Cost Information Model for Managing Multiple Projects
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 133, Issue 12
Abstract
Construction companies must deal with several projects at once, but a system to manage multiple projects is not fully developed yet. The first step towards developing such system is to design an information model that is suitable for managing multiple projects. This paper presents the cost-based project modeling (CBPM) method in contrast to the traditional activity-based project modeling methods. The CBPM uses cost as a core of the model along with other project information organized around it. The CBPM serves as a platform for integrating project information from multiple projects. Various types of construction costs are hierarchically modeled to generate corporate-wide information such as project performances, cash flows, and other predictive indicators. Based on the information model, an object-oriented database was developed to contain cost data across several projects. In the model, a module that connects to external systems is built into the model to enhance interactivity with the legacy systems and the industry standards. A prototype system was developed and tested with actual project data to validate the information processing capabilities of the model. The findings from the test indicate construction cost can be an excellent medium that can organize various types of information of multiple projects.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 133 • Issue 12 • December 2007
Pages: 966 - 974
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 14, 2006
Accepted: Apr 19, 2007
Published online: Dec 1, 2007
Published in print: Dec 2007
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