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High value information in quantity surveyor organizations

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 High value information in quantity surveyor organizations

Shen XU1 Llewellyn C. M. Tang2

Abstract: Throughout the construction project process, quantity surveyors make decisions based on various information sources. By
judging the value and quality of information subjectively, they still rarely find the key information to get the tasks done. Not only because
the value and quality of information are different in nature; information quality is context-independent while information value is content-
dependent that is very difficult to be quantified, there is also a lack of information assessment methodology. The research challenges to the
quantity surveyors are, "how can information be assessed as high value; is it possible to establish a filter mechanism to quantity the value
and quality of information within the context of quantity surveyor for future reuse?" This paper first reviews the urgent request on valuing
information in quantity surveying firms. A further investigation into how the quantity surveyor's work is conducted that identifies and
classifies the information generated from a construction project. The intrinsic characteristics of information for the quantity surveying
practice had been proposed and conduct a concept map of information in quantity surveying firm. An investigation on current information
valuing methodologies in construction, regarding proposed concept map of information, has been conducted but result in a suggestion on
implement statistical method in KM. A Bayesian-based information filtering mechanism is introduced for quantity surveyor’s evaluation on
information. Further researches should be carried on to test this model for multi-context evaluation in quantity surveying firms.

Keywords: quantity surveyor, information assessment methodology, Bayesian model, building information modeling (BIM), multi-
context evaluation.

