Necessary and unnecessary complexity in construction

Pannanen, A; Koskela, LJ

Abstract

The nature of complexity varies as construction progresses. This paper presents concepts and practices with which project (knowledge) management must foster complexity when it is necessary and dampen complexity when it is unnecessary in order to generate value and control time and costs. Complexity management has to be adjusted to the current state of the project.
Before and during programming the building as a solid object can not be predicted; the user activities, extent, mass and materials are unknown. We might renovate, build a new building or we might not invest at all. The problem is inductive since there are several correct answers, not right or wrong but good or poor. After design and before on-site construction we know the object and its performances, the single “right answer” for construction. The system is deductive. The building process is initially inductive and becomes predominantly deductive, being complex all the time.
The destruction of an inductive system can be avoided only if there is enough variety in the controller. Only a management system which contains variation can produce
alternatives in a creative way to keep to goals in spite of disturbance. It is called necessary or requisite variety. If a problem “do we need an activity?” is dealt with
simultaneously as the question “where would it be located in a plan?”, there are limitless possible alternatives. If we first answer “no” to the first question, there are
no alternatives left. Does the “Where it will be” answer create more valuable information to the question “do we need it”? If not, the variables are orthogonal.
Combining orthogonal variables causes more iterations and can be called unnecessary complexity.
In the beginning of construction the building as an object can be predicted. However, due to the peculiarities of construction, there is a lot of complexity confronting the
production phase. The issue is to consider whether any peculiarity could be eliminated or at least reduced. In operations management, three different conceptualizations should be simultaneously used: production as transformation, flow and value generation. From these, the transformation model is in an auxiliary position, whereas the flow model addresses the time-dependent complexity and value generation addresses the time-independent complexity. In the framework of these conceptualizations, the insights and principles of complexity thinking should be applied as appropriate.

Citation

Pannanen, A., & Koskela, L. (2005, September). Necessary and unnecessary complexity in construction. Presented at The 1st International Conference on Built Environment Complexity, Liverpool UK

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: The 1st International Conference on Built Environment Complexity
• Conference Location: Liverpool UK
• Start Date: Sep 11, 2005
• End Date: Sep 14, 2005
• Publication Date: Sep 11, 2005
• Deposit Date: Jun 21, 2010
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 5, 2016
• Keywords: Complexity, project management, knowledge management, workplace planning
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference; References : Ashby, W. Ross (1956). An introduction to cybernetics. Chapman & Hall, London. Internet (1999): <http://pcp.vub.ac.be/books/IntoCyb.pdf> Bertelsen, S. (2004) Complexity management in a complexity perspective. 1st international SCRI Symposium. March 30th – 31st 2004 Haahtela, Y. (1980). Talonrakennushankkeiden normaalihintamenettely (Target costing methodology for building projects). Helsinki University of Technology, Construction Economics and Management (in Finnish only). Koskela, L. (2000). An exploration towards a production theory and its application to construction. VTT Publications 408, Espoo, Finland. Koskenvesa, A., Koskela, L. (2005). Introducing Last PlannerTM : Finnish Experiences. CIB conference, Helsinki Lorenz, E.N. (1963). Deterministic nonperiod flow. Journal of the atmospheric sciences 20/1963. Nicolis, John S. (1998). Chaos and information processing. World Scientific. Niukkanen, I. (1980). Rakennussuunnittelun sisällön ohjaustekijät. Helsinki University of Technology. Pennanen, A. (2004). Workplace planning - User Activity-Based Workspace Definition as an Instrument for Workplace Management in Multi-user Organizations. Department of Architecture, University of Tampere, Finland. Internet (2004): http://www.haahtela.fi Pennanen, A. (1999). Rakennushankkeen tilamitoitus. (Dimensioning the spaces) Rakennustieto, Helsinki (in Finnish only). Pennanen, A., Haahtela, Y., Väänänen, H. Workplace planning and target costing techniques in project and facility management. CIB conference Helsinki 2005 Suh, N.P. (2005) Complexity, Theory and applications. Oxford university press Suh, N.P. (1990) Axiomatic design. Oxford university press Vrijhoef, R., Koskela L. (2005). Revisiting the peculiarities of construction. IGLC13, Sydney Whelton, M. (2004). The Development of Purpose in the Project Definition Phase of Construction Projects - Implications for Project Management. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley. Internet (2004) http://www.leanconstruction.org/pdf/WheltonMichaelPhD2004.pdf