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- Transforming the MEDCOM Facilities/Construction
Management Environment into an Information Environment
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- Kenneth Sullivan, Ph.D. and Dean
Kashiwagi, Ph.D., P.E. and Marie
Kashiwagi
- Performance Based
Studies Research Group (PBSRG)
- Arizona
State
University
- Tempe, AZ
- Jacob Kovel, Ph.D
- Central Connecticut State University
- Hartford, CT
- Charles Egbu, Ph.D
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Built Environment
- Glasgow Caledonian University
- Glasgow, Scotland, UK
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The US Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) is transforming its
facility management/construction procurement program to an information-based,
outsourcing procurement system that results in accountability, efficiency, and
high performance. To transform the current, owner-directed, managed and
inspected process to an outsourcing process, MEDCOM is using the concepts of
the Best Value Environment, the Information Measurement Theory (IMT), and
successful business practices, such as: Peter Drucker’s information worker;
Deming’s outsourcing, continuous improvement, and quality control; and
Maxwell’s concept of leadership and influence in place of management and
control. The research effort is unique in that it moves the construction
environment from a low-bid, inefficient environment to a best value, high
performance environment. The concepts being implemented have been developed
over the last ten years. Preliminary results validate the problem and
hypothesis that the major source of poor construction performance stems from
the client or owner’s delivery system.
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- Keywords:
procurement, best value, information, outsourcing
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- Introduction
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- The construction industry has had
performance issues for the past twenty years (Butler 2002, CIB 2003, Egan
1998, Herbsman et al. 1992, Russell 1991). The construction industry and
construction research programs worldwide have assumed that the problem is
industry generated (from GC’s, subs, and vendors), resulting in more client
management, inspection, direction, and different delivery systems
(design-build (DB), construction management at risk (CM@Risk), privately
financed initiatives (PFI), indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ),
job order contracting (JOC), and design, build, and maintain or operate).
Other efforts to improve performance have included lean construction,
partnering, construction management, and supply chain management. However,
none of the above efforts are based on testing using the scientific method
(logical hypothesis that is tested, results analyzed and documented with
performance numbers, and the hypothesis validated or modified). As an
alternative solution for construction performance failure, the Performance
Information Procurement System has been created and tested.
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- The testing of the Performance Information
Procurement System (PIPS) has been unique for the following reasons (PBSRG
2004):
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