1. INTRODUCTION technological needs of the organisation with people, business

1
Expenditure on Information Technology (IT) has grown
significantly during the last 20 years. (Anon 2010) However much
of the emphasis has been on investing in the hardware and software
that enables the acquisition, storage and processing of data.
Consequently, a gradual shift from paper-based working to CAD
and towards 3D-prototyping and 4D (Building Information
Modelling) is arising. (Higson & Waltho n.d.) BIM is not only a
replacement of CAD but a new concept on communication and
collaboration approach for construction sector. Together with the
unwritten retention policy in organisations, which is retaining
every piece of documents, accelerating the ‘drowning in data but
thirsting for insight’ syndrome. This syndrome can frustrate
business users (Higson & Waltho n.d.) Various researchers had
addressed information as the core element in construction
collaboration. (Higson & Waltho n.d.; Petrides 2004a; M.
Darlington et al. 2008; Yuyang Zhao et al. 2008; Barry 2002;
Macauley 2005; Moffett & Hinds 2010; Llewellyn C.M. Tang et al.
2008) It is a critical component of construction effectiveness, to see
how information is created, shared and sustained through its
lifecycle.
The services provided by consulting organisations are information-
and knowledge-based, and the ever-increasing amount of these
services has driven the way that teams within a company
collaborate. Thus, effectively managing information is crucial to
supporting collaborative working in construction consulting
organisations. This in turn shifts the emphasis from the
management of information (storing information to exploit it) to
managing with information (harnessing information to gain
competitive advantage across the organisation). Therefore a more
holistic approach is required which aligns the information and
1 Ph.D. Candidate, School of Construction Management and
Engineering, University of Reading, Reading, UK; RG6 6AW; Email:
s.xu@pgr.reading.ac.uk
2 Lecturer, School of Construction Management and Engineering,
University of Reading, Reading, UK; RG6 6AW; Email:
l.tang@reading.ac.uk
model and processes.
The paper is organised as follows: Section 2 reviews the possible
BIM’s influence on quantity surveying practice, and the urgent
request on information evaluation in quantity surveying firms.
Value of information had been review in section 3; before the
investigation on information management system in quantity
surveying firm in Section 5, Section 4 objectified information in
quantity surveying workflow, and identified major information
objects during the project process. Based on above analysis in
quantity surveying firm regarding information, section 6 illustrated
a concept map of information, and review current existing
approach on information evaluation for selecting a sufficient
method for proposed information concept map. Statistical method
is suggested for KM, and Bayesian network is introduced for a
future research, as well limitations on this concept map.
Conclusion can be made that there is a potential of supersede
quantity surveyor by building information modelling, retain high
value information in quantity surveying practice is urgent and
necessary for future development on building information
modelling. Statistical method, e.g. Bayesian, can be another kind of
technology to record and track the possibility of high value of
information.
2. QUANTITY SURVEYING AND BIM
Quantity surveyors exist everywhere in the construction industry
(Poon 2003). Conventionally, quantity surveyors’ services include
the preparation of preliminary estimates and feasibility studies, cost
plans and schedules, and bills of quantities. Quantity surveyors
draft and compile documentation for construction contracts, and
prepare and analyse construction contract tenders. They also
provide advice on contractor selection and financial management
of all construction works and allied reporting, including auditing,
planning cost and indexing. They provide construction project
management services as well as value management, facilities
management, management contracting, construction dispute
resolution, research, and other forms of consultancy services.
(Nkado 2000)
Notwithstanding the roles quantity surveyor plays in different
services, the measurement and pricing are basic abilities of
quantity surveyor. (Hardie, Miller, Manley & McFallan 2005)
Measurement ability can be described as an interpretation of
drawings, however, it can be superseded by building information
modelling (Aouad et al. 1993) BIM's potential of automatic
measurement may threaten the requirement for quantity surveyor's
service, and Olatunji et al. (2010) revealed that BIM is boosting the
eclipse of quantity surveyor's practice, and in next 10 years the
boundaries may have shifted. In addition, the chief challenges on
automatic measurement and pricing recently are, regarding
measurement, the BIM date should be filtered to comply with the
rules prescribed in relevant Standard Methods of Measurement
(SMM). Pricing requires cost information generated from previous
similar construction project and quantity surveyor's experience on
the price fluctuation in the real market.
Concentration on technology leads to the development of building
information modelling, which building up a mega database of
construction project and integrate quality, time and cost
information together, may drown professions in data. Although
BIM opens opportunities for multiple disciplines to share and
exchange data (Tse et al. 2005), threaten to all professions involved
in construction is significant. Given above possibility and
challenges, it is prudent to evaluate information, not only of
quality, but also value, in quantity surveyor's contexts for
consolidating the use of BIM. Information will not be necessarily
scarce in building information modelling, though well-analysed,
well presented, and well-disseminated information is not always
available. Thus a sufficient information evaluation methodology, to
filter high value information for reuse, retain, and accumulate, is
urgently required in quantity surveying organisation.
3. VALUE OF INFORMATION
Construction companies are willing to pay for information
depending on how certain and uncertain they are, and on what are
at stake. They are willing to pay for additional information, or
value-added information, as long as the expected gain exceeds the
cost of producing, processing and rendering the information. More
specifically, the value of information largely depends on several
factors:
 The degree of uncertainty,
 The consequence of the decisions,
 The rationality of a decision maker,
 The cost of acquiring information to make
decisions, and
 The availability of the best substitute for the
information.
VOI depends on the mean and spread of uncertainty surrounding
the decision in question. For example, Evans et al. (1988) revealed
that the value of information depends on the availability of actions.
In particular, if few actions are available, a piece of information
can then has little value even if it virtually eliminates the degree of
uncertainty. By contrast, if the costs of actions widely diverge, for
instance, the choice of material in variation, then information about
total cost of variation may be quite valuable even if it reduces
uncertainty very little. In this case, the value of information relates
to the accuracy of the estimation on total variation. In other words,
the more specified information is the more value it can bring.
Furthermore, the authors also illustrated that VOI can be measured
based on a given quality of information, or on how its value
changes with different attributes of information such as greater
frequency of collection or improved accuracy. However, decision-
makers may find it difficult to value a piece of information
especially if it has no intrinsic value (Broady-Preston & Williams
2004) and is time- dependent. Methods have been devised to assess
information value to a company, but are usually simple and ignored
the rationale of the decision-makers. ( Tang et al. 2008a)
4 DEFINING INFORMATION IN QUANTITY
SURVEYING FIRM
Before moving on to next section, it is important for us to define
information at first, as definition of information has a great
diversity in usage and interpretation. Two fundamental theories of
information are as below, first view knowledge/information as a
verb, a process, and second view knowledge/information as a noun,
as a thing. Brenda Dervin systematically proposed Sense-making
Methodology, which viewed information as a verb, and can not be
managed but only can be studied to improve the process of making
sense. (Dervin 1998) From this point of view, Dervin missed an
essential part of information that is a container is essential for the
dissemination of information. On the other hand, (Buckland 1991)
viewed information as a thing, he categorized information into four
aspects, which are information-as-knowledge, information-as-
process, information-as-process, and information processing. These
four aspects described the pattern of information when information
existing in the real world. Therefore, Dervin described information
from individual's perspective, and Buckland described the existing
pattern of information. They are both correct in some extent, but an
integration of these two views can be illustrated as below.
Information is both a verb and a non, it's pattern is interchangeable.
When information is disseminating in the world, a container is
essential, consequently, it can be objectified into entity. When
individual attempt to interpret the 'information' to get being
informed, it is a process, an 'act of thinking'. Regarding
information evaluation, author adopted a definition of information
within the context of the practice of quantity surveying.
Consequently, an analysis on project cost information can be
conducted and clarify what sort of information we are talking about.
At first, author need to distinguishing information from date. Data
represents a fact or statement of event without relation to other
things. Ex: 23456. Information embodies the understanding of a
relationship of some sort, possibly cause and effect. Ex: This house
area covers 23456 square meters. Based on this understanding of
information, where information is the meaningful content of a
description, it can 'informs' understanding and knowledge.
Apparently, information, in this understanding, is 'abstract and
intangible, immaterial'. However, this definition of information
has a high level of abstractive, practicable speaking, it is difficult to
be evaluated. Notwithstanding the abstractive understanding on
information, it also can be considered as a thing, where documents,
e.g. cost planning etc., are carrying 'information'. Thus information
can also be a tangible object. Information Object (IO) is being
introduced in this research, and this term had been used variously
in information research. (CCSDS 2002; Currall & McKinney 2006;
Ziad & Kittredge 2005) Information Objects including mainly two
parts, which are physical (e.g. a tendering document, a written
report on cost planning) and digital object (e.g. web page etc.).
Apparently, document does not exist along, it is composed by sub-
part of information object, which can exist solely and still be
informative. This suggests a lesser part of information carrier,
which named 'Information Fragment'. (Darlington et al.2008).
4.1 Analysis of project cost information system
 fragment. By receiving the drawings of building, quantity surveyor
Project
interpret drawing into measurements according to standard
methods of measurement (SMM), which will be viewed as
information fragment. After being given a title, in other words, the
measurement has been categorised into documents, it has been
viewed as an information object, and is a tangible information
Individual project Including Unit project Including Work piece Including Item project Including Inspection lot
entity, e.g. bill of quantities.

