Development of a readiness assessment model for concurrent engineering in construction

Abstract

Ongoing research and development into the implementation of concurrent engineering(CE) within the construction industry have made researchers think how to make CE implementation better, more effective, and more efficient. This has led researchers to investigate CE implementation efforts within other industry sectors, which suggest to carryout a CE readiness assessment of a construction organisation before the adoption of some CE aspects within the industry that has facilitated the CE adoption in other industries. Now the problem is that there is no model or tool available, which will help in assessing the readiness of the organisation. Therefore, this paper discusses the development of a CE readiness assessment model for the construction industry. It also includes a comparative review of existing readiness assessment tools and models that have been specifically developed and successfully used in the manufacturing andIT sectors. It argues that readiness assessment of a construction organisation is a necessity for the implementation of CE in construction and assesses the applicability of existing tools and models to the construction industry. And finally the development of a new readiness assessment model for the construction industry called “BEACON” is presented.