Internal work typically involves managing engineering project data archives, planning, statistical tracking, and internal secretarial tasks throughout the construction process. Since office management primarily deals with handling engineering data for construction units—mostly document-based—this article broadens the definition of office management to encompass the entire project lifecycle data. This includes managing document data for all parties involved in the construction.
The primary investors in public utility projects are government departments. Therefore, at the project initiation stage, there is a significant amount of peripheral work required to comply with government regulations and procedural requirements. This programmatic work mainly consists of coordination and approval tasks, each following a defined workflow. With established workflows comes the opportunity for digital automation. Hence, various Office Automation (OA) systems can fulfill the functional needs during the early stages of construction.
In the context of BIM, the concept of full lifecycle information flow is highlighted. For engineering projects, the seamless transfer of information from past to future stages has always been essential. Project managers expect that the data and achievements managed by OA systems in the early construction phases can be effectively integrated into the ongoing construction process.
However, current OA systems mostly operate through menus, text entries, and charts, which can be less intuitive and somewhat tedious. Many tasks have yet to extend onto the construction site, forcing frontline managers to duplicate efforts: recording data onsite and then re-entering it into the office OA systems. This double handling not only wastes time but also lowers staff motivation and creates resistance. Internal management itself is often seen as a tedious responsibility.
The individual in charge of internal management is typically the internal data officer. Although this role is crucial in construction, it is often undervalued and lacks appeal. Project management tends to prioritize on-site technical staff far more than office data clerks. Consequently, the following issues arise: during construction, internal data management is overlooked unless a problem surfaces; document clerks are often perceived simply as distributors of paperwork; when internal data is reviewed, if it meets standards, the job is considered done, but if not, the data clerk is blamed. This environment leads some data clerks to consider changing careers, resulting in high turnover. Even in organizations that value data, much of it may be unreliable, fostering skepticism among data clerks who may feel that anyone can fabricate acceptable data, which further motivates them to become on-site technicians instead.
Organizing internal data requires an evidence-based approach and adherence to standards to enable programmatic development. Automating repetitive tasks by handing them over to machines is the optimal solution. To address internal management challenges, one promising approach is to improve on-site data collection. Leveraging information technology to automatically capture and archive data during on-site management can reduce the complexity of internal management while enhancing the accuracy and authenticity of collected information.
A key advantage of BIM is its three-dimensional visualization capability, which effectively resolves the issue of verifying physical objects during information recording. Instead of vague textual descriptions, BIM represents precise components, a feature traditional OA systems cannot provide. During the early construction phase, when design drawings are often conceptual and rough, BIM’s 3D representations greatly assist with peripheral tasks.
Nevertheless, office management is not the primary focus of BIM. Therefore, project management’s office-related functions still rely mainly on OA tools. When combined with BIM implementation, however, the overall effectiveness of project management is significantly enhanced.
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up