Question

Pretend you are a project manager employed by a General Contracting firm. Your company is currently

serving as a Construction Manager at Risk for a project and is requiring all vendors, material suppliers

and subcontractors to submit digital design files. Provide 4

strategies you may implement to facilitate

interoperability issues. Provide detailed descriptions of each strategy

Answer 1

Standardisation

The basic goal of standardization is to provide sets of consistent features/specifications called “standards” to be shared by all clients manufacturing the same products, for example for this case digital design files . Standards are agreed-upon characteristics  that allow independently manufactured products, whether physical or digital, to be homogeneous, to be worked upon , and consequently to be interoperable. This can be achieved by establishment and adoption of a standard terminology/vocabulary, that is, a common language for the description and exchange of data.

Privacy and Security Issues
Privacy and security policies should be taken care of as a part of design of an interoperable system. The policies must be widely agreed by parties, suppliers, vendors and practitioners on the terms and conditions for access to data. Adequate protection for the privacy of information should also be considered in the well definedinteroperable system.

Usability Issues

The display of any information in a disorderly, illogical, or confusing haphazard manner leads to decreased user performance and satisfaction. Also, a poorly designed user interface contributes to reporting errors. Addressing difficult user interface issues requires greater emphasis to the cognitive and social factors influencing clients , suppliers and vendors in their daily workflow and interaction with technologies

Resistance to change

the clients , suppliers and end users would be reluctant to change their ordinary functioning to digitalised pattern as they would be more comfortable with their conventional system. They would need to be convinced and explained the benefits and procedures to change.