Value Stream Mapping (VSM), a Lean tool and Building Information Modelling (BIM) are two contemporary approaches that aim to reduce waste and enhance collaboration in the realization of construction projects. While the principles and practices of both are found to benefit construction processes; there are limited studies that elucidate their synergies and demonstrate the value...

Early Design Collaboration in construction projects can be hampered by misunderstandings between team members. Consequently, design actions are not supported by all, causing delays and frustration. This paper presents a study aiming to capture (a) misunderstandings between participants at early design stages, and (b) how these individuals resolved such misunderstandings through shared understanding. An exploratory...

Compared to other industries, the construction sector has lagged in improving productivity. Effective performance, of which productivity is an indicator, is facilitated by conversation that clearly identifies necessary steps to achieve common goals. The type of language used in productive conversation can be referred to as the language of action; similarly, the term 'linguistic action'...

The communication structures between project participants have a great influence on the success of a project. Some can be described explicitly but most are informal and tacit. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is a tool to identify and model actual social structures with a set of metrics. This paper examines the application of SNA in German...

Healthcare facilities are well known for their complexity. Frequent changes in healthcare processes, as well as the introduction of new technologies, demand changes in the internal layout and in the performance of buildings. Moreover, there are several stakeholders involved, with distinct and sometimes conflicting requirements, including medical staff, patients, visitors, cleaning and maintenance teams, among...