Standardised process improvement for construction enterprises (spice)

Abstract

This paper describes the current status of the SPICE research project that is investigating the transfer of best practice from the I.T. industry to the construction industry. The research focuses specifically on the improvement of business processes and in particular the use of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM). This model provides an evolutionary step-wise framework for process improvement and assessment tools to appraise the maturity of an organisation. This paper first introduces the concept of SPICE and then goes on to describe the various methods employed to establish the applicability of process improvement concepts in the construction industry. The paper then presents the 'Balanced Scorecard' method of business appraisal and investigates its suitability as a method of linking business assessment and management to process improvement.

Keywords: SPICE, Capability Maturity Model (CMM), Process Improvement, Balanced Scorecard