A Knowledge Management Portal System for Construction Projects Using Knowledge Map

Knowledge management (KM) has become an important term in the construction industry. Knowledge management involves creating, securing, capturing, coordinating, combining, retrieving, and distributing knowledge. Most know-what, know-how, and experience exists only in the minds of individual participants during the construction phase of construction projects. The knowledge can be reused and shared among the involved engineers and experts to improve the construction process and reduce the time and cost of solving problems. Sharing and reusing knowledge depends on acquiring and preserving of both tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge as the property of a corporation. This study addresses application of knowledge management in the construction phase of construction projects and proposes a construction activity-based knowledge management (ABKM) concept and system for general contractors. This chapter proposes a practical methodology to capture and represent construction project knowledge by using knowledge maps. Using knowledge maps, users can get an overview of available and missing knowledge in core project areas and take appropriate management in tacit and explicit knowledge. Also, a Web-based system is developed to assist and present project-related knowledge by providing keyword and map search on the Internet environment. The ABKM system is then applied in a case study of a construction precast building project in Taiwan to verify our proposed methodology and demonstrate the effectiveness of sharing knowledge special in the construction phase. By effectively using information and Web technologies during the construction phase of a project, knowledge can be captured and managed to benefit future projects. The combined results demonstrate that an ABKM-like system can be an effective tool for all experts and engineers participating in construction projects by utilising the knowledge management concept and Web technology.

Evaluating an Organisation's Learning Culture Using Learning Histories

This research describes a recently developed approach to organisational learning known as “learning history”. Learning history involves the analysis and reflection on project experiences and business processes. The learning history of a construction industry organisation is documented and the outcomes of the learning history are used to evaluate the organisation’s methods of acquiring and managing knowledge. This learning history technique is applied in a practical setting to a case study of the Tasmanian State Public Health Sector, Australia. The findings of the learning history are used to evaluate the organisation’s knowledge management in order to evaluate its “learning culture”. The organisation developed new learning capabilities and learning history is a practical tool for organisational learning which can be widely used for knowledge transfer. Fostering knowledge management leads, indirectly, to more efficient and effective processes. In order to sustain the organisation’s learning culture then, improvement of its organisational learning style, the learning process (knowledge management), and its organic learning style is necessary.

Community of Practice Software Management Tools

This chapter provides insights from a large UK construction organisation case study where communities of practice have been supported through use of a software tool and management approach that encourages their spread across the organisation. We provide a descriptive characterisation of what the community of practice (COP) software tool does, how it evolved, and anecdotal evidence from interviews with its users of its value to the UK case study organisation. We recognise the need to investigate COP value generation more formally, and we have developed a research proposal to undertake further work in a collaborative study with industry to provide useful COP performance measures to be undertaken. This chapter provides valuable insights from several years’ reflection upon the tool’s use and application, and we highlight both drivers and barriers to its deployment. The objective was to provide a practical example of what COP management tools could and should address.

Capturing and Reusing Building Maintenance Knowledge

Knowledge is regarded as the most important asset for sustainable success in today’s knowledge-based economy, and it has become the main competitive tool for many businesses. Proper capture and reuse of knowledge reduces the risk of “reinventing the wheel.” Building surveyors play a major role in building maintenance. Owing to the unique nature of building maintenance, building surveyors need sufficient knowledge and experience to facilitate their decision-making process. Apart from gaining this knowledge and experience by direct participation, learning from others is a sound alternative. However, insufficiencies have been found in the current practice on this aspect, and thus the aim of this chapter is to study whether a proposed Web-based prototype knowledge management system would be a feasible solution for capturing and reusing knowledge and experience in building maintenance. A questionnaire survey was conducted in this research to study the opinions of professional building surveyors on the capture and reuse of knowledge and experience in building maintenance, as well as the requirements of a proposed Web-based prototype system.

