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David Bordoli-Analysis Paralysis
David Bordoli-Analysis Paralysis
Analysis paralysis
David Bordoli*, Driver Consulting
Table of Contents
2006 most useful analysis technique (UK construction contractors and consultants)
Journal Article
Subject
Construction law
Keywords
Construction projects; Delay; Project management; Software
*Const. L.J. 468 If Constructing Excellence's KPI figures1 are anything to go by, the UK construction industry is failing to
improve its ability to predict construction cost and time. Delays and cost overruns now seem to be a fact of life and recent
emphasis has been on how to analyse delays and determine responsibility.
A survey of the UK construction industry,3 originally carried out in 1994 during the development of the technique known as
Time Impact Analysis, has just been repeated4 and it shows, that across the whole of the industry, 86 per cent of respondents
use project management software to analyse project delays. Contractors alone, as expected, are more prolific users with 90
per cent saying
The greatest change is the software used by the industry today. In 1994 the survey identified 19 different project management
software packages in use; the top three most used by contractors were Powerproject (54 per cent), Pertmaster (38 per cent) and
Hornet (21 per cent). Most used more than one type of software.5 In 2006, only six have survived. Powerproject has maintained
and increased its premier position with 71 per cent usage but is now followed by Microsoft Project and Primavera (both at
21 per cent).
The class of 2006 has changed little in its favoured technique, 97 per cent use "as-planned v as-built" and it is the preferred
technique of 54 per cent of users. The newcomer, "time impact analysis", is now the second favourite with 29 per cent of the vote.
2006 most useful analysis technique (UK construction contractors and consultants)
It could be that most delay claims are not suited to the Protocol's favoured technique or that the industry hasn't caught up with the
latest thinking of the experts. This seems to be borne out by the survey, which found that, despite all the publicity the Protocol
received, less than half of contractors were aware of it--but of those that were, virtually all agreed with its aims.6
Better education of practitioners may also raise the awareness of techniques. Worryingly, the most common source of knowledge
is experience and self-teaching, whereas formal undergraduate or post-graduate education is the least likely source.
<FNTI> A version of this article first appeared in Construction Manager (www.constructionmanager. co.uk) and is reproduced
with the kind permission of the publishers thereof. Davis Bordoli, "Analysis Paralysis" (2007) Construction Manager (February)
p23, CPMI. </FNTI>
David Bordoli, Driver Consulting
Footnotes
1 The Constructing Excellence KPI, "Predictability Construction Time', assess the timeliness of service delivery by the contractor/consultant (where
applicable) within the terms of the contract. Jobs completed within the required completion times are expressed as a percentage of the total job
completions. The graph is extracted from the UK Construction Industry Key Performance Indicators 2006 Wall Chart, published by Constructing
Excellence, June 2006.
2 The Society of Construction Law's Delay and Disruption Protocol can be downloaded or purchased at www.eotprotocol.com.
3 David W. Bordoli and Andrew N. Baldwin, "Construction Project Delay Analysis: and the Use of Computers" (1994) Construction Computing
(Autumn) 26.
4 The findings are based on the responses to a postal survey of the UK's top 150 house builders and contractors, the UK's top 200 construction
consultants, 176 chartered building companies and 165 delegates at the 2006 Asta National User Forum (those delegates were not asked questions
about software use). The survey is part of an international research project, "Developing Protocols for Virtual Prototyping", headed by Professor
Andrew Baldwin of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with assistance in the UK from Professor Simon Austin of Loughborough University and
David Bordoli of Driver Consult.
5 The question asked was "what project management software do you use to analyse delays (tick as many as applies)", hence the percentages total
more than 100%. The graph shows the results to the question "what project management software do you use most frequently to analyse delays (tick
one)". This pairing of questions was used in most cases to allow measurement of the scope and the particular.
6 The object of the Protocol is to provide useful guidance on some of the common issues that arise on construction contracts, where one party wishes
to recover from the other an extension of time and/or compensation for the additional time spent and the resources used to complete the project. The
purpose of the Protocol is to provide a means by which the parties can resolve these matters and avoid unnecessary disputes.
7 Skanska Construction UK Ltd v Egger (Barony) Ltd [2004] EWHC 1748 (TCC). The judgment in this case is available at www.bailii.org/ew/cases/
EWHC/TCC/2004/1748.html, reference to the size of the expert's report can be found at [415].
8 This was reported in the Society of Construction Law's November 2006 Newsletter, available at www.scl.org.uk/news/nls/nl 0611.php.