Benchmark Performance Metrics for Integrated Project Delivery
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 142, Issue 9
Abstract
The construction industry is fraught with waste and inefficiencies resulting in projects often failing to meet owners’ expectations. Integrated project delivery (IPD) is the newest project delivery system (PDS) and changes the traditional roles and relationships of key project stakeholders. Through increased early collaboration, IPD attempts to eliminate waste and deliver the highest-value projects to owners. It is seen as a potential solution to many of the challenges impeding successful project performance. However, a transformational move toward IPD has yet to reach a tipping point, and its use is not prevalent throughout the construction industry. Little research has been done to quantitatively analyze IPD compared with the more commonly used delivery methods. Through substantial collection of quantitative project performance data and univariate statistical analysis, this study fills the gap in PDS research by evaluating the effects of IPD on building construction projects across a wide range of performance metrics from the perspective of general contractors and construction managers. This research demonstrates that IPD/near-IPD outperformed non-IPD projects with respect to performance in communication, change management, and business performance areas. Communication was found superior in terms of the number of requests for information (RFIs) per million dollars; change management in terms of change-order processing time; and business performance in terms of a project’s impact on company image and the potential for return business. A new term called project quarterback rating (PQR), which combines key performance metrics, was used to quantitatively evaluate overall performance. Statistically significant evidence of the overall superior performance of IPD/near-IPD compared with non-IPD projects was found. These results should encourage owners to consider the use of IPD, or IPD principles in conjunction with other delivery methods, in future capital facilities endeavors.
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Acknowledgments
This research would not have been possible without the generous and selfless contributions from forward-thinking industry professionals. Their willingness to volunteer countless hours to provide project data for this endeavor is greatly appreciated. Dr. Wei Yin-Loh, a professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provided expert mentorship and analytical advice throughout this research.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 142 • Issue 9 • September 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 21, 2015
Accepted: Jan 5, 2016
Published online: Mar 16, 2016
Discussion open until: Aug 16, 2016
Published in print: Sep 1, 2016
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