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Organisational structures to support concurrent engineering in construction

Chimay J. Anumba (Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK)
Catherine Baugh (Formerly Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK)
Malik M.A. Khalfan (Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK)

Industrial Management & Data Systems

ISSN: 0263-5577

Article publication date: 1 July 2002

22773

Abstract

The construction industry is plagued by fragmentation of the functions carried out by the various disciplines involved in a project, particularly between the design and construction teams. Concurrent engineering (CE) is seen as a possible means of overcoming this problem. However, for the use of CE to produce the desired benefits, various issues have to be addressed, one of which is the use of appropriate organisational structures. To this effect, this paper explores organisational structures for the implementation of CE in the construction industry. It does so by first reviewing the main principles of, and issues concerning, CE and organisational structures, and by examining the structures which have been proposed for CE by researchers and those which have been used by manufacturing companies in their implementation of CE. By taking into account the peculiarities of the construction industry, this information is used, in conjunction with the results of case studies of companies within the industry, to suggest suitable types of corporate and project level organisational structures to support CE.

Keywords

Citation

Anumba, C.J., Baugh, C. and Khalfan, M.M.A. (2002), "Organisational structures to support concurrent engineering in construction", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 102 No. 5, pp. 260-270. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635570210428294

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited

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