Collaborative Solving Problems Between Consultants and Contractors

During the construction stage, many problems frequently arise especially in large-scale project. Moreover, those problems are extremely needed rapid decision making from the proper authority because the nature of construction projects is dynamic and fast moving. Consultants and contractors that act as center of project communications and collaborations should be able to solve or reduce the negative effects of those problems (Wickham, 1999). For effective and efficient projects, there are several reasons that need proper manners of consultants and contractors for enhancing collaborations especially when contracting problems arise.

In construction project, collaboration is a key for project success, especially when there are contracting problems such as change order, design-related, differing site condition and progress payment. The benefit of timely solving problems is located through all stakeholders. Every party has win-win attitude in for rapidly solved problems that occur during construction stage and lead projects to be effectiveness and efficiency.

Miss Wijittra Mahavarakorn made a study which main objective was to find out treatment methods for collaborative improvement when such problems arise. To achieve the major objectives, four sub-objectives was needed to accomplish such as follows:

1. to identify collaborative attributes related with contracting problems during construction stage;
2. to examine differences in perceptions between consultants and contractors regarding collaborations when contracting problem arise;
3. to investigate collaborative practices to find out between consultants and contractors causing by improper collaborations; and
4. to propose recommendations on how to enhance collaborative problem solving.

Conclusions

According to the collaborative matrix model, this research is logically summarized and divided into two sections that are collaborative perceptions through five collaborative attributes and six contracting problems. For more clarification, findings of consultants and contractors’ perceptions are summarized into the highest and lowest collaborations from collaborative attributes and contracting problems in followings.

Collaborative Perceptions through Collaborative Attributes

In overall, results found that consultants are higher perceptions in collaboration than contractors. Moreover, rationally utilitarian of logical reason in actions and decision making (Rationale) is the highest collaboration by collaborative attributes from consultants and contractors. Moreover, adaptability of consultants and contractors to change themselves in networks and information environment (Adaptability) is the lowest perceptions in collaboration.

a. Rationale: The highest perceptions of rationally utilitarian of logical reason in actions and decision making in contracting problems from consultants and contractors is negotiated price/unit price of varied works. The contracting problem of differing site condition is the lowest perceptions from consultants and contractors.

b. Goal-orientation: The highest perceptions of always concerned a goal in every pursuit in contracting problems from consultants and contractors is error and unclear drawings and specifications. The contracting problem of timely payment is the lowest perceptions from consultants and contractors.

c. Reactivity: The highest perceptions of timely responsive actions in contracting problems from consultants and contractors is differing site condition and timely payment from the owner. The contracting problem of negotiated extra quantities of milestone payment is the lowest perceptions from consultants and contractors.

d. Cooperation: The highest perception of social ability to interact with others in contracting problems from consultants and contractors is negotiated extra quantities of milestone payment. The contracting problem of timely payment is the lowest perceptions from consultants and contractors.

e. Adaptability: The highest perception to change themselves in networks and information environments in contracting problems from consultants and contractors is differing site condition. The contracting problem of timely payment is the lowest perceptions from consultants and contractors.

2. Collaborative Perceptions through Contracting Problems

In overall of contracting problems, results found that consultants are higher perceptions in collaboration than contractors. Moreover, the contracting problem of negotiated price/unit price of varied works is the highest collaboration from consultants and contractors. Moreover, the contracting problem in timely payment from the owner is the lowest perceptions in collaborations of consultants and contractors.

a. Negotiated Price or Unit Price of Varied Works
b. Evaluated Time or Cost Compensations from Change Order Impacts
c. Error and Unclear Drawings and Specifications:
d. Differing Site Condition of under or over Ground
e. Negotiated in Extra Quantities of Milestone Payment between Actual and Contact Document
f. Timely Payment from the Owner

In summary, consultants and contractors’ perceptions are identified into two main perspectives that are collaborations and contracting problems. Results found that rationally utilitarian of logical reason in actions and decision making (Rationale) and ability to change themselves in networks and information environment (Adaptability) are the highest and lowest collaborations from consultants and contractors respectively. For another perspective, the problem in negotiated price/unit price of varied works is the highest collaborations from consultants and contractors. Timely payment from the owner is the lowest collaborations in contracting problems from consultants and contractors. Moreover, consultants perceive in collaboration higher than contractors. There are different perceptions among them in all contracting problems. Therefore, different perceptions are required to treat by consultants and contractors in the proper implications to enhance collaboration among multi-parties.

3. Recommendations for Improvement

For achieving the final objective of this study, the last research objective is completed by proposing treatment methods for consultants and contractors’ improvement through contracting problems as illustrated in figure 1. In the previous section, collaborative manners are provided for both consultants and contractors according with collaborative attributes and contracting problems. In this section, treatment methods are recommended proper collaborations for inter-correlation among consultants and contractors during preplanning and construction stage. Details of treatment methods in six contracting problems for improvement are illustrated in table 1. Benefits of this survey are clearer understanding for consultants and contractors in the existing phenomenon of other perceptions when contracting problems arise. Furthermore, benefits of recommendations utilize for proactive implementations systems of consultants and contractors’ collaborations.

Her thesis abstract is copied and posted below.

ABSTRACT

Due to increasing demand from customers, construction projects are getting more complicated. Therefore, professionals in construction business are forced to enhance their construction skills and competencies in order to effectively deliver projects as customers’ requirements. For that reason, consultants and contractors are a center of collaborations among multi-parties in construction projects for running project smoothly. Therefore, the appropriate collaboration is one of the most essential success factors for project effectiveness. This research is aimed to find out how to enhance collaborations when contracting problems arise.

To achieve the objective of study, collaborative attributes are framed and used to explore existing perceptive practices in contracting problems including rationale, goal orientation, reactivity, cooperation, and adaptability attribute. Contracting problems are focused on change order, design-related, differing site condition, and progress payment. The hypothesis of this research is statistically analyzed by the T-Test method to find out similar or different perceptions among consultants and contractors. Consequently, questionnaire survey was applied from project managers of contractors and consultants’ companies. Additionally, interviews were conducted for in-depth information. The result of collaborative perceptions between contractors and consultants is depicted by Relative Index (R.I.) and the collaborative level.
Results were found that consultants assessed themselves to be more collaboration, when contracting problems arise, than contractors. The hypothesis was statistically tested and demonstrated that there are different perceptions among consultants and contractors in investigated contracting problems. Moreover, findings found that rationale and adaptability are the highest and lowest collaborations respectively. Negotiated price/unit price of varied works is the highest collaborations in contracting perspectives from consultants and contractors. Additionally, the contracting problem of timely payment from the owner is lowest collaborations. Therefore, this research recommends: (1) designing and implementing collaboration management systems for given projects’ environment; and (2) providing clear contracting clauses in contract document for enhancing collaborations for typical contracting problems.