Reporting the successful timing of pre-construction services in the New Zealand construction industry - development of a visualisation tool

Abstract

The use of Pre-Construction Services (PCS), also known as Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) in construction projects has become common internationally due to the various advantages it offers in complex projects. What remains an open question to researchers and government organisations is defining the optimal time to engage in it. This paper develops a methodology that reports on the successful timing of PCS use in New Zealand. This methodology and findings can assist the industry in determining when to appropriately engage a contractor for PCS in New Zealand. Reporting on the successful timing of PCS can help the industry avoid costly pitfalls when engaging in PCS too early or too late. This approach could be extended to an international audience. The timing of PCS and project complexity are closely related. For this paper data was collected in two rounds. Firstly, an online survey was used to determine weights for complexity factors, then a visualization tool was developed and refined using 29 case study projects derived from semi-structured interviews. The results show that there is a relationship between the timing of PCS, the project complexity, and the scale of a project. Additionally, findings show that PCS is not always related to the procurement method. For example, Design-Bid-Build (DBB) projects can still receive valuable PCS to make them successful through fair risk allocation. PCS can have an impact on the contract terms. Each project was given a complexity ranking based on the information given by the interviewees during semi-structured interviews. While the semi-structured interviews were extensive, the information is only as accurate as the recollection of the participant. This risk was minimised by the prequalification of the participants. The findings of this research will assist clients in determining when the best time is to engage PCS. Independent of the procurement model, and will assist clients in maximising the value that the contractor can bring to construction projects.