Capture and Reuse of Project Knowledge in Construction

Citation

Zehra Waheed (2016), "Capture and Reuse of Project Knowledge in Construction", Facilities, Vol. 34 No. 1/2, pp. 117-118. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-07-2015-0050

Construction projects produce huge amounts of knowledge – but knowledge that is typically not collected and disseminated for the purpose of learning, value creation and innovation. Characterised by a fragmented supply chain and the employment of unique project teams that disband and re-form each time, construction projects provide a classic context of environments which have difficulty capturing knowledge for learning. These characteristics make efforts to “learn” from projects a process that is usually undertaken only after project closure, or near closure at best. While this knowledge capture is useful for future undertakings of a similar nature and can be disseminated through communities of practice, training and other forms of interaction, the usefulness of this know-how within the “live” project remains impossible.

This book is a valuable contribution in the sense that it highlights the significance of live “capture” or learning during construction projects. Even more importantly, it offers a process and a tool for practitioners that makes this a real possibility. The volume also discusses current practice of retrospective learning in construction projects, the nature of knowledge management processes generally practiced in the sector as well as the significance of tacit knowledge acquisition and sharing in project context per se.

The use of IT in various areas of construction such as process control, on-site safety, (among others) is a growing, exciting field. The research undertaking presented in the book offers an IT software that can capture “live” project knowledge with ease and minimal effort on part of the users. Such a tool could prove to be extremely useful in obtaining and sharing knowledge without a lot of administrative burden (another reason why practitioners avoid capturing knowledge during the project itself). The discussion that leads on from here is important in that it also identifies the types of re-useable project knowledge in construction and how each can be effectively captured and shared through the IT software developed.

This volume would be a good read for practitioners and academics alike, especially those who have been exploring ways to learn from projects while they are still being undertaken so that efficiencies can be brought about in the same. The text is crisp and the chapters well structured so that the reader is able to go straight to the meat of the matter. This is not a textbook but can be useful in courses that explore learning in construction.