1 Introduction
1.1 Background
World EXPO 2010 Shanghai CHINA(hereinafter referred to briefly as EXPO), as the highest comprehensive exhibition, attracts the attention from all over the world. There are 211 official participants including countries and international organizations have confirmed attendance before 8th July 2008. “Better City, Better Life” is the theme of Expo. As the fundamental element of city civilization, urban construction is regarded as an important carrier to show the theme of Expo. Therefore, the success of project construction of Expo is related to the development and expression of its theme, which plays an important role to the success of Expo.
1.2 EXPO Construction General Situation
The site of Expo is located at a waterfront area along both banks of the Huangpu River, mostly between the Nanpu Bridge and Lupu Bridge. It has a total area of 5.28 square kilometers including 3.28 square kilometers in the toll area and 2.0 square kilometers for the supporting service facilities. The master plan of EXPO is showed in the figure 1.The planned floor area of Expo Site totals about 2 million square meters and total investment (excluding large municipal, supporting service projects and self-built pavilions) is about 23.36 billion RMB yuan. EXPO construction involves two mainly parts, including municipal & auxiliary projects and venues & supporting service facilities, and all construction projects demand to be completed by the 31st Dec. 2009 and officially operate at the 1st May. 2010.
Figure 1: Master Plan of EXPO
Expo construction is a complex and comprehensive mega construction programme with high concentration degree, mutual dependence, short construction period and many levels of factors involved. Construction practices reveal that the theory and methods of traditional simple project management expose their limitation and unsuitability for the mege programme construction, whereas the programme management is the theory and method basis for this type of mega construction programme. Programme management defines as manage concerning and inter-active projects cooperatively, with the key characters as multi-projects, centralized strategy, horizontal cooperation, multi-skills and modern technology assistant.
2 Challenges Faced By The EXPO Construction
Expo Construction has to face the following challenges:
(1) How to execute the scope management effectively, defining the management depth and contents according to different types of projects;
(2) How to design the organizational structure model, duty assignment, work flow and information reporting system effectively in accordance with the EXPO mega construction programme;
(3) How to design, implement and monitor the EXPO construction administrative systems from the standpoint of project management standardization, as well as keep the organizational agileness comparatively.
(4) How to apply the project management information system for aidding project planning and dynamic controlling;
(5) How to resolve the problems of materials & equipment purchasing innovatively by use of new model of Value in Kind (VIK) to sponsor such large activities;
(6) How to establish effective information system and platform to store, use and manage vast amount of information efficiently occurred during the construction of Expo 2010;
(7) How to create “EXPO Interests Above All Else” project culture atmosphere during the EXPO construction.
3 EXPO CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT STRATEGE
3.1 Scope Management
Project Scope Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully (PMBOK, 2004). The procedure of project scope management should ensure this project to cover all requirements of overall aim and single works to benefit to complete the project successfully. It involves the definition and controls on the contents of project management. Scientific and reasonable breakdown on projects is the basis of efficient objective planning and control, which is of great significance.
Programme/Project Breakdown Structure (PBS) and coding system are the carriers of all information occurred during the management of project participants and the common language to be obeyed strictly by them (Dr. -Ing. Greiner Ingenieurberatung mbH, 1999). Whether the design of PBS and coding system is scientific, rational and advanced has important influence on improving the efficiency of information processing & transmit or even the smooth implementation of the whole project (Michael A. Hauser, 1994). Therefore, rational programme/project breakdown is the basis and premise for EXPO Construction Headquarters (hereinafter referred to briefly as ECH) to implement all kinds of works.
For the ECH, its programme/project breakdown principles are based on the development of every works and the implementation of project construction, the convenience of sub-project classification and information inquiry, consideration on project types (e.g. permanent pavilions, temporary pavilions, supporting facilities, municipal projects, big auxiliary projects etc.), attention on belonged plot sections (e.g. Eastern River A, B, C sections, Western River D, E sections etc.) and considering different phases of planning, design, procurement, construction, trial operation and official operation, as well as the various tasks for investment control, time control, quality control, contract management and information management. According to the above breakdown principles, the EXPO construction programme concerning are classified into three unified categories: the projects to be implemented by ECH belong to the first category, those to be constructed by other investment entities and controlled by ECH belong to the second category, and big municipal projects belongs to the third. The project types to be implemented or managed by ECH are shown as Figure 2.
Figure 2: Project Types to be Implemented or Managed by ECH
3.2 Organizational Structure Model Of Programme Implementation
Provided that a construction programme is taken as a system, many factors can influence the projects objective achievement, and organization is the crucial factor among them (DING S.Z., 2006). The organization systems of EXPO construction programme at the stages of implementation include not only the organization system of ECH but also joint or single organization systems established by all participants (e.g. designers, project management consultants, construction contractors, suppliers) focused on the EXPO construction such as work breakdown structure, organizational breakdown structure, work assignment, management duty assignment and work flow etc.