Including
4.2 Information objects in QS
One of cost information objects had been identified, the rest of
them can also be identified throughout the construction project
Quantity Machine Material Labor Estimation
process. The major information objects can be illustrated as Figure
3 The outline of cost information management.

Cost estimation
Project
Project planning
responsibility
objective cost
Cost objective cost
information
Tendering
documents

Figure 1 The anatomy of project cost information

Figure 1 shows a typical construction project cost information

system, normally, construction project will be gradually divided Sub-contract payment
Certification of
payments
into smaller part until individual can handle it, which is the
inspection lot. For providing cost information, inspection lot will Material payment

be analysed with quantity, price (Machine, Material and Labour) Machine payment Final account

and estimation.
Management payment
In the view of information management, 'quantity' can be viewed
Financial
as an information object. The work flow of quantity can be Other payment statement

illustrated in figure 2, Objectify information in quantity surveying

work flow (Quantities).
According to the definition of data, represent a fact, quantity
surveyor reviews physical feature of building as raw data. The raw
data with meaningful context and relationship, normally
represented by drawings, can be categorised into information Variations
Responsibility
Actual cost Planning objective
objective cost
calculating cost calculating
Tangible container: calculating
Drawings
(with physical feature of building Cash flow analysis
And their meaningful relationship) Comparison of
three figures

Viewed as

Intangible
Information
Entity:
s Knowledge
rd
da
an Improving cost Cost information
st Standard Methods
ith management database
w of Measurement
o ng
Al