Configurable Environments

Configurable environments are presented as a specific vision for information technologies to support design and construction professionals. Configurable environments combine data integration capabilities with visualization and analysis tools in a format customized to the needs of specific users and projects. A key component of the approach is the deployment of formal user models to direct configuration of generalized tools and distributed data. This chapter details the need for and technical aspects of the configurable environments approach in the context of an illustrative case study of construction space management. Issues with current practice and implications for future practice are discussed in the context of project professionals’ information processing and evaluative capabilities and needs. Also discussed is the relationship of the configurable environments approach to current technologies and to broader visions for information technology development in design and construction.

Decision Support Systems and their Application in Construction

Decisions are activities that we face and deal with every day. Decision support systems are used to support and improve decision making. They help people make better and faster decisions than they could make themselves. The construction industry witnessed a growth in the application of knowledge-based expert systems in the eighties and early nineties, followed by the application of fuzzy, artificial neural networks and hybrid (integrated) systems. Potential applications of the Internet in the construction industry have generated many research projects recently. The purpose of this chapter is to understand decision support systems and their basic technologies, and to review their application in the construction industry. The construction industry is rapidly realising the need to integrate information technology and artificial intelligence into its processes in order to remain competitive.

The Culture of the Knowledge Advantage (K-Adv)

This chapter introduces a concept ‘the knowledge advantage’ (K-Adv) that describes a model in which knowledge leadership provides the setting in which an organisation’s knowledge vision can be developed and activated. This is supported by a people infrastructure that allows people to effectively create and share knowledge. This infrastructure is further supported by an information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure. This chapter also provides examples of how the K-Adv can be developed, and several tools are illustrated for this purpose. These include using a soft systems methodology (SSM) approach as part of developing the knowledge leadership vision and how the K-Adv can be used for benchmarking at both a course and fine-grained level. The contribution that this chapter makes is to provide some strategic and practical tactical tools that companies can use to develop their competitive advantage.

HRM Strategies for Promoting Knowledge Sharing within Construction Project Organisations

Construction projects present an extremely challenging context for exchanging knowledge, as information must flow across both project and professional interfaces. This chapter explores innovative solutions to encouraging knowledge sharing within a large construction company based in Hong Kong. The techniques used comprised a sophisticated combination of HRM approaches aimed at breaking down barriers to open communication and reciprocal knowledge exchange. These were supported by a bespoke intranet-based knowledge repository to allow access to knowledge as it was captured from employees’ project experiences. The case study demonstrates that, whilst all of the approaches could facilitate knowledge sharing and management within the construction project environment, to be effective they must be underpinned by a supportive culture, effective communication structures, and appropriate HRM practices. A policy framework is proposed which attempts to align reward and appraisal systems, work processes, and organisation design in a way that encourages knowledge sharing in other large construction firms.

An Integrative Knowledge Management System for Environmental-Conscious Construction

This chapter introduces an integrative knowledge management prototype named E+ for environmental-conscious construction based on a comprehensive integration of current environmental management (EM) techniques and tools in construction. The overall objective is to apply the theory of knowledge management (KM) in EM in construction, and the authors will achieve it though developing the E+ model and its tools for dynamic EM in construction. The approaches applied in this chapter include system analysis and development, literature review, questionnaire survey and interview, and case study. The results from this chapter include the E+, a comprehensive review of EM tools adopted in construction, and a demonstration of the implementation of the E+. Furthermore, the authors hope that the adoption and implementation of the E+ can effectively improve contractors’ performance in EM and reduce adverse environmental impacts in construction.

Community of Practice Software Management Tools

This chapter describes an action research project, Building a High Value Construction Environment (B-Hive), involving: two major construction clients, a privatised utility company (Thames Water), and a major leisure services provider (Whitbread Hotels); a large construction company (Taylor Woodrow); two leading construction consultancy firms; and Leeds Metropolitan University and London School of Economics. The research method, action research, was particularly appropriate for this project because it promoted learning and understanding through action and reflection, culminating in the production of a workshop-based approach that facilitates externalisation of knowledge and organisational learning. The approach facilitated the sharing of knowledge amongst construction project partners that would traditionally be very protective, and even adversarial, towards each other.