Developing Application-Based Approach for Effective Communication of Change Orders in Construction Projects Led by SME Construction Firms

Abstract

Effective communication of change order information is still a serious and common issue on construction projects. Ineffective, undocumented, or improperly documented change orders leads to claims which if not resolved timely, causes disputes, arbitrations, and litigations. Paper based change order management approach is time consuming, resource consuming and ineffective as is reported by many researchers. BIM based and Block-Chain based APIs facilitates change order management and claims resolution but due to low education and technicality level in Pakistan construction Industry, these approaches are not implemented specially in small and medium construction firms. There is a need for less costly, easy to adopt and readily available technological approach which reduces time, cost and resources consumption in change order management while simultaneously improves level of change order communication and help in record keeping. This study developed a mobile based change order management tool for effective change order communication and tested the application on a case study project which used paper based traditional change order management approach in past projects. Users were asked about scope and scope definition of change order, quantification of change order, communication of change order information, time and cost requirements of change order management, and management of change order related risks in both traditional paper-based as well as proposed application-based change order management approach. Descriptive analysis (mean and standard deviation) is performed to evaluate responses for both traditional approach and mobile based application approach. Wilcoxon paired test is conducted to evaluate the significance of the difference among these two approaches and Cronbach’s alpha is performed to evaluated internal consistency of questionnaire. Results shows that mobile based change order management improves scope definition of the change order, smoothen Change order communication and quantification, reduces time and cost requirement of Change Order Management as well as makes management of changer order related risks easy. This study concludes that mobile based approach for change order management not only improve communication but also perform record keeping as well as help effectively communicate change order related information while costing little to no money on training and operation.