Identifying private construction project owner inefficiencies that affect project goals

Construction project owners play a critical role in the pre-construction, construction and post-construction phases of a construction project. Their role on the team has not been properly analyzed to inform owner employers of the shortcomings project owners may display during a project. In order to identify these inefficiencies, project teammates have been asked to evaluate owners’ responsibilities and actions, specifically those that display a need for improvement. Designers and contractors were asked to participate in this research study. The study began with a series of two surveys, followed up by a comprehensive interview. The surveys asked the designers and contractors to identify, define, and label the frequency of project owner areas of improvement, as they relate to the four construction project goals: quick schedule, low cost, high quality, and effective citizenship behavior. The interviews helped explain specific inefficiency incidents to gather realistic understandings of how they affect a construction project. Industry case studies were written, and a team member satisfaction survey was created to provide tools for project owner employers to use in their education and training efforts. The most frequent owner inefficiencies that occur on construction projects include making various changes to the original scope and design, unrealistic or compressed schedules, ill-defined project scopes, insufficient or incomplete budgets, lack of proper communication with team members, missed deadlines or delaying responses, lack of trust among team members, and focusing only on the initial cost when choosing products and equipment for a project.