Even though most documents are generated electronically, today’s project management processes are still characterized by a largely manual exchange of information based on paper documents. Project teams could benefit from software technology that has been developed to integrate design, cost, and schedule information. Some of these benefits include the automatic generation of quantity take-offs directly from design drawings, improved visualization of construction schedules, improved coordination of construction disciplines, and improved communication between design and construction. This technology has existed for some time and research has shown that it is technically feasible. However, we are not aware of a project team that has accomplished design, cost and schedule integration in a collaborative environment on an actual construction project. The Sequus Pharmaceuticals Pilot Plant is a project where a project team has implemented design, cost, and schedule integration and it forms the basis of our case study. On this bio-tech facility, a design-build team consisting of a design firm, a General Contractor, and three subcontractors has jointly developed a common 3D model from the very start of the project to link with cost estimating and scheduling software. The electronic integration of design and cost information was accomplished through the CAD-estimate link developed by Ketiv and Timberline. Design and schedule integration (4D, 3D + time) was accomplished through Jacobus Technology's Schedule Simulator. This case has provided us the opportunity to investigate the status of commercial design, cost and schedule integration software and to understand the resource requirements necessary to accomplish these tasks on an actual project. This study suggests that owners, designers and builders of facilities will need to develop new skills and implement organizational changes to take advantage of the benefits offered by this technology and to stay competitive in this changing market. Specifically, general contractors will need to learn how to manipulate 3D CAD models, work more closely with the designers in design development, and provide input on how to model designs in 3D so that the CAD models are more usable by constructors. Subcontractors will also need to learn design software, as they will be performing more detailed design, working more closely with the architects and engineers through the design process, and addressing coordination issues early in design development. Designers will need to focus more on the overall design and coordination of design tasks and less on detailed design. Finally, owners will need to bring a project team together early in the project to capitalize on the benefits of this technology.
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