Application of interface management in construction industry

Abstract

Interface management is a process of managing communication, responsibilities and coordination of project parties, phases or physical entities. Effective in the project lifecycle coordination among project participants and work process is very important to ensure smooth project implementation. This study aim to review the current practices of interface management process and elements in local construction industry. The methodology adopted for this study are combination of literature reviews, interview with expert panels and questionnaire survey distributed in Klang Valley and Johor Bahru. The findings of this study has identified that the main process in interface management during construction phase are: interface identification; interface communication; interface recording and tracking data; and interface closing. However it is found that there is a slight different between the interface management process determined in this study as compared to the processes found in the literature review. Finally, this study also developed a concept and framework as a guide for the practitioner to improve the interface management process for the construction phase. It is hope that Malaysian construction industry will give more emphasis to improve the interface management process to ensure that project delivery will be more effective and able to fulfil customer and end user requirement