Process Reengineering using Activity Theory and Domain Mapping Matrix Method in Delivering Public Construction Projects

Abstract

The complexity of modern construction projects has been increasing due to the increased number of design disciplines, stakeholders, process and tools. In public project delivery, these complexities are further increased due to the existence of additional bureaucratic procedures. These decade old processes and the bureaucratic procedures left with dysfunctionalities, redundancies and non-value adding process wastes to the project outcome. This in-turn has a significant adverse knock on effect on the public project delivery in time, cost and quality outcomes. Hence, understanding the existing interactions and its complexity among the project delivery elements such as process, people and deliverables in public project delivery are paramount important to modifying the same to obtain the desired outcome based on the dynamic industry needs. In this proposed research, an example public project delivery department’s existing workflow was captured using activity theory. Further, the existence of various people, process, deliverables and their interactions in the project delivery process were identified through an IDEF0 models. The identified project delivery elements and its interactions were then analyzed using a Multi Domain Mapping (MDM) method to evaluate against process dysfunctionalities, redundancies and wastes. In addition, the study also proposed an improved process flow by eliminating the above said discrepancies through a structured business process-reengineering framework. Further, the study validates the proposed framework through expert interview on the modifications made in project delivery elements. The proposed framework will be a guideline/ reference for similar business process reengineering exercise towards a public project delivery process in this region or in a similar context. © 2019 The Authors. Published by Budapest University of Technology and Economics & Diamond Congress Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Creative Construction Conference 2019.