various issues arise at the time of execution of the plans and also in the later phases of construction, which need to be addressed in real time. These unforeseen revisions can cause disputes regarding the original contracts.

Change Management in Construction Projects

In light of the high likelihood of changes occurring in construction projects, it is imperative to investigate the impacts and outcomes of these changes on the teams involved. To accommodate and oversee these changes, alterations to construction activities need to be meticulously planned and executed to ensure that project deliverables remain intact (Lazarus & Clifton, 2001; Cao et al., 2004). Chipulu et al. (2014) argue that project environments are marked by complexity and uncertainty, posing challenges in identifying factors contributing to project success or failure. Kandelousi et al. (2011) and Haughey (2010) further assert that the success or failure of projects is often attributed to factors such as the type of management, project requirements, management practices, or inadequate scope management. However, these analyses frequently overlook the social and human dimensions of project execution.

In the context of mental health dissertation ideas, it's essential to acknowledge that changes and modifications are inherent in construction projects across all phases of development. These changes are often unavoidable and frequent, underscoring the necessity for meticulous consideration in the formulation of construction contracts and procurement management planning. Sun et al. (2004) cited a report from the EPSRC in the UK, revealing that approximately one-third of clients express dissatisfaction with construction projects, primarily due to delays and budget overruns. Neelamkavil et al. (2008) discovered that client dissatisfaction is frequently linked to change requests during project development. Simultaneously, managing these change requests can significantly impact mental health within the construction industry. Conversely, negative changes in project development can lead to substantial issues and disputes among all project stakeholders.

The complexities of construction management, as highlighted by Motawa et al. (2007), become evident when exploring topics in engineering management research. These challenges are prevalent at both the organizational and project levels. Notably, development-related tasks often experience numerous changes, with design modifications being particularly common, especially in the early project phases. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the repercussions of these changes on project management. Sun et al. (2006) further contribute to this discourse by underlining that project changes can arise, even following extensive research conducted during the design development phase, often influenced by the dynamics of the development stage. Erdogan et al. (2005) emphasize that effective project management lies in the ability to adapt to the evolving landscape of construction activities at the project level and efficiently implement change. In addition to managing changes at the project level, construction organizations may find themselves in a position where they must implement organizational-level changes as well.

How to Handle Changes in Construction Projects

Within the scope of topics for the dissertation, Lazarus and Clifton (2001) suggest an intriguing avenue for exploration by delving into the realm of change impacts during project progression. They identify two specific types of impacts, direct and indirect, both of which play a pivotal role in understanding the dynamics of projects. Direct impacts take centre stage, as they are more immediately noticeable than their indirect counterparts. These direct impacts encompass various aspects that are pertinent for dissertation topics, including the need for comprehensive work/activity audits, updates to crucial data such as quantity surveying and materials analyses, effective communication of revisions to other project teams, the allocation of additional time and resources to bring changes to fruition, the redesign and planning of work systems, updates to activity schedules and deliveries, revisions to contractual agreements, and the reevaluation of risk analyses and mitigation plans, among other critical considerations.

The indirect impacts comprise an increased probability of management failures and blunders, expanded wastage in the process from unsuccessful work, lack of team efforts, nature of the item and benefit, reduced profitability, and vulnerability failure to meet the objectives of the projects due to lack of project management. A large portion of the literature review provides guidance, standard operating practices and rules about the way to oversee/avoid such changes. The following are the standards of the powerful CM model developed by CII (1994):

Figure 2: the model to manage changes (Source: CII, 1994)

Given these standards, this model and the calculation are likewise distributed by Ibbs et al. (2001). Also, Lazarus& Clifton (2001) reviewed these standards and algorithms and proposed separate change management (CM) methods for changes amid design improvement, serious post-fixity changes and non-critical post-fixity changes.

More recent research on change management and construction dependency was funded by The EPSRC, which has established a toolkit that empowers clients to deliver a rich portrayal of the change occasion. According to EPSRC (2005), the toolkit blends alter the CM and prediction with the idea of information organization and workflow method. In this context, Love et al. (2002) examine the research in the area of CM through a framework elements point of view and propose that the progress of a project system should be assessed and supervised by the project supervisor/manager as per the accompanying capacities.

Figure 3: Project Change Management. Sources: Adapted from Love et al. (2002)

Moreover, the role of technology in change management is also highly significant. To remove the discrepancies between the clients and construction companies, proper adjustments and design enhancements are effective in supporting management decisions. The study of Faniran et al. 2001 and Lau et al. (2003) indicates that Simultaneous designing planning and manufacturing methodologies are accepted to be more effective in reducing the total changes in design or managing these changes during the stage of development as long as the group have a well-structured system for communication and interest in the client needs. In another study by Issac and Navon (2008), a change control tool (CCT) was proposed to improve the tracking of design changes and to increase the link between clients and the design of projects. In this study, Issac and Navon (2008) concluded that changes can be controlled if clients’ requirements are tackled at the right time. Also, to enhance the correspondence system and handle changes rapidly, many other methodologies in literature tend towards the practices of leading organizations. However, from the literature reviewed, it was observed that the design process needs more consideration since many project changes are due to design changes. Hence, the configuration procedure requires more consideration.