Quantifying engineering project scope for productivity modeling

A poor scope definition in an engineering design project disrupts project rhythm, causes rework, increases project time and cost, and lowers the productivity and morale of the workforce. A quantitative measurement of the project scope is the basis for productivity modeling that involves the measurement, estimation, control, and evaluation of productivity. This paper proposes a conceptual model, the quantitative engineering project scope definition (QEPSD), to standardize the measurement of engineering project scope in construction projects, within a computer aided design environment. The QEPSD quantitatively measures engineering project scope, in terms of the complexity of design items by defining design categories and complexity functions appropriate to the particular discipline. The proposed method was originally verified and implemented specifically for steel drafting projects. Actual data was analyzed and used to demonstrate the benefits of historical data prepared using QEPSD for project scope definition. It was found that the new method led to increased utilization of previously untapped values in historical data, improving the accuracy of project scope definition, and productivity modeling. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential benefits of adopting the QEPSD method, and its implications upon various project management functions.