Potential of Total Cycle Time Compression in Construction: Focus on Program Development and Design

Time compression is a widely accepted approach to improving customer service levels while minimizing total costs. However, few applications within the construction sector exist, especially in relation to the early stages of program development and design. These stages are of paramount importance because of the resultant ramifications on the total cycle time of the entire construction project, in the form of changes, rework, waste, and risk. Most applications of time compression focus on quantifying and removing nonvalue adding time from business processes. This is difficult for program development and the design stages of construction because most information sources are qualitative. As a result, a methodology has been developed to identify the key areas of potential improvement during these early stages. Collection of opinion data via semistructured interviews, questionnaires, and a workshop with a cross section of supply chain members has made it possible to quantify the potential improvements. The action research findings have been summarized into a time-compression model for the program development stages in the format of two interlinked cause and effect diagrams. These further emphasize the need for effective program development to minimize the risks of project overrun.