Work Structuring to Achieve Integrated Product–Process Design

This paper presents “work structuring,” a term used to describe the effort of integrating product and process design throughout the project development process. To illustrate current work structuring practice, we describe a case study involving the installation of door frames into walls in a prison. We analyze why various problems existed. To improve the work structuring effort, we apply the “five whys” to develop local and global fixes for the system of precast walls and door frames. The five whys is a technique to elicit alternative ways of structuring work without being constrained by contractual agreements, traditions, or trade boundaries. We discuss the importance of dimensional tolerances in construction and how these affect the handoff of work from one group of workers to the next. We argue that these constraints and tolerance management practices are so embedded that project participants can miss opportunities to better integrate product and process design. We propose shifting the focus of work structuring from maximizing local trade efficiency to improving overall performance in the delivery system of a capital project.