Dynamic Change Management for Fast-Tracking Construction Projects

Uncertainties make construction dynamic and unstable, mostly by creating non value-adding change iterations among construction processes. Particularly, when a project is fast-tracked without proper planning, those change iterations can cause the disruption of the construction process. For this reason, to effectively handle fast-tracking change iterations involved in fast-tracking need to be identified, and the dynamic behavior of construction resulting from those change iterations must be dealt with in a systematic manner. As an effort to address some of these challenging issues in fast-tracking construction, this research paper identifies different change iteration cycles involved in fast-tracking construction and observes the characteristics and behavior patterns of change. All of research findings are incorporated into a cohesive system dynamics model and the model simulation confirms that managerial decisions on change or rework should be made based on the proper assessment of their tradeoff. In addition, a case study of highway and bridge construction projects shows the potential of how fast-tracking construction can benefit from dynamic change management in real world settings.