Text Mining Post Project Reviews to Improve the Construction Project Supply Chain Design

Post Project Reviews (PPR) capture good and bad practices, identify problems, waste, risks, missed opportunities, communication lag, financial issues, partner relationships etc., of a construction project supply chain (CPSC). They are huge sources of information, knowledge and experience from project managers, clients, suppliers and contractors, related to issues from every stage of the construction project. If these reports were analysed collectively, they may expose important detail, perhaps repeated across a number of projects. However, because most companies do not have the resources to thoroughly examine these PPRs, either individually or collectively, important insights are missed thereby leading to missed opportunities to learn from previous projects. This research shows that the hidden knowledge and experiences could be captured using knowledge discovery and text mining approaches to uncover patterns, associations, and trends in PPRs. The results might then be used to address specific problem areas, enhance processes and improve the design and planning for new construction projects.