Project delivery system selection: a case‐based reasoning framework

Delivering a building project on time and under budget is still an increasingly complex and risky business. A host of new project delivery methods and management techniques have been promoted to help achieve this. Developing a project delivery strategy and contractual relationships is a particularly complex and large problem domain that requires diverse, highly sophisticated skills, expertise and knowledge. Expert knowledge and lessons learned in the construction phase of a building project hold a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can be often taken for granted. However, this body of knowledge is not systematically incorporated into the procurement phase of subsequent projects. Case‐based reasoning is a technology for problem solving based on recall and reuse of specific experiences; it offers techniques for acquiring, representing and managing the knowledge gained from previous experiences and augmenting a set of specific experiences with generalised knowledge. Outlines how current case‐based reasoning techniques support project delivery method decisions. Presents a case‐based framework for project delivery method selection. Finally, reports the findings of the first phase of the system development cycle.