Cost - and Schedule - Control Integration : Issues and Needs

Cost control and schedule control are two of the most important management functions in the construction industry. Major research efforts are focused on developing procedures for improving the effectiveness of cost and schedule control. As a result, researchers are concerned with the quality, integrity, and timeliness of data that flow through such control systems. A number of data models have been proposed to integrate costand schedule-control functions, because such integration is viewed as the, solution to the many problems facing construction projects today. This paper provides an overview of costand schedule-control functions, defines the desired control cycle, and discusses the problems and needs of costand schedule-control functions. A number of integrated costand schedulecontrol data models, which represent the state of construction research in this area, are discussed. The work-packaging model is briefly described and is suggested as the most likely existing model to achieve the desired cost and schedule integration. Finally, the conceptual design of a foundational data model for control, based on relational concepts, is provided. The recommended design adopts the conceptual structures of the work-packaging model.