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Towards the implementation of a documentation strategy for design decisions in civil engineering projects : an assessment

Daccache, P. (2020) Towards the implementation of a documentation strategy for design decisions in civil engineering projects : an assessment.

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Abstract:Implementing a new strategy in civil engineering projects can be a tough challenge due to for example the traditional ways of working. Civil engineering literature characterizes strategy implementation at project level as difficult and there is yet more to learn on this topic. This study was conducted at an engineering consulting firm that experienced difficulties with implementing a documentation strategy for design decisions in infrastructure projects. The purpose of this research was to assess why there were difficulties with implementing this strategy and to provide recommendations to overcome these barriers. A theoretical framework was developed based on the implementation of different construction industry methodologies in the past decade, Change Management and Project Management. The theoretical framework was then confronted with three infrastructure projects conducted by the engineering consulting firm by means of pattern matching. Findings show that a specific approach for implementing a documentation strategy for design decisions at project level is missing in current practices. The results show that implementers experience several obstacles during implementation, such as resistance by employees, lack of management support and the inability of change agents to fulfill implementation tasks. This research proposes recommendations to enhance the implementation process in the form of an implementation guideline. The aim of the implementation guideline is to facilitate project members with a structured and practical approach for strategy implementation, with a specific focus on a documentation strategy for design decisions. The guideline addresses five processes and nine building blocks that consist of checklists to guide implementers through the implementation process from start to finish. The implementation guideline has been validated by experts working at the engineering consulting firm.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:ET: Engineering Technology
Subject:56 civil engineering
Programme:Construction Management and Engineering MSc (60337)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/84838
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