Quantity surveyor
interpretation on data
Data Figure 3 The outline of cost information management
Co
Viewed as nt
e
E. xt-b
Measurements on g.
Ti eari These major documents represent the information involved in
buildings tle n g
quantity surveying firm, which by revealing the characteristics of
these documents can represent the nature of the information and
Information
assist the measurement of information quality and value. At this
Fragment
Viewed as
stage, author proposed five common characteristics which widely
Tangilbe Information Entity:
E.g. Taking off used in information evaluation for the further discussion of this
Bill of quantities paper. (Yuyang Zhao, Tang, Mansur Darlington, S. Austin, et al.
2010; Tang, Yuyang Zhao, S. Austin, Mansur Darlington & Steve
Culley 2008b) Five characteristics are as below:
Information  Accuracy
Object
 Currency
 Trust
Figure 2 Objectify information in QS’s work flow  Usefulness
(Quantity)  Completeness
It is far beyond this research paper's topic to reveal and rank all the
characteristics, however, other characteristics should be
investigated in another research paper. Nevertheless, it is still
sufficient to hold a discussion on information evaluation and draw
a concept map for information.
5. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
After objectifying information in quantity surveying firm, the flow
of these pieces of information can be studied. Figure 3 illustrate the
internal/external flow of information.
Begin with the discussion on the task items of managing
information, this is important to understand the formal and
informal activities within organization. The task items of managing
information activities in a Quantity Surveying organisation may
fall into two categories. One is the record-involved task, which
needs a person to seek, analyse, and input some information, such
as to make a plan for cost management. (Zhiliang & Liang 2004)
This category of task is a formal activity that contains a series of
stages, such as submission, auditing and approval of information.
Another item is record-free task, which needs no input of
information but a further analysis on the result of certain activities,
such as monitoring the efficiency of running an information
management system. These two tasks can be transmittable, which
means record-free task may turn to record-involved task under
certain circumstances. Within quantity surveying organization,
information fragment can be regarded as a record-free task, mostly,
it is being monitored but rather than recorded. Information object is
not as an individual. The key questions in the project level are:
what gaps are there in the information? Who else need this
information without proper access? The value of this respect is the
capacity to support the work flow process within team. Project
manager is dealing with information objects, which is a formal
activity within company, e.g. standards/regulations, guides, and
manuals etc.
Enterprise-level, as the hierarchy shows, the higher level it is,
consideration will be focused on company as a whole. As a
consulting quantity surveying firm, several projects are being
carried on together. The main purpose of this level is to allocate
resources between different projects, and make the company to act
profitably. Consequently, the information involved in this level is
strategically and long term. The key question for senior manager is
how critical is this information to the operation of the business.
The entity type of information concerned by this level is
information system, e.g. tools(CAD, EDMS, BIM, etc.) The value
senior manager addressing is that increasing company competitive.
Apart from internal information flow, the external flow of
information is collaboration level. As figure 3 shows, generally
speaking, this level in consulting quantity surveying firm involves
three participants in terms of context level, e.g. clients, enterprise
level, and project level etc. In addition, more participants in terms
of organizations should be brought in, e.g. contractor, designer, and
sub-contractor. The investigation on these participants is far
Key questions

through the formal process of submission, auditing and approval, What information is held?
External

and then finally recorded within organization.

Generally, information involved in a Quantity Surveying How it is held and managed?

Colloberation-Level
organisation can be categorised into three levels (See Figure 3: How it flows through
inter-organizations
w

Pr
flo

Information flow in quantity surveyor firm), the enterprise-level,

o

and systems
je
on

ct
ati

in
rm

fo
fo

rm
in

ati
s

the project-level, and the operational-level. The enterprise-level

on
es
in

flo
s
Bu

management activities include preparing objective costs for the Information Object Flow Information Fragment Flow

project team. This helps monitoring the progress of a project and Enterprise-Level Project-Level
Operational-Level
Activities
coordinating a project, while all the project-level management Management
Activities
Submission-Auditing-Approval
Record-involved task Management
Activities
Monitoring
Record-free task
Internal

Key questions Key questions

activities cover the rest of the necessary management activities Key questions

regarding to the same construction project. The operational-level How critical the
Information is to the
What gaps are there
What the information
is used for?
in the information?

covers more detailed activities involved in project, for instance Organizations'

strategic goals?

