The Utility of Construction Planning - An Investigation into its Process

This research explores the planning process of an Australian construction company and examines whether the planning is performed according to the current literature. Traditional construction project management practices related to planning are inadequate at addressing complexity. Traditionally, the focus has been on management-as-planning rather than planning, directing and action. New management techniques focus on combining planning and execution, bringing planning to the work front. Contemporary planning theories focus on establishing learning and flexible project environments, to allow the dynamic management of complexity. This research explored how a Tier 1 Western Australian based construction company plans; and then examines whether the planning is performed according to the current literature. Semi-structured interviews were used, to identify how planning was performed within the Tier 1 company according to key operational managers. The results suggest that front-end planning is performed effectively by reducing uncertainty and attempting to establish a flexible project environment. The results also suggest that execution planning is done poorly, as there is a lack of commitment to plans creating separation between planning and execution, leading to increasing chaotic project conditions. Findings also suggest that the organizations planning process is not evaluated internally, thus inhibiting the ability of the company to learn and improve on existing methods to plan more productively