ECH is divided into eight functional departments such as technical service and design dept., engineering dept., administration dept., contract & finance dept., service supporting dept., materials & equipment dept., safety & quality dept., coordination dept.. Meanwhile, eight project management departments are established for A&B section, C section, landscape engineering, municipal engineering & roads, water industry, Expo Boulevard, China pavilion, Eastern River district. The diagram of organizational breakdown structure of ECH is shown as Figure 3.
Figure 3: Diagram of Organizational Breakdown Structure of ECH Office
Neither the functional divisions nor project management departments are dispensable. The former is broken down according to vertical aspect and different management functions, every department is responsible for ECH in its functions; and the latter is broken down according to horizontal aspect and different construction project, every project team is responsible for ECH in its project objective. The flat management structure is fulfilled by the ECH, and every functional division also carries out the control, supervision and coordination among the projects implemented by ECH and other investment entities as well as big municipal projects.
The functions and work key points of every division have its own characteristics. And their management work flows are listed in operation manual in details to regulate and direct these functional divisions to carry on the related management. Please refer to Figure 4.
Figure 4: Management Work Flow Diagram of Functional Divisions of ECH
For the programme to be implemented by the ECH, the project management teams are developed jointly by ECH and professional project management entity in use of the basic management ides of “Relaying On Project Management Entity & General Contractor” and the strategy of “Strengthening Project Management Teams”. Through the exploration and innovation, the trinity mode of EXPO programme management is formed by professional project management entity, general contractor and ECH.
3.3 Designed For Management Flow System
In the condition of numerous projects and concerning working units, the appropriate “game rules” should be designed and executed to ensure every sub-project can be smoothly performed. Therefore, the ECH office pays much attention to the standardization, rules and flow of the programme management, and establishes the system, method and flow, such as ‘EXPO construction programme management plan’, management handbooks of functional and project departments, every project management department construction management implementing planning, which showing the direction of their work, clearing the interface among different departments, defining the interior working flows for each department and explaining operational flow and method in detail.
Figure 5: ECH Management Flow System
3.4 Computerized Aid Object Planning and Controlling
Complex projects require project manager can use appropriate management tools to aid management work. As the popularization of computer and information technology, computer aided integrated management for project information is becoming more important.
3.4.1 Primavera Soft Aid Schedule Management
Primavera 6.0 contains network planning technology and computer technology, which can perform time planning and controlling, track the projects process dynamically, analyze and compare the differences between planning and implementing, and estimate the influence in advance. When detecting errors, software can help people take corresponding measures and strategy immediately to remove the problem, making the whole planning according with fact and controlling effectively.
3.4.2 C3A Aid Investment Control and Contract Management
Investment Control and Contract Management(hereinafter referred to briefly as ICCM ), relying on each other closely, are the key components of construction project management work. ICCM information integrated model is not only the core of EXPO ICCM information integrated system, but also the premise and basis for the ICCM integrated system software development.
In terms of EXPO programme construction characters, such as numerous projects, big differences, extensive distribution and plenty of concerning units, the ECH office focuses study on the ICCM integrated management model, as well as takes differentiation strategy to different entity’s projects.
ECH office, in the whole construction process and from overall dimensions, controls the investment objectives and contracts strictly for those projects implemented by ECH; ECH office mainly know the projects annual and seasonal investment schedule and actual investment for those projects implemented by other entities.
In order to strengthen EXPO construction ICCM, improve information-based level and working efficiency, ECH office purchases ‘Construction Programme ICCM Information Integrated Management System (C3A)’ software and customizes it to fulfill information solution service needs. C3A software is developed by prototype method, using modern information analysis and object-oriented method to extract investment and contract information, connect the relationship and establish the information management model. The function module of ‘Construction Programme ICCM Information Integrated Management System (C3A)’ are shown as below figure 6.
Figure 6: C3A software functional module
3.5 VIK Procurement Management
There exist lots of investors in the EXPO construction, therefore ECH office material & equipment management are divided into 2 levels including the management for ECH office executing construction material & equipment and that for other investors’. Thereinto, the main task for ECH office material & equipment management work relates to VIK procurement management.
3.5.1 VIK Working Group
VIK working group are composed by ECH office material & equipment department, material & equipment management personnel from different project departments, and VIK sponsor units. This specialized group implements work under the leadership of Bureau of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination and ECH office.