Who else need this information

including bill take off or quantity calculation.(Ashworth & Hogg Without proper access? Where information
And information resources
are being duplicated?

2007; Christabel & Vincent 2003) Is the information sufficient

for my gourp?

The questions regard information raised by different context

levels has a various focus. Based upon comprehensive literature
review, and personal observation, a comparison between three
levels on information evaluation process, impact horizon, role, key
question, value, and information entity type is being carried on.
(Darlington, et al. 2008)
Operational-level, as the name implies that individual is more
tasks driven, he holds the question regards information is more
specified on his task/works assigned by upper-level. Individual
evaluates information entity in respect of a current or predictable
need. Obviously, the impact of the information is current or near
future. This process is mostly a personal process. The key
questions raised by operational-level are e.g. what is the
information used for? Where could I achieve it? (See Figure 3)
Consequently, the value mean to this level is the capacity to fulfil
an information need, to solve a problem incurred in the task, or to
support a decision. Regarding this level, the majority type of
information entity is information fragments, e.g. facts and figures.
Project-level, as a team leader, will predict information's
future capacity on satisfying employees' need. The impact of
information in this level is shorter term, but tactical. The manager
will regard the team as a whole, much consideration on team but
Figure 4 Information flow in a QS firm
beyond this research paper.
Based upon the investigation between different contexts within
consulting quantity surveying firm, it is apparent that high value
information for enterprise level may mean nothing to operational
level or project level and vice versa. Indeed, the definition of value
varies with the purpose, viewpoint and intent of the person who
defines it (Miles 1972). Processing and interpreting data to make
them usable can often be a major roadblock to realizing the value
of data and information that at the same time, depends on the
rationality and irrationality of a decision maker who judge the
value and quality of it. Therefore, information value is context
sensitive, the judgement criteria, the results, and the process is
context depended. In other words, the context has huge impact on
the total value of information, and the information has a unique
value in each contexts. High value information for project level
may not remain high value to different context level.
6. THE CONCEPT MAP OF INFORMATION IN
QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRM
 Information
Fragment

Including
Determines

Collaboration
Context Has Information Has Content

Level
Including

Determines Information
Has
Enterprise Project Object
Updates Has
Level Level

Affects
Impact
Influences
Value
Operational
Influences Purpose
Level Decisides
Influences
Influences
Influences Reflects
Decisides

Quality
Confidentiality Relevance

Influences
Actions Includs
Cause Determines

Accuracy Currency Trust Usefulness Can be To others

Decides

Can be Now
How I work Completeness
Is affected by
Can be
Is affected by Decides
In the future
Culture Souce

