Analysis of integrated project delivery in the Irish Construction industry

Abstract

The construction industry is complex and suffers from considerable challenges related to Project Delivery Systems (PDS) most notably cost overruns and delays. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) has gained traction in recent years and is lauded to be an effective mechanism to overcome many of these challenges. However, implementing IPD in practice is not an easy endeavor, and there is a need to understand the motivation to adopt it as well as to understand the key challenges and critical success factors for its effective implementation. This exploratory study aims to address this deficit. We capture real-world data from professionals in the Irish construction industry to understand current practices and analyze the perceived challenges and critical success factors for the successful implementation of IPD. Our findings reveal a significant lack of awareness among participants regarding IPD and very low levels of implementation. Issues such as lack of trust, fear of litigation and reluctance to change are the major barriers to implementation. Critical success factors for successful implementation center on establishing integrated systems such as BIM and ensuring that information, process knowledge and organizational teams are integrated.