The coordination of specialists is a challenging management task especially when they are drawn from multiple, independent companies, each of them performing a specialized role in an extended value chain with no a priori guarantees for future collaboration. Construction projects offer a challenging combination of product development and value chain production problems. Designing and building a biotechnology laboratory, a microelectronics plant, or a chemical processing facility involves a chain of specialists, from the architects and engineers who develop the design and specifications to the equipment and materials suppliers and finally the numerous specialty trade contractors who install the equipment. Learning how to transform such complex, temporary organizations into quality organizations poses interesting and challenging difficulties and can serve as a testing ground for the development of concepts and techniques having a broader range of application. This research focuses on conducting a series of `Plan Do Study Act` experimentation cycles with Industrial Design Corporation (IDC), a major design/build firm with projects throughout the world and an outstanding record for constructing microelectronics facilities. The UC Berkeley/IDC team will jointly explore alternative processes for specialty contractor selection and preparation, and will test alternative processes for production planning and control during project execution. Techniques from lean manufacturing will be adapted and tested in the construction industry. Discrete event simulation computer models will be developed to mimic industry practices and allow for further experimentation with alternative production control techniques. The research is expected to produce models for specialty contractor management that can will be applicable to the broader range of issues that emerge from the task of coordinating specialists.