Figure 5 The concept map of information

After investigating information object, information system, and project management, and business management, no such
information value in quantity surveying firm, a concept map of assessment methodology is sufficient to conduct valuing
information can be drawn as above, Figure 5 The concept map of information in quantity surveying firm, especially in a multi-
information. context evaluation.
First, information has content. Information is composed by  In the domain of supply chain management, works are
information fragments, and information objects. After being focused on the information flow, by using a number of
objectified, the classification of information in quantity surveying mathematical models to make the consistency of
firm can be conducted. Though the Content of information affects downstream and upstream information flow, e.g. the
the classification, as it is the purpose of using information, the term inventory information and production plan information,
classification is replaced by Relevance. Apparently, Relevance and the sales information and demand forecasting
determines purpose, the purpose of using information, which information. The VOI lies on efficiency in information
influences the value of information. Furthermore, Content has flow.(Titus & Bröchner 2005; Ben-Haim 2001;
quality, which quality can be assessed by characteristics, e.g. Dominguez & Lashkari 2004)
Accuracy, Currency, Trust, Usefulness, and Completeness etc. In  In the risk management, VOI lies on reducing risk in the
addition, Relevance also determines Usefulness. decision making situation, it evaluate the cost and benefit
Second, information does not exist in a vacuum. Information flows on collecting additional information for eliminating
through different contexts, internally from Operational-level to uncertainty to decision makers. The applications are
Project-level and Enterprise-level. In addition, external flow of focusing on consequences of a decision, clarify any
information is named Collaboration-level, which compose of potential loss from an error decision in uncertainty to
Enterprise-level and Project-level. Context decides individual identify the valuable way collecting information. (Yokota
activities, which are formal and informal. These activities can & Thompson 2004)
update information within firm. Furthermore, context also  In the management domain industry, e.g. construction,
determines the purpose of using information, as well as impact of aerospace etc. Information quality is context-independent
information. Consequently, the Context is an explicit factor that while information value is content-dependent. As well
affects the value.(Zhao et al. 2008) Apparently, the concept map of there is no intrinsic value, decision maker struggling on
information shows that information quality is context-independent valuing information. Methods have been devised to
while information value is content-dependent. assess information value in relation to the profitability of
a company, e.g. SAS & Shark Finesse-'Unlocking the
6.1. An information evaluation approach Value of Information' , The National Archives-
Based on the comprehensive understanding on the linkage between 'Information Management Value Model', are simple and
information value and information quality, context, and relevance, ignore the rational of decision maker. (Zhao et al. 2008;
as well as the explicit barrier on valuing information, conclusion Higson & Waltho n.d.; EURIM 2009)
can be made that when information need to be valued, to calculate
out it's value, the commonly used methods are inadequate because 6.2. Limitations and future research
of its tangible and intangible characteristics. Literature review
throughout supply chain management, VOI for risk management,
In this research paper, we have addressed the contexts' importance
to the determination of information value. However, the terms, e.g.
near future, short, long, used to describe the impact are vague.
Impact Sensitivity Categorization can be applied into the study of
impact of information in different contexts. (Kass 2006)
Quantifying the impact will be provided in another research paper.
There is scanty elaboration on the quality of information in this
paper; however, the five proposed characteristics of information
are sufficient for building up a concept map for evaluating
information. Identify, rank, and analysis on the characteristics of
information will be a future research.
On the other hand, throughout literature review, notwithstanding
KM applications development is a problem-oriented domain,
statistical method is suggested to implement in KM. (Liao 2003)
Author identified a different social studies methodology, a
statistical method to record the information value and track the
possibility of high value of information. Zhao et al. (2008)
proposed and tested Bayesian network in information evaluation in
engineering organization. However, Zhao et al. (2008) addressed
the importance of context, and multi-context evaluation should be
conducted, their tested model is lack of context criteria. This lack
of research should be conducted, as we highly illumined the role of
context level played in information evaluation process.
7. CONCLUDING REMARKS
It can be concluded that there is a shift of emphasis, from the
'Technology' to the 'Information', and organizations require a
sufficient methodology for valuing information, especially in
quantity surveyor practice, as the adoption of BIM will radically
redefine traditional QS's professional boundaries or even supersede
their jobs. To respond this urgent request, a concept map of
information is proposed as a frame work for quantity surveying
firm to classify, objectify, and evaluate information for retain,
reuse, and leverage information within firms. This paper addresses
the problem of assigning value to information in quantity surveyor
practice. It reviews the literature related to the topics of
information in construction, building information modelling, value
of information, and quantity surveying practice. Through the
review, information fragments, and information objects have been
applied into quantity surveying work flow. A basic context levels
of consulting QS firm has been identified, as well as, their general
questions regarding information within organization and
collaboration. The rational of decision-makers on evaluating
information has been illumined. An initial industrial investigation
has been conducted on the classification of information generated
from quantity surveying practice. An information concept map has
been developed based on the key information attributes identified
from the literature and quantity surveying sector. At this stage,
three major attributes have been identified and their linkages have
been drawn in the concept map for future research. There is one
hypothesis in the map. Information quality is not equal to value.
Information quality is context-independent while information value
is content-dependent and context-sensitive. Statistical method is
suggested to implement in KM. Indeed, with the adoption of BIM,
as well as the fast development on searching engines and
collaboration tools, finding information in storage is easier than
ever before. However, high value information can drown out by
massive information flow and in storage. Putting a value tag on
used/searched information would increase the reusability of
information.
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