3.5.2 VIK Management Flow
VIK management flow mailnly involves four steps, (1)according to sponsor agreement, VIK working group defines the VIK material & equipment scope and list; (2)VIK working group negotiates with general contractor about the technical items in detail, and design unit will be invited if necessary; (3) VIK working group will discuss the supply business clauses; (4) the material & equipment supply contract will be signed, and concerning functional departments of ECH office will countersign alternately.
3.5.3 VIK Payment
(1) Confirming the price.
According to supply contract and price, ECH office material & equipment department is responsible for discussing the VIK balance price with related units. If the discussion is beyond the duty scope of functional department, the department would execute according to related terms.
(2) Payment
According to the balance price and the delivery list signed by investors, finance department of Bureau of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination will set up the bills with the investors.
3.6 Information and communication management
The larger scale of construction projects expand, the more complex for the applied technology, more people will evolved in, more difficulty of process management in projects implementing, and more value can be added by integrating and sharing information. Numerous construction practices prove that the main reason for investment excess and time delay is lack of enough information communication and sharing. According to the statistic, 10~30% of total investment are related to the separation of between design and construction and the communication among diversified organizational mechanism (Fulk J, G Desanctis, 1995).
In terms of satisfying different demands in the construction project management, construction project information sharing should involve: information sharing among different project participants, information sharing between different project management scopes, information sharing including project life-cycle phases, and knowledge sharing related to implementing projects. Therefore, construction project management information sharing system can be conveyed in a four-dimension space, as figure 7.
Figure 7: Information Sharing system of Construction project management
3.6.1 Information Classified and Coding
In order to manage project information efficiently, ECH office establishes systematic rules for information documentary classified and pigeonholing, which can facilitate all the operations rapidly, such as information finding, revising and editing.
Documentary information coding system adopts three-section standard form(as figure 8). The 1st section is project coding; the 2nd section is information category coding; and the 3rd section is sequence number, with restarting the coding in each year.
Figure 8: Documentary information coding example
3.6.2 Information Organization
Departments related to the information communication and management are: information center, ECH office functional departments, project departments, general project management team, design units, general contractor, construction supervisory unit and other construction concerning entities. Information center, which is a non-entity department, is organized by ECH office administrative department, composing by every ECH office functional departments, project departments, and other EXPO related units.
ECH functional departments information document management duty and work assignment are shown in the Figure 9.
Figure 9: ECH functional departments information document management duty and work assignment
3.6.3 EXPO Construction Management Information Platform
According to EXPO characters, information system is divided into 3 levels, which are Bureau of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination, ECH office and project departments. EXPO Construction Management Information System Platform mainly fulfills the regular operational functions, and has four primary parts (as shown in the figure 10): generally official work, project management, security, and external information service.
Figure 10: Functional structure for EXPO Construction Management Information System Platform
3.7 Project Culture System Cultivation
Project culture determines not only the acceptance of project members on the degree of spiritual satisfaction, but also the judgment and cognizance on all affairs in the project. And it can determine people’s behavior direction because of it’s influence on the members’ behavior and attitude. An organization should have a sound project cultural environment, and the good project culture must penetrate into the whole system (Erling, S. Andersen, Kristofer, V. Grude, Tor.Hang., 1999).
EXPO construction effective objects control need construction management culture’s guarantee and promotion. Due to related construction units coming from different background and having different, even conflicting ideas and value, there exists a cooperating and adaptive phase, and so much differences are difficult to solved only by contract relationship. Nevertheless the common value view, moral standard, EXPO spirit and a series of behavior rules could become the comprehensive method to strengthen cooperation as well as to reduce conflict and clash between different parties.
Therefore, the culture ‘EXPO Interests Above All Else’ was established as the core value along the whole construction management life-cycle process. EXPO project culture system involves: civilization area establishment, labor competition, Party establishment, Against-Corruption establishment. All these work should be focused on civilization area establishment, and other three items are also the main tasks. EXPO project culture system is shown as Figure 11.
Figure 11: EXPO project culture system
4. Conclusions
EXPO construction has obvious specialities such as dynamic construction environment, tight relationship among projects, inter-active mutual interests, multi-nations culture etc., which mark EXPO programme construction with complexity character differing from general projects, and it needs to use programme management theory and method to analyze and study. Based on programme management theory, EXPO construction management study mainly focuses on following aspects,
(1) The key and difficult point for mega construction programme management is scope management. It needs to analyze the project scope interface, objective interface and management interface, and categories these interfaces as well as defines the duty scope for different entities during the programme implemented.
(2) Establish innovative programme management organizational structure model, which making the order more clearly and effectively in the premise of flat organization.
(3)Programme management system, work flow and method should be put forward systematically according to different levels, and made to be Standardization, process-oriented and policy.
(4)Objective planning and control should be aided by applying mature project management information system.
(5) Project culture cultivation and formation show important function in construction programme management process.
