The role of system dynamics in understanding the impact of changes to key project personnel on design production within construction projects

Within the construction industry the combination of an increasingly fragmented design process, the insatiable demand for detailed information and growing client expectations in delivery times, has placed greater emphasis on the need for effective communication. However, information exchange is notoriously inadequate resulting in poor project performance. Both traditional planning and management techniques and risk analysis and management have failed to uncover the most disruptive factors on projects which lead to duration overrun. It is now being understood that the loss of key project personnel is highly disruptive to communication and the absence of recognition and allowance for this eventuality results in a significant under-estimation of uncertainty. System dynamics is seen as an approach to modelling projects which emphasises the interrelationships and concentrates on the whole project. This paper examines the concepts of system dynamics and how they enhance our understanding of the design process. A model of the design process is proposed which looks at the causes behind erosion of design productivity arising from staff changes. In addition it looks at those issues which aggravate the assimilation period of new recruits.