Planlægningens dilemma: Konsekvenser af tidlige beslutninger i udførelsen af byggeprojekter

In the construction sector the proliferation and use of digital tools is
increasing, and therefore affecting the way in which we collaborate. In
Denmark, various institutional change programmes are helping to push thesenew digital initiatives onto construction sites. The use of these new digital
tools affect our everyday work practices and processes, and it is evident that
digital building models provide a higher level of information, which calls for
the decision-making process to start as early as the design phase. These
factors have triggered our interest in examining the consequences of early
decision-making on the execution of a construction project.
We find it to be a dilemma that digital tools require that project-specific
decisions are made at a point in which the general knowledge about the
project is limited. Our research takes its point of departure in a project in its
construction phase. We have collaborated with a contractor, who has allowedus to observe their process- and installation meetings with their sub- contractors and collaborators. Our empirical data has been collected throughobservations at meetings, on the construction site, as well as through
qualitative interviews with relevant actors in the project team.
We have applied actor-network theory in order to establish an analytical
framework from which we can shed light on how different actors –human andnon-human– affect each other. Furthermore, we use the theories on boundaryobjects and knowledge boundaries to elucidate how digital tools are used for
communication during the construction project.
The three-part analysis establishes and describes the networks that are
formed between the various actors on the construction sites and examines
how digital tools are altering working practices. Amongst other things, we lookat the decision-making process at various meetings on the construction site, aswell as the use of iPads during the execution of the building project. As a final
part of the analysis, we link our empirical analysis with the dilemma in the
planning phase described above.
The results of this study shows that the need for early decision-making results
in substantial alterations of the project in its execution phase. Ultimately,
these alterations –as well as the use of digital tools– change the basis for
decision-making at the construction site. Because of various errors in the
digital model, we observed a change in work practices. This point, along withthe fact that decisions are now made on the actual construction site, lead us toconclude that the construction workers has gained power and now has moreinfluence on the execution of the construction project.